Customer Reviews

Bodily Functions

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Having read about the way that Matthew Herbert makes music out of anything that comes to hand, how he spent 15 minutes of a show in the Royal Albert Hall entertaining the audience by scrunching a crisp packet into a microphone, how this new album features percussion sounds from skin, bones and hair and extensively samples his newborn baby - I was prepared for the depth and variety of sound on the album and the detail and barmy brilliance of the composition...

What I wasn't prepared for was quite how purely melodic and emotionally captivating the songs on the album have proved to be... the vocals are hauntingly beautiful and the quality of playing on the piano and strings are also superb...

I can't recommend this album highly enough - I buy and listen to a LOT of music, and this is an album of the year for sure... combining the best of electronic music with some beautiful classical musicianship.

"Dance" is a pretty strong word for this, but who's going to call it NuChillOut? ;-) naive female vocals, odd sounds and occasional clips of studio dialogue add a charming homemade feel to what is overall a very classy production. Even when the housey tempos and patterns kick in, clicky found sounds and kitchen drawer percussion keep the vibe more spacious. And over half the tracks, you'd no way ever dance to . they are full-on slow, subdued and ambient to the point of being . . . ponderous. lovely stand-up bass and real pianos lend a hyper-real smooth jazziness which - unless there is something wrong with my system - he then slurs and saturates, which seems kind of contrived to me. The musical ideas are excellent, but the instrumentation, "found" sounds, and avant garde audio-dogma-style manifesto I just read about above, are not fully integrated - contributing more conceptually than aesthetically i reckon. ahem. (The first track is mildly like Diana Krall with someone slurping and rattling a toaster in the background. you dig?) but hey, it's his album. In a year it might sound gimmicky - or timeless. above all this is MUSIC with rhythms, melodies and chords that will not disappoint. a crisp fresh fusion of dance, jazz, and pop with a hint Squarepusher / Aphex -type trickery without which it would actually be traditionally good anyway. recommended.

There is only one way to describe Matthew Herbert, and that word is genius. I have always been one for experimental artists at the best of times, but occasionally few pull it off, but with 'Bodily Functions', Herbert has produced one of the best experimental lp's to date. Right from the off, Herbert manages to creat a vibe like no other, combining jazz, deep house, strange human created noises (including his recently new born baby) to amazing affect. For me, there is not a single track on the album which lets it down, it is so consistantly good from start to finish. Stand out tracks include 'I know', 'Addiction' and 'Leave Me Now'. I would recommend this lp to anyone who is willing to give experimental artists a listen, as trust me, you will not find a better example than 'Body Functions'. A true triumph

astonishingly good! if you appreciate the jazz scene (be it coltrane, davis or something a little fresher like courtney pine), if you're into the likes of the cinematic orchestra, appliance or even moloko and you generally feel uplifted and rewarded by innovative yet reflective music then bodily functions will be right up your street. sumptuous is another word that would seem most apt (although possibly mispelt knowing my poor grasp of all things literary).
fantastic - listen to the samples, then wish for more!!

Matthew Herbert is one of the most talented and versatile (if not the most) producers in the dance/electronica arena. He dabbles in techno (as Radioboy), jazz/electro beats (as Doctor Rockit) and of course house (as Herbert). "Bodily Functions" is his 3rd "HERBERT" album and probably his most brilliant work so far. Combining deep house beats, 40's jazz sounds and mutated sounds and noises, "Bodily Functions" is perhaps the most memorable dance album in recent times. "It's Only", "Leave Me Now", "The Audience" and "Suddenly" are highlights but all other tracks are just as stunning. This is by far the best dance album of 2001.

Matthew Herbert is renowned for his innovation. This album still sounds fresh and avant garde almost eight years after its release, and nowhere since has Herbert managed to match the heights he reached with this record.

Blending the sounds of bodily functions with soft jazz pianos and synthesisers, Herbert makes something that is essentially a jazz-house album, but is still an experimental piece of work. However, where his genius lies in making the album still accessible. His follow-up 'Plat Du Jour' had all of the experimentation, using sounds produced by foods on every track, yet none of the listenability.

While his next record, 2006's 'Scale', marked something of a return to form, it doesn't come near to the perfection of 'Bodlily Functions'.

If you like avant-garde music, jazz, Bjork, Matmos, St Germain or anything in these areas, 'Bodily Functions' is absolutely essential and unmissable.

Had this for a number of years now and I can't stop going back to it. In contrast with the fact that most dance music sounds a bit ropey a couple of years down the line, this is becoming a timeless classic. Too good for the dinner party I last played it at!

Apparently Matthew Herbert uses very particular ways of making certain sounds or beats, an avant-garde approach, but just listening to the album you would never know. The music doesn't feel jagged or held back by the technical side of certain things. The whole album is half electronic and half jazz, making it very easy to approach for just about anyone. It's not what I expected but it's very likable, especially thanks to Dani Siciliano who sings on more than a few tracks: her voice is rich and warm. In the same style, a much better record than St-Germain and with a lot more heart and soul than most electronic music (although this isn't purely electronic of course).