Perth International Jazz Festival: fOUR

fOUR: Nate Wood’s one-man band of virtuosic ability and space-y sounds.

Grammy-nominated, New York-based multi-instrumentalist Nate Wood called this project fOUR “because it’s me with four limbs playing four instruments at once”. A truly ambitious take on going solo, Wood plays everything — analogue synths, drums, bass, guitar as well as vocals — at the same time.

fOUR’s sound veers from complex, space-y prog rock to electronic-tinged instrumentals.

“Wood’s brain splits attention between four synthesisers, an electric bass and a drum kit, all while singing about futurism. Wood plays all of fOUR’s tunes in one take. No backing tracks. No overdubs. Nate Wood pulls us into an industrial, neon dystopia with tunes that stand alone as headphone music without the accompanying visuals, meticulously crafted and with precise execution. This isn’t novelty music. You’re hearing (and seeing) a mastermind songwriter and mad scientist at work.” NPR Music