Three things are certain in life: Death, taxes, and Four Tet redefining reality with music. On this latest episode of “What Will Kieren Hebden (aka Four Tet) Think of Next,” we see the UK producer take his talents to Chloé Robinson and DJ ADHD’s 909-driven, four-the-floor stomper, “Pax.”







Despite what many people think, a proper banger does not need excessive elements to get the party started. Robinson and ADHD prove their discipline as producers by using space to do just as much as the beat and the bass. Trust me, with an invigorating pulse like this, you’ll want as much breathing room as possible. Four Tet honors this energy, allowing his addition of swelling bass waves and timbre distortion to morph this tune into pure, unadulterated sonic stimulus.



This stand-out track comes off Chloé Robinson’s debut EP, Steamin, marking the full launch of her latest project. Formerly known in dance music circles for over a decade as Barely Legal, the Pretty Weird label head has always been a champion of diversified sounds. From polyrhythmic techno to face-melting dubstep, Robinson has been behind it all. No wonder she’s linked with renowned sonic explorer Four Tet.



Pretty Weird also supports DJ ADHD, a genre-blending UK-based up-and-comer. He’s emerged onto the scene only in the past year but has already gained support from established boundary pushers of sound like Robinson, Nikki Nair, and Villager.

Four Tet Revamps Chloé Robinson & DJ ADHD’s 'Pax'

Desert festivals might be some of the hardest to come by, and not just because those barren spaces are few and far between. Raving in 100-degree weather is just something that most people wouldn’t dream of, and it might seem even more improbable in such a remote location. So, why do ravers take to these arid sandscapes to dwell in the desert for days on end?

Despite the unforgiving environment, desert landscapes make for some of the best festivals in the world. Often without any towns or cities within earshot for miles, the lack of noise licenses allows for larger than average sound systems with no time constraints. Deserts also provide a completely blank slate meaning they can play host to any kind of creativity or blueprint, whether stages, art installations, or campsites. After dark, once the heat settles over the planes or dunes, it’s high time to let loose, and party as the dry daytime air subsides, creating the perfect starlit setting for any eager raver.

So, with that, let’s dig into some of the best desert festivals across the globe - and no, it’s not just Burning Man!




Monegros Desert Festival, Spain



We’re kicking off this list in Europe - an unusual spot considering the continent’s vast greenery. In the dusty region of Aragon, Northern Spain, a growing community sets up shop in the Monegros Desert, where the eponymous festival takes place. By day, festival-goers take shade under enormous fairytale-esque mushrooms, later lit up by trance-inducing lights transforming the space into a psychedelic oasis. Monegros Desert Festival is known for its prodigious lineup too. Promising one of the most exciting performances of the year as Wu-Tang Clan take to the stage in July 2022, accompanied by a slew of DJs including Adam Beyer, Charlotte De Witte, Seth Troxler, Maceo Plex, and more. This year’s event falls on July 30 for a full-frontal 24 hours.

Website | Instagram | Tickets







Transahara, Morocco



Over in the Sahara Desert, early summertime event Transahara kicks off this year on May 13th-17th deep in the barren zone amongst the “mythical dunes of Merzouga.” With a traditionally psytrance lineup, this South Moroccan festival is a great escape for fans of higher-tempo tunes. Yet, previous lineups have included house and techno artists whose soundscapes fit for the mystical desert environment like John Aquaviva, Nitin, Matt Caines, and D-Nox. Due to the fragility of the ecosystem surrounding the venue, the festival is capped at 1500 and accommodations in one of five hotels and camps nearby. Accommodations are quite reasonable ranging from $30-80 a night. Transahara beautifully fuses art, music, and culture for a grand celebration under the starlit sky every spring. 

Website | Instagram | Tickets




Burning Man, Nevada

Photo Credit: Michael Holden



Of course, this list wouldn’t be complete without Burning Man. It might be the first one that comes to mind when you think of desert-based festivals, but many don’t know the full ins and outs of this unusual event. As thousands of people - 80,000 to be exact - make the pilgrimage each year to Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, festivalgoers land in the barren metropolis of Black Rock City surrounded by art installations, burning structures, adventurous outfits, and a heck of a lot of bicycles. Black Rock City doesn't have traditional stages, the music is instead hosted by sound camps that each add their own artistic aesthetic to the dusty environment. Soundcamps like the fire-laden Opulent Temple, Debouchaerous day party Distrikt, and Carl Cox led Playground have hosted some of the biggest names in house and techno, including Carl Cox, The Martinez Brothers, and Joseph Capriati.

