350 Million Herring is the second album of the Anglo-Swiss contemporary jazz sextet MoonMot. In September 2021 the six musicians from London, Manchester, Dundee and Berne met in the Swiss alps for a weeklong retreat. Each musician brought several compositions that were then further developed and rehearsed. Subsequently, the band moved to Lugano, where they recorded the music during three days in the studio of Radio Televisione Svizzera RSI.
The now released album contains 6 tracks, one composition by each bandmember. All the musicians take advantage of the situation to have a highly experienced ensemble of seasoned jazz players and improvisors playing their composition. Each track takes a different approach to the improvisational development and exploitation of the written music.
In their playing MoonMot processes the big ideas of recent music history. The band combines all kinds of sonic and compositional concepts: melodious twelve-tone rows are combined with twisted rhythms, the Fender Rhodes and the horn section enrich their sound through electronic processing and formally the band surprises with classical song forms as well as linear compositions.
The album title "350 Million Herring" is taken from drummer Johnny Hunter's composition. He refers to the Brexit-promise of former PM Boris Johnson who claimed, after the leaving the European Union, there will be a weekly 350 Million Pounds that can be given to the national health system in the UK.
