The reindeer (''Rangifer tarandus''), also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and one (or two, depending on taxonomy) has already gone extinct.

Reindeer vary considerably in color and size. Both sexes grow antlers, though they are typically larger in males. There are a few populations where females lack antlers completely.

Wild reindeer hunting and herding of semi-domesticated reindeer (for meat, hides, antlers, milk and transportation) is important to several Arctic and Subarctic people. Even far outside its range, the reindeer is well known due to the myth, probably originating in early 19th century America, in which Santa Claus's sleigh is pulled by flying reindeer, a popular secular element of Christmas. In Lapland, reindeer pull pulks.

Distribution and habitat

The reindeer is a widespread and numerous species in the northern Holarctic, being present in both tundra and taiga (boreal forest). Originally, the reindeer was found in Scandinavia, eastern Europe, Russia, Mongolia, and northern China north of the 50th latitude. In North America, it was found in Canada, Alaska (USA), and the northern conterminous USA from Washington to Maine. In the 19th century, it was apparently still present in southern Idaho. It also occurred naturally on Sakhalin, Greenland, and probably even in historical times in Ireland. During the late Pleistocene era, reindeer were found as far south as Nevada and Tennessee in North America and Spain in Europe. Today, wild reindeer have disappeared from many areas within this large historical range, especially from the southern parts, where it vanished almost everywhere. Large populations of wild reindeer are still found in Norway, Finland, Siberia, Greenland, Alaska, and Canada.

Domesticated reindeer are mostly found in northern Fennoscandia and Russia, with a herd of approximately 150-170 reindeer living around the Cairngorms region in Scotland. The last remaining wild tundra reindeer in Europe are found in portions of southern Norway.

A few reindeer from Norway were introduced to the South Atlantic island of South Georgia in the beginning of the 20th century. The South Georgian reindeer total some 2600 animals in two distinct herds separated by glaciers. Although the flag and the coat of arms of the territory contain an image of a reindeer, they are under threat of eradication because of the environmental damage they cause. Around 4000 reindeer have been introduced into the French sub-Antarctic archipelago of Kerguelen Islands. East Iceland has a small herd of about 2500–3000 animals.

Caribou and reindeer numbers have fluctuated historically, but many herds are in decline across their range. This global decline is linked to climate change for northern, migratory caribou and reindeer herds and industrial disturbance of caribou habitat for sedentary, non-migratory herds.

Morphology

Size

The females usually measure in length and weigh The males (or "bulls") are typically larger (although the extent to which varies in the different subspecies), measuring in length and usually weighing , though exceptionally large males have weighed as much as . Shoulder height typically measure from , and the tail is long. The subspecies ''R. t. platyrhynchus'' from Svalbard island is very small compared to other subspecies (a phenomenon known as insular dwarfism), with females having a length of approximately , and a weight around in the spring and in the autumn. Males are approximately long, and weigh around in the spring and in the autumn. The reindeer from Svalbard are also relatively short-legged and may have a shoulder height of as little as , thereby following Allen's rule.

Domesticated reindeer are shorter-legged and heavier than their wild counterparts.

Fur

The colour of the fur varies considerably, both individually, and depending on season and subspecies. Northern populations, which usually are relatively small, are whiter, while southern populations, which typically are relatively large, are darker. This can be seen well in North America, where the northermost subspecies, the Peary Caribou, is the whitest and smallest subspecies of the continent, while the southermost subspecies, the Woodland Caribou, is the darkest and largest. The coat has two layers of fur, a dense woolly undercoat and longer-haired overcoat consisting of hollow, air-filled hairs.

Antlers

In most populations both sexes grow antlers, which (in the Scandinavian variety) for old males fall off in December, for young males in the early spring, and for females in the summer. The antlers typically have two separate groups of points, a lower and upper. There is considerable subspecific variation in the size of the antlers (e.g., rather small and spindly in the northernmost subspecies), but in some subspecies the bull reindeer's antlers are the second largest of any extant deer, after the moose, and can range up to in width and in beam length. They have the largest antlers relative to body size among deer.

Nose and hooves

Reindeer have specialized noses featuring nasal turbinate bones that dramatically increase the surface area within the nostrils. Incoming cold air is warmed by the animal's body heat before entering the lungs, and water is condensed from the expired air and captured before the deer's breath is exhaled, used to moisten dry incoming air and possibly absorbed into the blood through the mucous membranes.

Reindeer hooves adapt to the season: in the summer, when the tundra is soft and wet, the footpads become sponge-like and provide extra traction. In the winter, the pads shrink and tighten, exposing the rim of the hoof, which cuts into the ice and crusted snow to keep it from slipping. This also enables them to dig down (an activity known as "cratering") through the snow to their favorite food, a lichen known as reindeer moss. The knees of many species of reindeer are adapted to produce a clicking sound as they walk.

Vision

Reindeer are thought to be the only mammals that can see ultraviolet light. A study conducted by researchers from the University College London in 2011 revealed that reindeer can see light with wavelengths as low as 320 nm, considerably below the human threshold of 400 nm. It is thought that this ability helps them to survive in the Arctic, because many objects that blend into the landscape in normally visible light, such as urine and fur, produce sharp contrasts in ultraviolet.