Website | Instagram | Tickets




Ragasthan, India

Previously dubbed ‘India’s craziest music festival’, Ragasthan has a lot to live up to - and it does. The three-day camping event takes place in the medieval trading town-turned-desert of Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, just off the border of Pakistan. Boasting a lineup of both electronic and indie music, India’s top-tier festival also includes cinema screenings and fly-by art on top of late-night DJ sets from the likes of Christ Burstein, Bemet, and more amongst the mystical landscape. Ragasthan takes place each year in February to ease away those winter blues.

Website | Instagram | Tickets




AfrikaBurn, South Africa



Burning Man's sibling festivals are called regional burns. Founded on the same 10 Principles of Burning Man (Radical Inclusion, Gifting, Decommodification, Radical Self-reliance, Radical Self-expression, Communal Effort, Civic Responsibility, Leaving No Trace, Participation, and Immediacy) they give the worldwide community a chance to relish in its spirit closer to home.

Afrikaburn is the second largest regional event after its sibling festival Midburn in Israel. And it's a worthy contender. Originally taking place on Stonehenge farm, AfrikaBurn later moved to South Africa’s Quaggafontein, where it sets up a similar event with the same ethos as Burning Man. The experiencial festival is said to be a ‘playground without politic’ bringing together the South African Burner community. This year’s event kicks off in the Western Cape province on April 25th until May 1st.

Website | Instagram | Tickets




Desert Daze, California



California’s Desert Daze Festival has consistently had one of the better lineups over the past few years in the arid, mountainous destination of Lake Perris. Though more a beach than a desert festival, this dry setting has previously hosted the likes of Floating Points, Boards of Canada, Flying Lotus, plus a few pop, rap, and rock numbers. Desert Daze takes place annually toward the end of the year to avoid peak summertime heat, but with a lake just metres away, there’s always room for a quick dip. Expect some more magic in the desert this year from September 30th until October 2nd.


Website | Instagram | Tickets




Sandbox, Egypt



Sandbox is a once-in-a-lifetime event taking place mid-summer. As the sun hangs low over the Gouna Red Sea next to Egypt’s El Gouna desert, almighty lineups including Folamour, Palms Trax, Mella Dee, Sweely, and more play to intimate crowds. The desert plane hosting Sandbox sits next to the turquoise waters of the red sea, making it the perfect respite for anyone seeking some time away from the unforgiving heat. This year’s dates are currently unconfirmed, although you can bank on a glorious weekend somewhere in mid June.

Website | Instagram

Day Zero, Israel



Finishing off our selection is Israel's Day Zero festival hosted in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Masada, not to be confused with the festival’s second event held in the jungle of Tulum. As termed by the festival itself, Day Zero is ‘a convergence of mysticism, music, natural wonder and apocalyptic sentiment’, set amongst the scenic desert space in the heart of Israel. Here, you can find a bill of impressive house and techno artists from all over the globe with previous residents including DJ Tennis, Black Coffee, Four Tet, and Dennis Cruz amongst others. Day Zero celebrates 10 years this year kicking off on September 23rd, 2022.

Website | Instagram | Tickets



Desert Festivals to Visit Around The World

Four Tet, otherwise known as Percussions, otherwise known as KH, otherwise known as 00110100 01010100, otherwise known as ⣎⡇ꉺლ༽இ•̛)ྀ◞ ༎ຶ ༽ৣৢ؞ৢ؞ؖ ꉺლ, other wise known as Kieran Hebden is an artist in a class of his own.

As is made clear by his numerous different aliases (all of which came after his initial instrumental band called Fridge), Hedben doesn't confine himself to any standards set down by the traditions of the music industry.

For many years he didn’t even produce club music whatsoever. Early albums like 

 (2003) were explorations into the same kind of alternative use of rhythms and eastern musical influences that punctuate his club sound of today, except layered over more straightforward beats touching on the realm of hip hop.

The first major foray into house music came on his 2008 album 

, Kebden’s first on his own label, Text Records. Immediately he set the tone of what was to come next with tracks lasting as long as ten minutes, guiding listeners through forums in blissful complexity.

Soon after came the major turning point with 2009’s 

which featured now famous tracks like “Love Cry” and “Angel Echoes.”

Today Hebden’s is delivering sample-fueled dancefloor weapons like his recent “Looking at Your Pager” and 2019’s “Only Human” while also tapping into his earlier roots with projects like Sound Ancestors, a collaboration with hip hop legend, Madlib.

The only full way to come close to experiencing the full story pertaining to Hebden’s connection to music is to see him DJ for five hours or more. But don’t fret as these sets are commonplace in cities all over the world from London to LA.

In that open format environment the music of Four Tet, Percussions, KH, ⣎⡇ꉺლ༽இ•̛)ྀ◞ ༎ຶ ༽ৣৢ؞ৢ؞ؖ ꉺლ, and 00110100 01010100 can all exist alongside each other, and Hebden shows exactly what keeps them all together.

Four Tet

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Austin Miller

Sam Morges