Customer Reviews

Around the House

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Around the House" is exactly that---HOUSE! So if you checked out "Bodily Functions" first (like Brian did) and you're expecting more jazz infused downtempo (like Brian did) then you'll be disappointed (like Brian is). This disc came out before "Bodily Functions" and is a bridge, a logical progression in Herbert's evolution of sound. 'Last Beat' which appears on "Bodily Functions" also appears on this disc as well in a slightly different version.

"Around the House" is perfect music to listen to while you're puttering around your house (the untitled opener track is simply sounds of dishes clanking in a kitchen sink, feet pattering across a linoleum floor and muffled voices). The disc slowly unfolds until you find yourself bobbing your head thinking wow this is good. By the time you reach the stellar track "going 'round" you'll find your self dancing in your living room.

Minimal beats, subtle electronics and soothing female vocals. It's a mixture of stripped down laidback tech-house with female vocals so if you're expecting more jazzy downtempo then you'll be disappointed. Granted there are not as many tracks that stick with you like "Bodily Functions" but that doesn't mean it's awful. Many fans of this and earlier Herbert releases found "Bodily Functions" to be disappointing for the very reasons Brian liked it.

In any case, Herbert is awesome (and cute too!) whether he's doing tech house or jazzy downtempo. Buy this, because it's a notch above the rest.

track listing was left out so here it is:

1
2 so now ...
3 around the house
4 close to me
5 the last beat
6 going round
7 this time
8 we still have (the music)
9 in the kitchen
10 never give up
11 we go wrong

amazing disc!! dani siciliano has one of the most gorgeous voices i've heard in quite some time. pair it with the wonderful grooves matthew herbert stirs up and you have yourself an incredible CD worth picking up for any serious deep house/downtempo fan!
'we still have (the music)' is fast becoming my new favorite, a strange repetitous beat, warm synths and dani crooning "you and me . . .we still have have have have the music". amazing.

This is one of the best albums I've ever heard - an outstanding elaboration of house beats, jazz textures and electronic sounds. The songs move along with a sure house tempo - you can dance to them. The electronics alone make this a great album in the Kruder & Dorfmeister, Verve Remixed, Thievery vein. Dani Siciliano's voice is a perfect vocal instrument for this jazz music. The album has depths that make songs sound new when you hear them again. Bodily Functions, a later album, is also excellent, but more abstract, more jazz; the house tempos of this one obviously tap into a deep vein in Mr. Herbert's psyche. And Goodbye Swingtime, his latest and also very good, is a more cerebral deconstruction of his swingtime roots. But this one is hot! Absolutely breathtaking.

I like this album because it can be listen easily and somebody also can dance on it... very free to choose. It's very important to have this choice, and Herbert did it. It's natural, to few people that it does not sound a bit bouncing (maybe because not enough sensitive about the rythm). The bass frequencies of few songs like inside 'Going Round' (or inside 'this time') are very deep. It creates a very 'smart' house sound. The rythm is coming smoothly... perfect to use with candles ;)
ps : sorry i am frenchie, very bad English rite ?

Herbert--this amazing mixer of sounds, music and everything else in between--has once again created a truly remarkable CD of not-your-ordinary house music! Indeed, "Around the House" breaks the mold in what pedestrian house music sounds like, and layers it with the sultry vocals of Dani Siciliano and all sorts of "accidental" stuff. Every song on this set will cry for your attention. If you're a fan of "Bodily Functions", you'll probably dig this one. Oh, yeah, and check out Dani Siciliano's "Likes..."--She's finally gone solo!!!

Around the House finds Herbert embracing his own oddness and the quivering voice of Dani Siciliano. It also demonstrates what a singular musician he is. Melding house with more abstract techniques (cut-ups, overdubbing, layering), he paved the way for more recent practitioners such as Akufen and the roster of the Playhouse label. But he doesn't stray far from his house roots: "So Now..." is a gorgeous, heartbreaking track. "Close to Me" is more upbeat, but "The Last Beat" brings things back to torch-song sadness. "Going Round" is a spinning, dizzy house track, while "This Time" and "We Still Have the Music" are more abstract. "In the Kitchen" is even more abstract and ambient, with its skittering sounds and low, throbbing rhythm, but "Never Give Up" returns to deep house territory. An astounding album, one that's sure to become a landmark.

Matthew Herbert...Dr of the beat!
this album is countlessly gratifying! warm house ..noisy house..Dani breathlessly pulls you in. A true classic. tinkeringly melodic..sparse and exceptionally full of lover-ly layers.
Ruby Blue is a close second ....

I have listened to COUNTLESS electronic albums, and rarely, if ever, do i feel the groove as hard as i do on this album. If any of you are familiar with the Avalon in Hollywood (where sasha is a resident) this is for you. What is strange about this album is that i do not like (except MAYBE 5) like tracks 5-11. That is how strong the first 4 tracks are. Trust me.

I've been a Matthew Herbert fan for probably five years, and now that I'm familiar with all of his work, I feel qualified to judge: "Around the House" and "Bodily Functions" are by far his best CDs.

"Around the House" goes from ambient to downtempo, shifting from microhouse toward the glitchy Italian style of Luomo. It's almost background- or cocktail-party or Sunday-morning cappuccino music, which makes it a great addition to your library. Some of the songs blend into the background, almost like a film soundtrack, but at least a couple have great vocals. At almost 70 minutes long it goes through some wonderful moods, and it's a great bargain.

All of Matthew Herbert's output is fascinating, and some is brilliant. Of all his work, though, "Around the House" and "Bodily Functions" are the ones you'll play the most.

I first bought Herbert's Bodily Functions CD. If you like ambient or downtempo music and you like jazz (i.e. Coltrane, not Kenny G)then run out and buy Bodily Functions immediately. It is really a great CD. It is intelligent and sometimes transporting music made with sequencers(and rounded out with more traditional instruments). Often a song will start with a simple electronic beat, but as it progresses it is layered with vocals and jazz chords, until it has acheived a real musicality often not present in electronic music.

So I was excited to hear AroundTheHouse, but wound up being disappointed. It has none of the beautiful jazz improv present in Bodily Functions, and the sequencing just doesn't reach the same heights. I suggest avoiding this earlier effort. Also check out Herbert's Secondhand Sounds- it has great Herbert remixes of other artist's songs. It is also highly recomended.