Matthew Herbert & London Contemporary Orchestra

Based around a full-size horse skeleton and working alongside the London Contemporary Orchestra and an expansive cast of special collaborators, this is Herbert in full flight, restlessly curious and culminating in starkly original, ritualistic music loaded with intent.

While staying true to Herbert’s storied legacy in thoughtful, experimental music, the scope of The Horse is even broader than his past work. For all the many streams of input and styles reaching from classical minimalism to vibrant, organic techno, it’s a focused album crafted to be experienced as a whole body of work in one sitting, and yet each sound comes loaded with Herbert’s inquisitive purpose. The sonic onus is on the work of the collective and their unlikely muse, and the result is a living, breathing exercise which veritably brings this unknown horse back to life.