Blurring the edges between jazz and minimalist electronica still further, 'Bodily Functions' by Herbert represents 5 years of carefully honed recording. It may be Matthew Herbert's name on the album but half of the credit is due to Dani Siciliano, one of those laid-back, insouciant vocalist whose soothing tones provide the smoky calmness to suit the music. Regardless of whether it's the stuttering beats and horn arrangements on 'It's Only', the staccato liquid pulses of 'Foreign Bodies' or the house influences of 'Suddenly', the first few tracks possess an aura of greatness. Herbert himself offers a neat jazz workout on 'I Know' and then follows this thread when teaming up again with Siciliano for 'The Last Beat'. A lapse then follows as the album verges into background territory but at least the 'The Audience' in which Siciliano teams up with Shingai Shoniwa to produce an intelligent would-be club anthem is a fitting finale. Altogether, a sleek, sophisticated listening experience.