Ecology and behavior

Diet

Reindeer are ruminants, having a four-chambered stomach. They mainly eat lichens in winter, especially reindeer moss. However, they also eat the leaves of willows and birches, as well as sedges and grasses. There is some evidence to suggest that on occasion, they will also feed on lemmings, arctic char, and bird eggs. Reindeer herded by the Chukchis have been known to devour mushrooms enthusiastically in late summer.

Reproduction

Mating occurs from late September to early November. Males battle for access to females. Two males will lock each other's antlers together and try to push each other away. The most dominant males can collect as many as 15-20 females to mate with. A male will stop eating during this time and lose much of its body reserves.

Calves may be born the following May or June. After 45 days, the calves are able to graze and forage but continue suckling until the following autumn and become independent from their mothers.

Migration

Some populations of the North American caribou migrate the furthest of any terrestrial mammal, travelling up to a year, and covering . Other populations (e.g., in Europe) have a shorter migration, and some, for example the subspecies ''R. t. pearsoni'' and ''R. t. platyrhynchus'' (both restricted to islands), are residents that only make local movements.

Normally travelling about a day while migrating, the caribou can run at speeds of . During the spring migration smaller herds will group together to form larger herds of 50,000 to 500,000 animals but during autumn migrations, the groups become smaller, and the reindeer begin to mate. During the winter, reindeer travel to forested areas to forage under the snow. By spring, groups leave their winter grounds to go to the calving grounds. A reindeer can swim easily and quickly, normally at but if necessary at , and migrating herds will not hesitate to swim across a large lake or broad river.

Predators

There are a variety of predators that prey heavily on reindeer. Golden Eagles prey on calves and are the most prolific hunter on calving grounds. Wolverine will take newborn calves or birthing cows, as well as (less commonly) infirm adults. Brown Bears and (in the rare cases where they encounter each other) polar bears prey on reindeer of all ages but (as with the wolverine) are most likely to attack weaker animals such as calves and sick deer. The Gray Wolf is the most effective natural predator of adult reindeer, especially during the winter. As carrion, caribou are fed on by foxes, ravens and hawks. Blood-sucking insects, such as black flies and mosquitoes, are a plague to reindeer during the summer and can cause enough stress to inhibit feeding and calving behaviors. In one case, the entire body of a reindeer was found in a Greenland shark (possibly a case of scavenging), a species found in the far northern Atlantic. The population numbers of some of these predators is influenced by the migration of reindeer.

Subspecies

Since 1961, reindeer have been divided into two major groups, the tundra reindeer with six subspecies and the woodland reindeer with three subspecies. Among the tundra subspecies are small-bodied, high-Arctic island forms. These island subspecies are probably not closely related, since the Svalbard Reindeer seems to have evolved from large European Reindeer, whereas Peary Caribou and the extinct Arctic Reindeer are closely related and probably evolved in high-Arctic North America.

The following list is partial, as four subspecies which are restricted to Russia and neighbouring regions have been left out. These are ''R. tarandus buskensis'', ''R. tarandus pearsoni'' (Novaya Zemlya Reindeer), ''R. tarandus phylarchus'' (Kamchatka/Okhotsk Reindeer) and ''R. tarandus sibiricus'' (Siberian Tundra Reindeer).

Tundra reindeer

†Arctic Reindeer (''R. tarandus eogroenlandicus''), an extinct subspecies found until 1900 in eastern Greenland.

Peary Caribou (''R. tarandus pearyi''), found in the northern islands of the Nunavut and the Northwest Territories of Canada.

Svalbard Reindeer (''R. tarandus platyrhynchus''), found on the Svalbard islands of Norway, is the smallest subspecies of reindeer.

Mountain/Wild Reindeer (''R. tarandus tarandus''), found in the Arctic tundra of Eurasia, including the Fennoscandia peninsula of northern Europe.

Porcupine Caribou or Grant's Caribou (''R. tarandus granti''), which are found in Alaska, the Yukon, and the Northwest Territories of Canada. Very similar to ''R. tarandus groenlandicus'', and probably better regarded as a junior synonym of that subspecies.

Barren-ground Caribou (''R. tarandus groenlandicus''), found in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories of Canada and in western Greenland.

Woodland reindeer

Finnish Forest Reindeer (''R. tarandus fennicus''), found in the wild in only two areas of the Fennoscandia peninsula of Northern Europe, in Finnish/Russian Karelia, and a small population in central south Finland. The Karelia population reaches far into Russia, however, so far that it remains an open question whether reindeer further to the east are ''R. t. fennicus'' as well.

Migratory Woodland Caribou (''R. tarandus caribou''), or Forest Caribou, once found in the North American taiga (boreal forest) from Alaska to Newfoundland and Labrador and as far south as New England, Idaho, and Washington. Woodland Caribou have disappeared from most of their original southern range and are considered threatened where they remain, with the notable exception of the Migratory Woodland Caribou of northern Quebec and Labrador, Canada. The name of the Cariboo district of central British Columbia relates to their once-large numbers there, but they have almost vanished from that area in the last century. A herd is protected in the Caribou Mountains in Alberta. The above quoted range includes ''R. tarandus caboti'' (Labrador Caribou), ''R. tarandus osborni'' (Osborn's Caribou – from British Columbia) and ''R. tarandus terraenovae'' (Newfoundland Caribou). Based on a review in 1961, these were considered invalid and included in ''R. tarandus caribou'', but some recent authorities have considered them all valid, even suggesting that they are quite distinct. An analysis of mtDNA in 2005 found differences between the caribous from Newfoundland, Labrador, south-western Canada and south-eastern Canada, but maintained all in ''R. tarandus caribou''. †Queen Charlotte Islands Caribou (''R. tarandus dawsoni'') from the Queen Charlotte Islands was believed to represent a distinct subspecies. It became extinct at the beginning of the 20th century. However, recent DNA analysis from mitochondrial DNA of the remains from those reindeer suggest that the animals from the Queen Charlotte Islands were not genetically distinct from the Canadian mainland reindeer subspecies.

