Herbert - I Hadn't Known I Only Heard) / So Now... - Accidental Jnr

As good as his experimental and conceptual work is, it's easy to forget that Matthew Herbert was once one of deep house's most distinctive producers. If you need a reminder, we'd suggest getting your ears around this must-have reissue of one of the producer's EPs from 1998. Opener "I Hadn't Known (I Only Heard)" is an early collaboration with vocalist Dani Siciliano full of fuzz-fuelled deep house/tech-house grooves and drowsy, ambient style pads. "We All Need Love" adds a touch of garage-influenced bump to Herbert's heady deep house template, while "So Now" is a delightfully wonky and opaque affair full of mutilated bass guitar samples and more dreamy Siciliano vocals. "Got To Sing", a thrillingly bass-heavy chunk of post US garage goodness, is also superb.