01: HERBERT & DANI SICILLIANO
‘GOING ROUND’
(PHONOGRAPHY, 1997)
So, this is where it all began for me. As a writhe young 17-year-old boy, being hypnotized by the lovely swirly-whirlyness of ‘Going Round’ for the first time began my lifelong obsession with deep house, and one Mr. Matthew Herbert.
Matthew started producing as Herbert (as well as Radio Boy, Doctor Rockit and Wishmountain, who alas, I just don’t have time or space to go into here, but all individually could fill this article) in 1995. After a 12” on the Back To Basics label, and a string of singles on Phono, Herbert bumped into future missus, Dani Siciliano, on a quick trip to San Fran, and began collaborating.
First dropping in 1997, ‘Going Round’ was the first fruit of the duo’s long-standing alliance, mixing Herbert’s dreamy swingtime with Dani’s sultry vocals. Deep yet euphoric, ‘Going Round’ was how disco should have sounded, with how ecstasy should have felt, all in under 7 minutes, and with no come down or questioned sexuality. The dub is pretty special too.
02: HERBERT
CLASSIC HERBERT
(CLASSIC MUSIC COMPANY, 1996)
The next logical step on the tour of Matthew Herbert is his 1996 classic, Classic Herbert EP, one of the first classic releases for Derrick Carter & Luke Solomon’s classic label; Classic.
On ‘Got To Be Movin’ and ‘Fat King Fire’ Herbert delivers some of his most straight up bumpin’ house music, and whilst still retaining some of that magic Herbert cheekiness, sound very much like the Chicago deep house illuminati of the mid 90’s, which is no bad thing of course. Anybody who was lucky enough to catch one of Carter’s incredible DJ sets of the time, of which ‘Got To Be Movin’ was a staple, would more than agree with this. However, it’s on ‘Housewife’ where he gives us a quick glimpse of the future, quietly tucked away on B2. The classic Herbert stabs and clipped up madcap percussion are in full effect.
03: HERBERT
BODILY FUNCTIONS
(STUDIO !K7, 2001)
It is at this point I point your attention toward this.
Widely known for performing his first shows with a sampler, a microphone, and a bag of crisps, Herbert’s manifesto (yes, he has a fucking manifesto) states “The use of sounds that exists already is not allowed”. This, coupled with his mild obsession with concepts and themes, bore 2001’s Bodily Functions, an album made from samples of human skin, hair, bones, and even inner organs (eeeewww).
Preceding singles ‘Leave Me Now’ and ‘Suddenly’ yet again married Herbert’s shuffle with Dani’s silky vocals, but it wasn’t until the album’s closing track, and later single ‘The Audience’ that Bodily Functions really started to gain attention. Dani on vocal duties again, but this time they got that bird from the Noisettes (yeah, their first album was like some dodgy 80’s hair rock shit, and yeah, their second album has been on more adverts than Moby, and yeah, I heard she went to that dumb Brits fame school thing, but she is still pretty flippin’ cool) to do some nasty pseudo-lesbian duet thing over Herbert’s deft sample manipulation and epic arrangement. A jazz ethic runs through the album, and shows a little glimpse of his future big band material.