Reindeer and humans

Hunting

Reindeer hunting by humans has a very long history, and caribou/wild reindeer "may well be the species of single greatest importance in the entire anthropological literature on hunting."

Humans started hunting reindeer in the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods, and humans are today the main predator in many areas. Norway and Greenland have unbroken traditions of hunting wild reindeer from the ice age until the present day. In the non-forested mountains of central Norway, such as Jotunheimen, it is still possible to find remains of stone-built trapping pits, guiding fences, and bow rests, built especially for hunting reindeer. These can, with some certainty, be dated to the Migration Period, although it is not unlikely that they have been in use since the Stone Age.

Norway is now preparing to apply for nomination as a World Heritage Site for areas with traces and traditions of reindeer hunting in Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella National Park, Reinheimen National Park and Rondane National Park in Central Sør-Norge (Southern Norway). There is in these parts of Norway an unbroken tradition of reindeer hunting from post-glacial stone age until today.

Wild caribou are still hunted in North America and Greenland. In the traditional lifestyle of the Inuit people, Northern First Nations people, Alaska Natives, and the Kalaallit of Greenland, the caribou is an important source of food, clothing, shelter, and tools. Many Gwichʼin people, who depend on the Porcupine caribou, still follow traditional caribou management practices that include a prohibition against selling caribou meat and limits on the number of caribou to be taken per hunting trip.

The blood of the caribou was supposedly mixed with alcohol as drink by hunters and loggers in colonial Quebec to counter the cold. This drink is now enjoyed without the blood as a wine and whiskey drink known as ''Caribou''.

Reindeer husbandry

Reindeer have been herded for centuries by several Arctic and Subarctic people including the Sami and the Nenets. They are raised for their meat, hides, antlers and, to a lesser extent, for milk and transportation. Reindeer are not considered fully domesticated, as they generally roam free on pasture grounds. In traditional nomadic herding, reindeer herders migrate with their herds between coast and inland areas according to an annual migration route, and herds are keenly tended. However, reindeer were not bred in captivity, though they were tamed for milking as well as for use as draught animals or beasts of burden.

The use of reindeer as semi-domesticated livestock in Alaska was introduced in the late 19th century by the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service, with assistance from Sheldon Jackson, as a means of providing a livelihood for Native peoples there. Reindeer were imported first from Siberia, and later also from Norway. A regular mail run in Wales, Alaska, used a sleigh drawn by reindeer. In Alaska, reindeer herders use satellite telemetry to track their herds, using online maps and databases to chart the herd's progress.

Economy

The reindeer has (or has had) an important economic role for all circumpolar peoples, including the Saami, Nenets, Khants, Evenks, Yukaghirs, Chukchi, and Koryaks in Eurasia. It is believed that domestication started between the Bronze and Iron Ages. Siberian deer owners also use the reindeer to ride on (Siberian reindeer are larger than their Scandinavian relatives). For breeders, a single owner may own hundreds or even thousands of animals. The numbers of Russian herders have been drastically reduced since the fall of the Soviet Union. The fur and meat is sold, which is an important source of income. Reindeer were introduced into Alaska near the end of the 19th century; they interbreed with native caribou subspecies there. Reindeer herders on the Seward Peninsula have experienced significant losses to their herds from animals (such as wolves) following the wild caribou during their migrations.

Reindeer meat is popular in the Scandinavian countries. Reindeer meatballs are sold canned. Sautéed reindeer is the best-known dish in Lapland. In Alaska and Finland, reindeer sausage is sold in supermarkets and grocery stores. Reindeer meat is very tender and lean. It can be prepared fresh, but also dried, salted, hot- and cold-smoked. In addition to meat, almost all internal organs of reindeer can be eaten, some being traditional dishes. Furthermore, ''Lapin Poron liha'', fresh Reindeer meat completely produced and packed in Finnish Lapland, is protected in Europe with PDO classification.

Reindeer antler is powdered and sold as an aphrodisiac, nutritional or medicinal supplement to Asian markets.

Caribou have been a major source of subsistence for Canadian Inuit.

In history

Both Aristotle and Theophrastus have short accounts – probably based on the same source – of an ox-sized deer species, named ''tarandos'', living in the land of the Bodines in Scythia, which was able to change the colour of its fur to obtain camouflage. The latter is probably a misunderstanding of the seasonal change in reindeer fur colour. The descriptions have been interpreted as being of reindeer living in the southern Ural Mountains at c. 350 BC

A deer-like animal described by Julius Caesar in his ''Commentarii de Bello Gallico'' (chapter 6.26) from the Hercynian Forest in the year 53 BC is most certainly to be interpreted as reindeer:

According to Olaus Magnus's Historia de Gentibus Septentrionalibus – printed in Rome in 1555 – Gustav I of Sweden sent 10 reindeer to Albert I, Duke of Prussia, in the year 1533. It may be these animals that Conrad Gessner had seen or heard of.

