- When Matthew Herbert, one of electronic music's arch conceptualists, brought back his house-focused Parts series, it was seen as a return to form. The UK veteran has long taken an experimental, sample-based approach, but he built his reputation through a run of near-perfect house tracks. Curle Recordings' Petite sub-label, which reissues classic cuts with a new remix, seems intent on reminding us of Herbert's 4/4 acumen. In 2014 they put out "Kinda Kickin'," originally released under Herbert's DJ Boom alias in 1999. Now "See You On Monday," the B-side from 1995's Part One, is the latest secret weapon to be unearthed.
This one starts with a nostalgic spoken-word sample that concludes with Samuel Johnson's famous quote, "When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life." What follows is 11 minutes of near-perfect deep house. Herbert's percussion here reminds me of Pal Joey—the programming isn't revolutionary, but each tom, hat and snare sits perfectly in the overall mix. Beyond the drums, there are just a few other elements—a plucky four-note bassline, mournful chords and two dreamy leads. Even at this early stage in his career, Herbert had crafted a serious heads-down cut using a strictly minimalist approach.
Improbably, Linkwood improves on the original. His remix combines the moody beauty of his excellent Expressions album with a '90s New Jersey aesthetic. He stutters Herbert's original bassline around a stomping kick and a swung hi-hat, taking a page from Kerri Chandler classics like Dreamer G's "I Got That Feelin." He also records his own versions of Herbert's leads, transposing the meandering high notes to a heavily-chorused string synth. As for the vocals, he chops Herbert's intro and adds a breathy, wordless female voice. The monosyllabic back-and-forth, mostly a percussive element, adds further depth to a track that already simmers with emotion.
TracklistA See You On Monday
B See You On Monday (Linkwood Remix)