Description
Matthew Herbert and drummer/vocalist Momoko Gill release new album Clay, via Strut records in collaboration with Accidental.A soulful, elastic collaboration, Clay treads nimbly between the dancefloor and the more introspective moods of the early hours, both reminiscent of Herberts iconic album Around The House while taking off in a compelling new direction. Agile and open-hearted, Clay is a thrilling, sonically adventurous record from two of the UKs most forward-thinking around Herberts fleet-footed productions and the ingenuity of Momoko Gills dexterous, melodic writing, Clay is at once stripped-back and rhythmically complex, drawing on a variety of found sources – from japanese kotos to basketballs – to give the sound an unmistakably organic together original sampling techniques, live improvisation and lush, expansive arrangements, Clay is lifted into higher realms by Momoko Gills intimate vocal performance, soaring wide-winged across the albums eleven tracks, whether on the euphoric melancholia of Mowing or the emotive duet by lead singles Babystar, Need to Run and Someone Like You, Clay follows the 2024 release of debut collaboration Fallen and Momoko Gills remix of Matthew Herberts The Horse Is Here. And yet, although Clay marks the first full-length release between Herbert and Gill, the duos shared passion for pushing sonic boundaries has played a crucial role in their respective careers to Herbert that means treating the world as an instrument, making music using everything from the sounds of a bomb exploding in Libya, a horse skeleton, a tank driving over a meal made for Tony Blair, 20,000 dogs, 245 shops and countless other noises. His album One Pig which follows the lifecycle of a pig from birth to plate remains one of the most ambitious and provocative pieces of electronic music this century, cementing his reputation as an utterly singular composer, artist and -taught in drums and composition, Momoko Gills journey to Clay has been similarly experimental cutting her teeth in South Londons multi-disciplinary music scene, embracing new challenges andcollaborating with the likes of Coby Sey, Tirzah and Alabaster DePlume. Although drums and vocals are her mediums of choice, Gills multi-instrumental talents were on full show on 2024s EP as An Alien Called Harmony with poet/rapper Nadeem Din-Gabisi, and she continues to hone her style in the frictions between an intuitive feel for one anothers sound, Clay is a meeting of musical minds that resonates far beyond the sum of its parts – a startlingly fresh, beautifully conceived record from two artists who sound like theyve been playing together all their lives.
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