Matthew Herbert Big Band
Restless innovator, sampling wizard, classically trained pianist and superstar collaborator, Matthew Herbert is one of electronic music's most versatile and prolific figureheads. Recording under his own name as well as Doctor Rockit, Wishmountain, Radio Boy and others, during his career Herbert has produced and remixed artists as diverse as Björk, REM, John Cale, Roisin Murphy, Yoko Ono and Serge Gainsbourg.
The Matthew Herbert Big Band project however, first caused critical acclaim with debut album ‘Goodbye Swingtime’ in 2003. Today, we unveil the creation of The Matthew Herbert Big Band’s second album, ‘There’s me, and then there’s you’, due on his own label Accidental records this November. Touching on poverty and affluence, politics, religion, the vacuum of today’s society - this is an album with great depth and detail:
‘The themes of the record are broadly based around power in the 21st century. Power and its histories: parliament, the monarchy, patriarchy, religion, power… and its abuses: torture, Israel, Iraq war… positive examples of power: love, creativity, swords in to ploughshares: using plastic bags and bombs to make music, choir/big band/orchestra: humans in harmony! Music released independently’ Matthew Herbert, Sept ‘08
‘There’s me, and then there’s you’ encapsulates the theory of power in today’s society and a strong political theme runs throughout. As is customary with Matthew’s pioneering approach, the recording takes place in a huge range of unusual places including the House of Commons, the British museum, and the Commonwealth church to name but a few. Herbert samples numerous abnormal sounds to create noise for the record; 100 us presidential campaign pin badges from 1972-2008, 100 people of power saying yes, a rattle of matches where one match equals one hundred thousand people dead in Iraq recorded in the corridors below the houses of parliament, the wall of noise at Tony Blair's speech at St. Paul’s cathedral, one battery charger from Argos, 100 rechargeable batteries, one casio digital watch, one McDonalds filet o'fish – are just a few detailed on the linear notes. Unsurprisingly, this makes for a compelling listen. In his own words:
‘The music takes subjects like Palestine and Guantanamo in to night clubs and theatres, into music magazines and on to 'hip' websites. It bridges the divide between education and entertainment. It challenges the funding structures of most modern art practices, i.e it is unlikely to produce a tour sponsored by bp, or to be used on a coca cola advert. Previously we have played gigs for the British Council in Syria, China, Brazil. A gig in the axis of evil heightens the meaning even further’. Matthew Herbert, Sept ‘08
Musically, the album has a mixed feel to it, spanning everything from early 80s soul to a more traditional big band sound, which sitting well apart from anything else out there at the moment. Vocalist Eska features throughout. The songs, written by Herbert, hold both an immediacy and multi-layered charm, coupled with genuine meaning and importance to the lyrics, this is a genuinely interesting lyrical proposition. First single ‘The Story’ is set for release in October.
An alchemist of avant-garde sound in the tradition stretching from Stockhausen to the Aphex Twin, Herbert combines playful pop sensibility with a strictly imposed experimental agenda. In his increasingly conceptual and political albums he has emerged as a unique figure in modern music: a kind of one-man Radiohead, or a Brian Eno for the 21st century.
Forthcoming album ‘There’s me and then there’s you’ is due November 2008, with debut single ‘The Story’ preceding it also in October