Name etymology

The name rangifer, which Linnaeus chose as the name for the reindeer genus, was used by Albertus Magnus in his ''De animalibus'', fol. Liber 22, Cap. 268: "Dicitur Rangyfer quasi ramifer". This word may go back to a Saami word ''raingo''. For the origin of the word tarandus, which Linnaeus chose as the species epithet, he made reference to Ulisse Aldrovandi's ''Quadrupedum omnium bisulcorum historia'' fol. 859–863, Cap. 30: De Tarando (1621). However, Aldrovandi – and before him Konrad Gesner – thought that ''rangifer'' and ''tarandus'' were two separate animals. In any case, the ''tarandos'' name goes back to Aristotle and Theophrastus – see above.

Local names

The name ''rein'' (-deer) is of Norse origin (Old Norse ''hreinn'', which again goes back to Proto-Germanic *hraina and Proto-Indo-European *kroino meaning "horned animal"). In the Uralic languages, Sami ''poatsu'' (in Northern Sami ''boazu'', in Lule Sami ''boatsoj'', in Pite Sami ''båtsoj'', in Southern Sami ''bovtse''), Mari ''pučə'' and Udmurt ''pudžej'', all referring to domesticated reindeer, go back to *počaw, an Iranian loanword deriving from Proto-Indo-European *peḱu-, meaning "cattle". The Finnish name ''poro'' may also stem from the same. The name ''caribou'' comes, through French, from Mi'kmaq ''qalipu'', meaning "snow shoveler", referring to its habit of pawing through the snow for food. In Inuktitut, the caribou is known by the name ''tuktu''. In Cree-Montagnais-Naskapi dialects the caribou is called ''atihkw''.

Reindeer in Christmas

Santa Claus's reindeer

In the Santa Claus tale, Santa Claus's sleigh is pulled by flying reindeer. These were first named in the 1823 poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas", where they are called Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Dunder, and Blixem. Dunder was later changed to Donder and—in other works—Donner (in German, "thunder"), and Blixem was later changed to Bliksem, then Blitzen (German for "lightning"). Some consider Rudolph as part of the group as well, though he was not part of the original named work referenced previously. Rudolph was added by Robert L. May in 1939 as "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer".

According to the British comedy panel game QI, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and all of Santa's other reindeer must be either female or castrated, because male reindeer lose their antlers during winter.

Heraldry and symbols

Several Norwegian municipalities have one or more reindeer depicted in their coats-of-arms: Eidfjord, Porsanger, Rendalen, Tromsø, Vadsø, and Vågå. The historic province of Västerbotten in Sweden has a reindeer in its coat of arms. The present Västerbotten County has very different borders and uses the reindeer combined with other symbols in its coat-of-arms. The city of Piteå also has a reindeer. The logo for Umeå University features three reindeer.

The Canadian 25-cent coin, or "quarter" features a depiction of a caribou on one face. The caribou is the official provincial animal of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, and appears on the coat of arms of Nunavut. A caribou statue was erected at the center of the Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial, marking the spot in France where hundreds of soldiers from Newfoundland were killed and wounded in the First World War and there is a replica in Bowring Park, in St. John's, Newfoundland's capital city.

Two municipalities in Finland have reindeer motifs in their coats-of-arms: Kuusamo has a running reindeer and Inari a fish with reindeer antlers.

See also

Rangifer (journal)

References

External links

The Reindeer Portal, Source of Information About Reindeer Husbandry Worldwide

Rangifer.net has a map of subspecies ranges.

1935 Reindeer Herding in the Northwest Territories

General information on Caribou and Reindeer

Human Role in Reindeer/Caribou Systems

Reindeer Studies in South Georgia and Norway

Reindeer hunting as World Heritage – a ten thousand year-long tradition

The Scandinavian reindeer (Rangifer tarandus L.) after the last glacial maximum: time, seasonality and human exploitation

Adaptations To Life In The Arctic – Instructional slide-show, University of Alaska

''Rangifer'' – world's only scientific journal dealing exclusively with husbandry, management and biology of Arctic and northern ungulates

Caribou-specific links (North America)

Mammal Fact Sheets: Caribou

Frequently Asked Questions about Caribou from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Caribou and You – Campaign by CPAWS to protect the Woodland caribou, a species at risk in Canada

