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Momoko Gill & Matthew Herbert, two of the UK’s most inventive artists, produced a stimulating album, named Clay, which came to light via Strut in June 2025. This partnership stretched the boundaries of music, amalgamating the brisk energy of the dancefloor with the thought-provoking tranquillity of the break of day. The tactile connection between Herbert’s dynamic production skills and Gill’s ingenious melodic sequences was a significant feature of the album.
Diverse objects, from Japanese kotos to bouncing basketballs, infused life into the fluid, complex rhythms of Clay. The duo merged unique sampling methods, live improvisations, and wide-ranging arrangements, orchestrating an audacious sonic journey. The intimate vocal performance by Gill elevated the compositions, with each note gracefully gliding over the eleven tracks. This symbiosis between the artists was clearly evident in touching numbers like ‘Mowing’ and the emotive duet ‘Heart’.
Just as their earlier collaborative works, such as the 2024 debut ‘Fallen’ and Gill’s remix of Herbert’s ‘The Horse Is Here’, this album, too, merged their mutual appreciation for unexplored sonic frontiers. The duo surprises the audience with their experimental creations, such as transforming commonplace sounds to music using everything from an exploding bomb in Libya, a horse skeleton, a tank driving over a meal made for Tony Blair, to 20,000 dogs.
Matthew Herbert, respected for his unique ability to translate the world into an instrument, further solidified his position as a revolutionary composer, artist, and producer. Similarly, Gill’s journey to Clay also embraced mystery, as she embraced new challenges with artists like Coby Sey, Tirzah, and Alabaster DePlume within South London’s multifaceted music scene.
The duo’s shared insight into each other’s sound makes Clay more than just an album – it’s a conversation among two musical intellectuals. This sentiment was clear in their pre-released singles ‘Babystar’, ‘Need to Run,’ and ‘Someone Like You’. This multi-faceted, beautifully crafted record showcased both artists like an orchestra that has been perfecting its symphony all its life.
Born in 1972, Matthew Herbert, a British electronic musician, has donned many hats including Herbert, Doctor Rockit, Radio Boy, Mr. Vertigo, Transformer, and DJ Empty. He made use of the sounds produced by daily objects to generate electronic music. In this journey, he demonstrated a wide range of musical skills – from remixing tracks for dance artists like Moloko, Motorbass, Alter Ego, to creating albums under various pseudonyms.
Successful in its diverse experiments, Clay acted as a kinetic junction that bound together varied elements to form a unified masterpiece. The album was a test-tube where the elements of music not just existed but interacted with each other to create a reaction that resonated with the listeners’ heart. In short, Clay was far more than an album – it was an immersive journey that captivated listeners through its soundscape. It was a testament to the creative genius and the innovative approach of its creators – Matthew Herbert and Momoko Gill.
