Matthew Herbert

Matthew Herbert expanded his horizons with 2003's Goodbye Swingtime, jumping from his roots in samplers and sequencers to writing for a full band -- a '40s jazz big band at that, complete with rhythm section, vocalists and horns thrumming in harmony. Herbert limits his technological interventions to the margins of the music, sneaking subversive themes into its heart via veiled lyrics and politically charged sound sources. Political art has its risks, but Herbert knows how to make the didactic seductive. Goodbye Swingtime will have you at "Hello."