Friday, 20th of June, 2003

Fuck me dead. Matthew Herbert – he's the brilliant producer who squanders his talent on 4/4 house shit, isn't he?. The musician whose politics I love – shame about the music. The guy I'd love to like who just makes crap. The one who records in "Swingtime", but whose sense of rhythm (all of his fans to contrary) is as stilted as all get-up. Right? (*)

Well that was all pretty much correct, until I picked up this little beauty the other day. Herbert says Goodbye Swingtime by making a hybrid swing band-meets-glitch pop record. The Big Band is perfect (if a little more Broadway Frank Sinatra rather than my preferred early Duke Ellington, say) and the clicky, ultra-edited production that underlies it is pretty as (especially on "Misprints", which will be on repeat indefinitely here at Frogworthville Central). Herbert has a little description of how it came about here. Some of the conceptualisation behind the work is a little silly:

specific political texts have been used to generate additional percussion noises. I have also used clippings sent to us from around the world about a possible imminent invasion of Iraq, and people dropping their local phone book from various heights.

I really don't see how the sound of a political work being manipulated can have any impact on a piece of music. I'm sure Herbert doesn't think it really means anything either, but then why? Just like his Mechanics of Destruction project was a fascinating concept (the ultimate anti-corporate album, never sold, only given away; created entirely from samples of various corporate symbols (Big Mac meal etc) being manipulated or destroyed), but the music was just so much crappy glitchy house. *sigh*

The music on this CD, however, is fantastic. I find Jamie Lidell's voice a little annoying (as I do on super_collider – I'm just not into the whole soul/funk axis particularly, despite the incredible wealth of samples those genres have provided for jungle & hip-hop), but the instantly recognizable Arto Lindsay is superb on another highlight, "Fiction", as are the various female vocalists.
Take a moment to stop by the website and have a read of the lyrics too. That's where the politics really lies, not in the silly post-modernism of obscure homemade samples.
The Big Band music is very lyrical, beautifully arranged and played, with close-knit harmonies, while underneath it the electronica often burbles. To me, there's nothing untoward about a brass solo climaxing into a subdued clicking soundscape, or a classic-sounding female vocal harmony being sung over jump-cut-edited brass samples. It's just what the doctor (Rockit?) ordered.

*NB: With some guilt, I must comment that I paint my HerbertHatred above with somewhat stronger hues than necessary. Herbert's remix of Björk's "Pagan Poetry" is a beautiful pulsating creation, and his Matmos remix is tops too; and I have a Dr Rockit track on the Ninebar Records Rumpus Rooms comp which is actually drum'n'bass! I just find that the rapture with which some people take him is unwarranted in the main; I've listened to the Mechanics of Destruction CD in its entirety, as well as the Secondhand Sounds double CD of his remixes, and the indubitably excellent production is swamped by relentlessly, overwhelmingly boring 4/4 house beats. There's no swing or funk in sight, to these particular ears.
But anyone who knows me knows my aversion to house music in general. Like Akufen – awesome production; "Deck The House" never fails to astound with its mind-bending pop-radio-sampling, but two tracks later the kick drum's still thumping and I've pressed stop. So be it.

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