Bleep

Accidental boss and musical mastermind Matthew Herbert offers up a brand new album with the The Shakes LP coming via his own Accidental imprint. Armed with the self-imposed objective of enticing the listener back onto the dance floor, The Shakes marks his first ‘dance’ record since the grandeur 2006 LP Scale, yet stylistically it’s much closer to 2001 classic Bodily Functions due to its jazz-tinged, organic house demeanor. Of course, Herbert’s famed leftfield aesthetics are ever present, and their seamless fusion with the suite of bold vocalists is breathtaking, such as impassioned opening tones of ‘Battle’ which immediately grabs your attention. ‘Middle’ is much more lighthearted, building over a catchy array of shuffling percussion, disco horns and the succulent R&B vocals of Rahel Debebe-Dessalegne, followed by stomping revolt ‘Strong’, which Herbert seamlessly implants samples of past UK protest marches. More ingenious sampling is found on ‘Safety’ where the percussive backdrop is constructed from a pattering of used bullets, followed by the stirring, seductive vocals of ‘Silence’. However, the most dramatic moment is kept until the very end with the extended ‘Peak’; a true aural journey comprised of exhilarant techno percussion, overlapped, yearning vocals and an incredibly moving organ outro, proving that the veteran producer will never be matched in unorthodoxy.