Matthew Herbert - Score

To call Matthew Herbert 'unique' is kinda like saying that David Icke could maybe do with getting out more. This elegantly attired gentleman with kohl-rimmed eyes and Buster Keaton-esque dress sense has taken time off from making revolutionary techno to indulge in big band swing Jazz. Can't really see Silicon Soul doing the same can you? After hitting us with Henrik Schwarz's radically different DJ Kicks last year, it's beginning to feel like K7 are taking pride in smuggling experimental pieces under a dance guise, with Score giving only the slightest of nods towards electronic influences and Matthew Herbert's other productions. Collecting various works that Herbert's composed for films, Score demonstrates that Herbert is not a DJ, a producer, or even a band-leader by trade, but a musician who can turn his hand to any number of projects. Mingling muted horns and wonky piano with upbeat strings reminiscent of wartime Hollywood, Herbert's film scores are timelessly classy and achingly beautiful. This won't appeal to all Matthew Herbert fans, but it's a tone-deaf moron who can't appreciate Singing in the Rain, a glorious re-envisioning of Gene Kelly's uplifting Technicolor lunacy as big band swing. Drop it at 5am; it'll do more damage on a dancefloor than most jackin' techno. [Liam Arnold]