Last year musique concrete artist Matthew Herbert unexpectedly retired his Doctor Rockit alias, feting us with the career retrospective compilation Unnecessary History of Doctor Rockit. Herbert, who abides by a strict personal contract for composition of music, never samples without symbolism: all sounds on "McDonald's", for instance, were recorded at an actual McDonald's, to protest low worker wages and the dangers of a capitalist system. Today on Riff Central, Matthew Herbert talks about his upcoming projects.

RIFF CENTRAL: ON YOUR LAST ALBUM, YOU RECORDED THE SOUND OF SEVERAL PHONEBOOKS FALLING OFF THE TOP OF YOUR BUILDING AS A TRIBUTE TO INNOCENT CASUALTIES OF WAR. WHY DID YOU DO THAT

HERBERT: THERE'S MORE THAN ONE WAY TO REMEMBER PEOPLE. SOME PEOPLE ERECT MONUMENTS. OTHER PEOPLE WRITE LETTERS. I FOUND THE BEST WAY FOR ME TO BE POLITICALLY ACTIVE WAS THROUGH MUSIC.

RIFF CENTRAL: BUT YOU DROPPED THE PHONEBOOKS OFF THE TOP OF YOUR FLAT. COULDN'T YOU HAVE JUST READ THEM

HERBERT: I COULD HAVE, BUT WOULD GOOD WOULD THAT HAVE DONE?

RIFF CENTRAL: WHENEVER ANYONE FORGOT SOMEONE'S PHONE NUMBER THEY COULD CALL YOU

HERBERT: OH BUT THAT'S NO FUN IS IT NOW

RIFF CENTRAL: I'M NOT SAYING YOU NEED TO READ THE YELLOW PAGES TOO. THE WAY BUSINESSES OPEN AND CLOSE ANYMORE THAT'D BE PRETTY WORTHLESS

HERBERT: WOULD YOU LIKE TO HEAR ABOUT MY UPCOMING PROJECTS?

RIFF CENTRAL: SURE

HERBERT: CURRENTLY I AM WORKING ON A PERFORMANCE ART PIECE THAT PROTESTS CHILDREN ABUSE

RIFF CENTRAL: CATS?

HERBERT: INDEED, IT IS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT. I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE OFFERED BOTH TO BEAT AND BE BEATEN, ALL IN THE NAME OF ART

RIFF CENTRAL: HOW MANY PEOPLE

HERBERT: THAT ISN'T EVEN THE BEGINNING. ONE OF THE SUBPLOTS OF THE PIECE IS THE IRAQI WAR. WE'RE BRINGING IN FIVE IRAQI SOLDIERS TO SING HAPPY BIRTHDAY, A SYMBOL OF THE BIRTH, AND REBIRTH, OF TERRORISM.

RIFF CENTRAL: IT SOUNDS LIKE EVERYTHING YOU DO IS REALLY THOUGHT OUT

HERBERT: IN ADDITION, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SEVERAL CLOWNS SITTING IN THE AUDIENCE WHEN PEOPLE ARRIVE. THERE WILL BE NO SEATS AVAILABLE UNTIL A MAESTRO, WEARING JEANS MADE IN A SWEATSHOP, COMES OUT AND SAYS, "SEND OUT THE CLOWNS". THEN THE CLOWNS GET UP AND LEAVE. I AM CURIOUS TO SEE HOW THE CRITICS WILL RESPOND

RIFF CENTRAL: ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO SAY

HERBERT: YES, ONE MORE THING, TO WHET YOUR READERS' APPETITES. FOR AN ENCORE, WE'RE GOING TO PERFORM HUMAN CLONING ON STAGE AS A PROTEST, IRONICALLY, AGAINST ANTI-CLONING. MY FEELING IS THAT PEOPLE ARE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH HUMAN CLONING NOT BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE, BUT BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE

RIFF CENTRAL: WHAT DOES IT SOUND LIKE

HERBERT: AFTER DIGITAL MANIPULATIONS, SORTA LIKE A BRASS BAND

Download Doctor Rockit's "Summer Love"

¶ 7:00 AM