Treating the world as an instrument.

Matthew Herbert is renowned for pushing the boundaries of sound. Since the 1990s he’s traversed genres from deep house to big band jazz, incorporating everyday objects as unusual sources of music. Nothing is off-limits in his studio, from exploding bombs and the barks of 20,000 dogs to a tank crushing a meal prepared for Tony Blair. His iconic 1998 album Around the House wove domestic sounds into micro-house grooves solidifying his status as a true innovator, and he went on to compose mesmerising film scores, lead his own big band, and found Accidental Records to provide a home for avant-garde collaborators.

Herbert has a history of elevating distinctive vocal collaborations, and his latest creative partnership with multi-instrumentalist Momoko Gill has us watching closely. Their first full-length collaboration Clay is full of deep artistic synergy. What started as a request to sing on a new track quickly evolved into a fully joint project, with the pair co-writing and producing Clay to widespread critical acclaim, treading between club energy and subtle introspection drawing on an array of found sounds from koto strings to the bounce of basketballs. The result is rhythmically complex and full of sample wizardry, but stripped-back, intimate and nuanced with a uniquely beguiling character.

Clay feels like a meeting of two creative minds completely in tune, Herbert and Gill bringing out the best in each other and crafting something neither could have made alone. Another adventurous chapter for Matthew Herbert, but also an introduction to a formidable new voice in the jazz & electronica scene. The first singles from Gill’s forthcoming debut album Momoko include When Palestine Is Free, an emotional and ambitious work featuring a 50-voice choir including Matthew Herbert and many others. By championing Gill, Matthew Herbert is continuing his staggering legacy not just as a composer, but also a nurturer of new talent, and if the quality of Clay is any indication of what’s to come., her forthcoming debut will be something very special indeed.

We spoke with Matthew Herbert to find out more about his philosophy:

What first pushed you toward using found sounds instead of more conventional tools?

Do you think music made from recorded sounds carries a different emotional quality to synthetic productions?

What makes a sound ideal to you?

You’ve mentored and elevated so many musicians over the years, what is it that you look for in someone new?

How did you and Momoko Gill meet, and what stood out to you when you first heard her play?

How did you and her build the tracks on Clay?

There’s a warmth and gentleness to the album, was that a conscious goal or is that her unique voice emerging naturally?

What can you tell us about how she approaches melody and rhythm, and has she taught you anything new?

Can you tell us about your work on her forthcoming debut, in particular the creation of When Palestine Is Free?

After decades of experimentation, what still excites you musically?