Newfoundland Five-Year Caribou Strategy Seeks to Address Declining Populations

Category:Deer Category:Fauna of the Arctic Category:Arctic land animals Category:Mammals of Europe Category:Mammals of Asia Category:Mammals of Canada Category:Fauna of Greenland Category:Mammals of Russia Category:Mammals of the United States Category:Megafauna of Eurasia Category:Megafauna of North America Category:Alaskan cuisine Category:Algonquian loanwords Category:Monotypic mammal genera Category:Animals described in 1758

ang:Hrān ar:رنة an:Rangifer tarandus az:Şimal maralı br:Karv-erc'h bg:Северен елен ca:Ren cv:Çурçĕр пăлан cs:Sob polární da:Rensdyr de:Ren nv:Hakʼaz bįįh et:Põhjapõder el:Τάρανδος es:Rangifer tarandus eo:Boaco eu:Elur-orein fa:گوزن شمالی fr:Rangifer tarandus ga:Réinfhia gd:Fast gl:Reno ko:순록 io:Rentiro iu:ᑐᒃᑐ/tuktu ik:Tuttu is:Hreindýr it:Rangifer tarandus he:אייל הצפון kl:Tuttoq sw:Kulungu Aktiki la:Tarandrus lv:Ziemeļbriedis lt:Šiaurinis elnias hu:Rénszarvas mk:Ирвас ltg:Pūstumaļņs mr:रेनडियर mn:Цаа буга nl:Rendier cr:ᐊᑎᐦᒄ ja:トナカイ no:Rein nn:Reinsdyr nrm:Chèr du Nord oc:Rangièr pnb:رینڈیئر pl:Renifer pt:Rena ro:Ren rm:Ren ru:Северный олень se:Boazu simple:Reindeer sk:Sob sr:Ирвас fi:Peura sv:Ren tl:Karibu te:పలవల దుప్పి th:กวางเรนเดียร์ tr:Ren geyiği uk:Північний олень ur:رینڈیر ug:شىمال بۇغىسى zh:驯鹿

name	Kieran Hebden
background	non_vocal_instrumentalist
alias	Four Tet
origin	United Kingdom
instrument	Piano, drums, guitar, harpsichord, horn, synthesizer
genre	ElectronicFolktronicaIDMJazz
years active	1998–present
label	Output RecordingsDomino Records
associated acts	Fridge
website	http://www.fourtet.net/ }}

Kieran Hebden (born 1980, Putney, London, England, United Kingdom) is a post-rock and electronic musician. Hebden first came to prominence as a member of the band Fridge before establishing himself as a solo artist under the moniker of Four Tet.

Hebden's music typically eschews the traditional pop song format in favour of a more abstract approach — his sound and melodies incorporate elements of hip hop, electronica, techno, jazz, and folk music with live instrumentation.

Alongside recording his own material, Hebden has also performed remixes for a number of artists including Aphex Twin, Anti-Pop Consortium, Bonobo, Beth Orton, Explosions in the Sky, Super Furry Animals, Radiohead, Manic Street Preachers, Matthew Dear, Sia, Nathan Fake, Bloc Party, Andrew Bird, Kings of Convenience, Battles, Juana Molina, Madvillain, The xx, Foals, and Black Sabbath, as well as producing two albums by psychedelic improvisational group Sunburned Hand of the Man. Hebden's recent output includes a number of improvisational works with the late jazz drummer Steve Reid and collaborations with both Burial and Thom Yorke.

History

Kieran Hebden was born in London to a South African-born Indian mother and a sociology lecturer father. He attended Elliott School in Putney, where he formed the band Fridge with classmates Adem Ilhan and Sam Jeffers. The band signed a recording contract when Hebden was 15, and released their first album in March 1997.

Hebden began releasing material as Four Tet in 1998 with the 36 minute, 25 second single ''Thirtysixtwentyfive'' on Trevor Jackson's Output Recordings label. Later that year, he released a second single, the jazz-influenced "Misnomer". 1999's ''Dialogue'', again on Output, was Four Tet's first full-length album release and fused hip hop drum lines with dissonant jazz samples. This was followed by the double A-side single "Glasshead"/"Calamine", which was to be Four Tet's last release on Output.

In late 1999, Warp Records released ''Warp 10 + 3: Remixes'', a tenth-anniversary compilation of remixes of Warp tracks; Hebden contributed a remix of the opening track of Aphex Twin's ''Selected Ambient Works Volume II''. This relatively high-profile exposure attracted new interest in Four Tet from fans of electronica and intelligent dance music, genres in which the Warp brand has a preeminent status.

In 2001, Four Tet's second album ''Pause'' was released on Domino Records and found Hebden using more folk and electronic samples, which was quickly dubbed "folktronica" by the media and press in an attempt to label the style (often also applied to artists such as Isan and Gravenhurst). ''Rounds'' was released in May 2003. Three singles were released from the album: "She Moves She", "As Serious as Your Life", and "My Angel Rocks Back and Forth". This last single was released as an EP featuring remixes by electronica duo Icarus and Isambard Khroustaliov along with additional Four Tet tracks "I've Got Viking in Me" and "All the Chimers". An accompanying DVD featured all of Four Tet's videos to date. In addition, the closing track "Slow Jam" was featured in a U.S. Nike commercial in 2001 and 2002; Hebden edited the track on the back of the bus with his laptop while on a tour with Fridge.

At the beginning of 2003, Four Tet opened for Radiohead on their European tour. A remix of the song "Scatterbrain" from Radiohead's sixth studio album ''Hail to the Thief'' was released in November 2003 as a B-side to the single "2 + 2 = 5" and later included on their 2004 EP ''COM LAG (2plus2isfive)''. Furthermore, Hebden was among the people thanked by Radiohead in the booklet accompanying their 2007 ''In Rainbows'' "discbox" release.

