An Unnecessary History of…

A misnomer of a title if ever there was one, because this 15 track retrospective of Matthew Herbert’s ‘found sound’-obsessed alter ego is a total delight. From the compelling and intricate opener ‘Cameras and Rocks’ – made entirely of samples from what you might expect – to the evocative, woozy, accordion-led Parisian splendour of ‘Café De Flore’, to the barking-protest-song-with-added-school-choir that is ‘Hymnformation’, this is a varied, unpredictable and utterly enjoyable snapshot of what the unfairly talented Herbert got up to in his spare time.