Politically minded electronic musician Matthew Herbert is poised to release another conceptual album of beguiling electronic pop music this spring, his most tuneful release of recent years (following an album made from sampling food products and a technofied big band jazz record). Entitled Scale, the record aims to destroy not just the administration of UK PM Tony Blair, but to also rid the world of "the American empire, a withdrawal of troops in Iraq and bring[ing] about an end to our reliance on oil," Herbert recently told Pitchforkmedia.com.

While Herbert modestly acknowledges that this goal may be a bit ambitious, his own creative ambitions continue to soar beyond expectation. On album track "Just Once" he samples over 150 contributions recorded on "Herbert's Hotline" by devoted fans and naysayers. I'm not sure that any recording artist in history has ever invited musical contributions via telephone hotline, with the possible exception of some legendary rap album skits.

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