A live album named ''Live in Copenhagen 30th March 2004'' was released in April 2004 as a limited edition, available exclusively from the Domino Records website.

In March and April 2005, Four Tet performed two shows of improvisational music, in collaboration with jazz drummer Steve Reid, in Paris and London. He also appears on Steve Reid Ensemble 2005 album ''Spirit Walk''. This collaboration was extended into a series of international tours, and the release of two albums, ''The Exchange Session Vol. 1'' and ''The Exchange Session Vol. 2'' over the course of 2005 and 2006.

His fourth studio album ''Everything Ecstatic'' was released on Domino on 23 May 2005. The video for the lead single, "Smile Around the Face", features actor Mark Heap. On 7 November 2005, Domino released a DVD version of ''Everything Ecstatic'' featuring video clips for each track of the album plus a CD with new material, titled ''Everything Ecstatic Part 2'', which was later made available as an individual EP.

Hebden has also remixed, under the Four Tet name, tracks by a wide range of artists including Tegan And Sara, Madvillain, Andrew Bird, Bloc Party, Super Furry Animals, Beth Orton, Badly Drawn Boy, CYNE, The Notwist, Boom Bip, Battles, Kings of Convenience, Lars Horntveth, Bonobo, Rothko, The xx, Thom Yorke and Radiohead. On 25 September 2006, Domino Records released ''Remixes'', a two-disc compilation of Four Tet remixes. The first disc contains twelve Four Tet remixes selected by Hebden, with the second disc comprising every official remix to date (both by Hebden himself and by other artists) of Four Tet tracks, many of which had previously been available on vinyl only. A new EP, ''Ringer'', was released on 21 April 2008.

In 2008, Hebden collaborated with composer David Arnold to write "Crawl, End Crawl", the song used for the end credits of the film ''Quantum of Solace''.

In 2009, Hebden worked on a secret collaboration with Burial. The two track 12" was released with a plain black cover with no liner notes or details contained on the vinyl, other than the artists' names and the track titles: "Moth" and "Wolf Cub".

In November 2009, details of the fifth full-length Four Tet album were released. Heavily influenced by a stint DJing at the Plastic People club in Shoreditch and entitled ''There Is Love in You'', it was released on 25 January 2010. The album was preceded by a limited edition release of the 12" single "Love Cry".

In 2011, Hebden released a split 12" with Burial and Thom Yorke, entitled "Ego/Mirror". He has been chosen by Caribou to perform at the ATP Nightmare Before Christmas festival that they co-curate in December 2011 in Minehead, England.

Selected discography

Albums (as Four Tet)

''Dialogue'' (Output Recordings, May 1999)

''Pause'' (Domino Records, 28 May 2001)

''Rounds'' (Domino Records, 5 May 2003) - UK #60

''Everything Ecstatic'' (Domino Records, 23 May 2005) - UK #59

''Remixes'' (Domino Records, 25 September 2006)

''Ringer'' (Domino Records, 21 April 2008)

''There Is Love in You'' (Domino Records, 25 January 2010) - #35 UK, #157 US

Mix albums

''Late Night Tales: Four Tet'' (Azuli Records, 4 October 2004) (DJ mix album compiled by Hebden)

''DJ-Kicks: Four Tet'' (Studio !K7, 26 June 2006) (mix album in the DJ-Kicks series)

''Fabriclive.59'' (Fabric Records, September 2011) (mix album in the Fabric discography series)

Albums (as Kieran Hebden)

''The Exchange Session Vol. 1'' (with Steve Reid; Domino Records, 27 February 2006)

''The Exchange Session Vol. 2'' (with Steve Reid; Domino Records, 22 May 2006)

''Tongues'' (with Steve Reid; Domino Records, 19 March 2007)

''NYC'' (with Steve Reid; Domino Records, 4 November 2008)

References

Guardian interview

TheMilkFactory interview

Sound On Sound interview

Four Tet chooses his nine most influential records

External links

Official website

Fourtet on SoundCloud

Review of 'Sing' on the Daily Music Guide

Kieran Hebden Red Bull Music Academy video lecture session

Four Tet on Andrew Meza's BTS Radio

Four Tet Essential Mix

Kieran Hebden interview @ MUTEK

Category:1977 births Category:English electronic musicians Category:English people of Indian descent Category:Folktronica Category:Intelligent dance music musicians Category:English experimental musicians Category:Ableton Live users Category:Living people Category:People from Putney

da:Four Tet de:Four Tet fr:Four Tet it:Four Tet pt:Kieran Hebden ru:Four Tet fi:Four Tet sv:Four Tet

One Little Plane is folk artist Kathryn Bint. Hailing from Chicago, Bint's music has been described as "gently wistful, dust-kicking psychedelia" and "dreamy heart warming folk" with "simple, heartfelt melodies". One Little Plane's debut album, ''Until'' (2008), featured production from Kieran Hebden.

