Looking back, it’s clear that the material on Herbert’s 100 Lbs. – an album that selected from its preceding series of 12” singles, Parts 1-4, and added a few new cuts – was a moment where Herbert was clearing the decks. He’d moved away from the more overtly playful, eccentric material he was known for, particularly under the Wishmountain alias, and was digging into the possibilities of deep house. What makes 100 Lbs. work so well is the poetry of the production, the way Herbert somehow makes illicit clicks and tight cuts so physically compelling and musically enrapturing. He’s able to pull together a track from the tiniest movements and moments, add a whispered vocal sample over the top, and make minimalism feel lush and lithe; on “Thinking of You,” spaced-out, dubby house gets seriously nostalgic. Soon, he’d reach his imperial phase, on extraordinary albums like Around the House and Bodily Functions, but 100 Lbs. is a more than worthy precursor.

The 1996 debut album from UK producer/composer/DJ Matthew Herbert gathered together 11 tracks selected from a series of 12” vinyl releases he put out the same year. Unlike his extremely varied and distinctive catalogue that was to come, this was a collection of purely dancefloor house and techno tracks, but just like his albums that followed, 110 Lbs was a singular, idiosyncratic, highly original collection. From the very beginning of his career, Herbert has always worked with fresh sounds, and even as some of these songs emulate aspects of deep house or techno, the audio palette is entirely unique, with drums that tick, pop and snap with novel timbres, and chords that resonate with uncommon tones. It’s an album that also comfortably covers a wide range of moods, from playful, light, almost naive-sounding, to coolly understated and refined, to emotive and soulful, and all within the confines of abstract, club-targeted 4/4 tracks. Much prized in the deep house community for its refined sophistication, idiosyncratic approach, and ability to cook up a very particular type of dancefloor storm, 110 Lbs’ mysterious and enigmatic take on deep house remains one of the most original of the ‘90s.