Herbert - 100lbs (K7)
2/5
By: Charlie Potter
I don't know what to do with this (a compilation of Matthew Herbert's three EPs from 1996). It's not exciting enough to listen to intently, but it's just too goddamn pounding to ignore.
This music takes a lot of time to make, Herbert's work is particularly well made. It has all the well put together conventions of most house music - the booming bass sounds are impeccable, the snare sounds are tight and snappy. But the more unusual thing about '100lbs' is the occasionally glitchy sounds offsetting the soft thud of the bass. These sounds are varied and interesting ones that compliment the comparative cleanness of the other ones around them. Indeed, one of the best things about a great deal of modern dance music is the acceptance of the effect that is bitcrusher, which is used nicely to provide a subtle but satisfying bit of scuzz to the music. There's also at times some trebly, funk bass lines but not enough of them to call this 'funky' with any real conviction.
After a while this recording descends into a dreary desolate landscape of boring (sorry, progressive) house music. Maybe in a club, but please, not here. No. Get out of my house you greasy little toe rag, and stop trying to pull my little sister. Don't you realise 'Trainspotting' wasn't something to celebrate? Did it teach you nothing? And now that I've come to think that, all I can picture is greasy Ewan McGregor in a greasy bed staring at a greasy baby on the greasy ceiling, screaming his greasy head off ( not that I have anything against Underworld who piss all over this nonsense). What's worst is that in amongst this you hear the voice of some robot bastard telling you to chill out! No I will not chill out you greasy robot, as there is no way that this music is relaxing! One of the tracks even has the audacity to repeat the lines 'take back, take me back' over and over again for 7 and a half minutes, and the phrase then spills over into the next track for another 8 minutes. Well I'm bloody tempted to take it back, and if I had bought the CD I would already be in the shop deciding what to exchange it for.
Because I know there are a lot of kids out there who love drugs, I wont feel bad about saying that this music is made for people who are off their heads on drugs, at modern drugs parties. But unfortunately it shouldn't be approached in another way. You'll just end up feeling somewhat zoned out. And greasy. I also think it's worth mentioning to those of you that don't love drugs (and lets face it, there isn't much sitting on the fence), that not just any music is good to listen to when you're off your face on drugs - there is some skill to making music for people in that particular condition. Maybe, for Herbert's sake, I need to take some drugs. There's faint praise if ever there was any.
Artists in this article: Herbert
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