Discography

Albums

''Until'' (2008)

References

External links

Category:American female singers Category:American folk musicians Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Chicago, Illinois Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Name	Tech N9ne
Birth name	Aaron Dontez Yates
Birth date	November 08, 1971
Origin	Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
Genre	Hip hop
Occupation	Rapper, Actor, Label vice president
Years active	1985–present
Associated acts	Krizz Kaliko, Brotha Lynch Hung, Psychopathic Records, Hopsin, Kutt Calhoun, Big Scoob, Ceza
Label	Strange Music
Website	TheRealTechN9ne.com
Background	solo_singer }}

Aaron Dontez Yates (born November 8, 1971), better known by his stage name Tech N9ne (pronounced "Tech Nine"), is an American rapper from Kansas City, Missouri. In 1999, Yates and Travis O'Guin founded the record label Strange Music. Throughout his career, Yates has sold over one million albums and has had his music featured in film, television, and video games. In 2009, he won the Left Field Woodie award at the mtvU Woodie Awards.

His stage name originated from the TEC-9 semi-automatic handgun, given to him by rapper Black Walt due to his fast rhyming style. Yates later applied a deeper meaning to the name, claiming that it stands for the complete technique of rhyme, with 'tech' meaning technique and 'nine' representing the number of completion.

Early life

Tech N9ne was born Aaron Dontez Yates on November 8, 1971 in Independence, Missouri. He began rapping at a very early age, and would rap the letters of his name in order to remember how to spell it. Interaction with his father was infrequent, and his mother suffered from epilepsy and lupus when he was a child, which deeply affected him and inspired him to "search for God." He would wander around abandoned buildings with his best friend, Brian Dennis, hoping to catch a ghost on film. In 2002, Dennis was shot and killed by his girlfriend's ex-boyfriend, which further inspired Yates' search for a higher power, as well as giving him the drive to vent his frustrations in his music.

Career

Early in his life, Yates was a member of a group formed in 1991 called Black Mafia. He saw glimpses of success in the group 57th Street Rogue Dog with their single "Let's Get Fucked Up." As a member of the group Nnutthowze, Aaron Yates signed with Perspective Records in 1993. However, the group disbanded soon after being released from the label. Yates signed with Qwest Records briefly before moving to JCOR Records.

In 1997, Yates joined the group The Regime formed by rapper Yukmouth. The following year, he was featured on the soundtrack for the film Gang Related. Yates appeared on the song "The Anthem" by Sway & King Tech in 1999, which also featured artists RZA, Eminem, Xzibit, Pharoahe Monch, Jayo Felony, Chino XL, KRS-One, and Kool G. Rap. Later that year, he and Travis O'Guin founded the record label Strange Music.

In 2001, Yates released the studio album ''Anghellic'' on JCOR Records. Tech Nine did not get much Radio play or get featured on any show now that he was with Strange Music. Now that he was doing his own thing and not others. People looked at him in a different way. People (Mainstream) were convinced that Tech Nine was a Devil Worshiper and his Music was a form of Witch Music. After the label closed, Yates decided to stay on his own Strange Music label. The next year, he released ''Absolute Power'' which debuted number 79 on the Billboard 200Absolute Power sales increased 3 times after Tech Nine starterd the FTI Campaine. In this Campaine Tech Nine not only told people to Download his music but provided a website to Download his new Album. . In 2006, Yates released the album ''Everready (The Religion)''. The following year, he released ''Misery Loves Kompany''. Yates announced that the album was the first in a series of "Tech N9ne Collabos" albums that feature a wide range of guest appearances.

The following year, Yates released the album ''Killer''. That September, he exceeded one million album sales. Yates remarked of the accomplishment that, "It just reminded me of all the work we done in the past, up until now [...] I don't think it's sunken in yet. I've been celebrating for the last two days because that's a hell of an accomplishment. I've been planning success all my life. I'm not even a bit surprised, I'm happy about it. That just means I was right." Yates released his second Collabos album, ''Sickology 101'', in April 2009.

Yates later performed at the Rock The Bells 2009 Festival and the tenth annual Gathering of the Juggalos. That October, he released ''K.O.D.'', short for King of Darkness. The album featured a dark overtone, as Yates was dealing with the illness of his mother. An EP of cut songs from the album was released in 2010 as ''The Lost Scripts of K.O.D.'' Later that year, Yates released his third Collabos album, ''The Gates Mixed Plate''. In October, he released his second EP ''Seepage''. On December 23, he released his first mixtape ''Bad Season''.

On June 7, 2011 Yates released his most recent album ''All 6's And 7's''. The album features a myriad of prominent hip-hop artist including B.o.B, E-40, Snoop Dogg, T-Pain, Mint Condition, Hopsin, Busta Rhymes, Twista, Lil Wayne, Yelawolf, and Deftones.

In 2011, Yates told 411mania.com that after ''All 6's And 7's'' he plans on releasing his fourth album in the Collabos series titled ''Welcome to Strangeland'', featuring guest appearances from everyone on Strange Music, followed by the long awaited K.A.B.O.S.H. and 816 Boyz albums. Then, in July 2011, Yates said in a blog post that Rick Ross has agreed to do a song with him for the K.A.B.O.S.H. album and that he is also hoping to have a collaboration with Jay-Z on that album. In the same blog post, he said that the K.A.B.O.S.H. album will be a rock album. In another blog post several weeks later, he confirmed that he will begin work on the album after completing ''Welcome to Strangeland''. Following his tour, he announced that he was about to begin work on ''Welcome to Strangeland'' and ''KLUSTERFUK'', confirming producers for both projects. He said he will then begin work on the K.A.B.O.S.H. album.

Tech N9ne is featured on Lil Wayne's ninth studio album ''Tha Carter IV'' on the song Interlude. The track features a verse from Tech and Andre 3000. During a radio interview with Funkmaster Flex in August 2010, Wayne stated that he and Tech N9ne formed a "brotherhood" when Yates visited him in jail. In a later interview, Tech N9ne claimed that he thinks the song will "awaken a lot of other people that wouldn't usually look [his] way" and "teach all the new fans how to become technicians."

Style and influences

Yates is known for his dynamic rhyme schemes and speed rap abilities. Soren Baker of VH1 states that Yates' techniques "showcase his wide-ranging, mind-blowing flows." Baker characterizes Yates' earlier work as "apocalyptic music, which discussed abortion and infidelity as much as his rapping prowess." Allmusic reviewer Jason Birchmeier calls his style "bizarre hardcore rap."

Yates says that he is influenced by Old school hip hop, and specifically cites Slick Rick, N.W.A, Public Enemy, Boogie Down Productions, Eric B. & Rakim, Schoolly D, and Just-Ice. He is also interested in other genres of music, and lists The Doors, Jim Morrison, Led Zeppelin, Elton John, AC/DC, Metallica, Floetry, Outkast, Cee Lo Green, and Gnarls Barkley as influences.

In popular culture

Films

Yates' songs have appeared in the films ''Gang Related'', ''Alpha Dog'', ''Our Heroes: The 25 Best Black Sports Movies (Ever)'', and ''The Life of Lucky Cucumber''. Yates was originally set to score the entire film ''Alpha Dog'', but the studio decided to replace some of his music with more commercially known songs. In 2009, his song "Let's Go" was used in an online promotional short film for AXE body spray. Yates also appears as an actor in the films ''Vengeance'' and ''Night of the Living Dead: Origins 3D''.

Video games

Several of Yates' songs are featured in the video games ''Madden NFL 2006'', ''Midnight Club: Los Angeles'',''EA Sports MMA'', and ''25 To Life'', the latter of which Yates is also an unlockable character. In 2009, Yates and label mate Krizz Kaliko appeared in a promotional video for the ''Fight Night Round 4'' video game.

Television

Yates' music has appeared on the television shows ''Dark Angel'', ''I'm From Rolling Stone'', ''My Super Sweet 16'', ''The Hills'', ''Spike Guys' Choice Awards'', and ''Warren The Ape''. In 2008, his song "Earthquake" was featured on an episode of MTV's ''America's Best Dance Crew'' in which the crew had to visually convey the title of the song in their performance. On the August 15, 2009 Strikeforce event, Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg, MMA fighter Gilbert Melendez entered the arena to Tech N9ne's 2006 song "The Beast" for his bout with Mitsuhiro Ishida. His song "Riot Maker" was used as the official theme song for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's 2010 ''Hardcore Justice'' pay-per-view.

Discography

Studio albums

1999: ''The Calm Before the Storm''

2000: ''The Worst''

2001: ''Anghellic''

2002: ''Absolute Power''

2003: ''Celcius''

2006: ''Everready (The Religion)''

2007: ''Misery Loves Kompany (Tech N9ne Collabos)''

2008: ''Killer''

2009: ''Sickology 101 (Tech N9ne Collabos)''

2009: ''K.O.D.''

2010: ''The Gates Mixed Plate (Tech N9ne Collabos)''

2011: ''All 6's and 7's

TBA: ''Welcome to Strangeland (Tech N9ne Collabos)''

;with K.A.B.O.S.H. TBA: ''Amafrican Psycho''

EPs

2010: ''The Lost Scripts of K.O.D.''

2010: ''Seepage''

2011: ''KLUSTERFUK''

Mixtapes

2010: ''Bad Season'' with DJ Whoo Kid and DJ Scream

Selected filmography

2003: ''Beef''

2003: ''Das Bus''

2004: ''T9X: The Tech N9ne Experience''

2004: ''United Ghettos of America Vol. 2''

2005: ''Hip Hop Nation Vol. 1''

2005: ''Letter to the President''

2006: ''Alpha Dog'' 2008: ''The Psychumentary''

2009: ''The Life of Lucky Cucumber''

2009: ''Strictly Strange''

2010: ''K.O.D. Tour (Live in Kansas City)''

2010: ''Vengeance''

2011: ''Night of the Living Dead: Origins 3D'' 2011: ''EuroTech Tour''

:''Selected filmography'' notes :1. Tech N9ne does not physically appear, but he did have a helping hand in scoring the movie, this includes the placement of several of his songs in the films score as well as the appearance of a song from fellow label mates Skatterman & Snug Brim.

Awards and nominations

mtvU Woodie Awards

!Year	!Nominated work	!Award	!Result
2009	Tech N9ne	Left Field Woodie

References

External links

Official website

Category:1971 births Category:Living people Category:People from Kansas City, Missouri Category:African American rappers Category:Horrorcore artists Category:Rappers from Missouri Category:Underground rappers

da:Tech N9ne de:Tech N9ne el:Tech N9ne fr:Tech N9ne it:Tech N9ne hu:Tech N9ne nl:Tech N9ne ja:テック・ナイン no:Tech N9ne pl:Tech N9ne ru:Tech N9ne simple:Tech N9ne fi:Tech N9ne tr:Tech N9ne