Matt Berry continues jazz exploration with "Everything's Peachy"

Matt Berry's new jazz album "Everything's Peachy" – out today via Acid Jazz – was partly inspired by the unauthorized 2018 flight of Richard "Beebo" Russell.   

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The brilliant first album from the Matt Berry Trio is released Friday (June 26), the second instalment of the Jazz Sessions series. Alongside the standard black LP and CD, there is a strictly limited edition green colour vinyl edition, available only from Acid Jazz Records. Get it right here. 

Matt takes a break from his songwriting-led productions to lead an instrumental trio (joined impressively by Graham Mann and Phil Scragg) on ‘Everything’s Peachy’.

The album explores jazz, instrumental and electronic influences, drawing from later Miles Davis and Erik Satie across a remarkable 12-track suite, inspired by the maiden (and only) flight of Richard ‘Beebo’ Russell back in 2018. 

Some may recall reading about Russell was a 28-year-old ground service agent who made international headlines for swiping a Horizon Air twin-engine Dash 8 Q400 aircraft from Seattle-Tacoma Airport. Despite having no formal flight training, Russell took the 76-seater on a crazy joy ride which involved various death-defying aerial maneuvers, boastfully confiding to the air traffic controller "I've played a few video games, so ya know I know what I'm doin' a little bit." 

After flying around the snow-capped peak of Mount Rainier, he quipped, "everything's peachy." You can read Tim Dickinson's story for Rolling Stone on Richard 'Beebo' Russell's unauthorized flight right here. Listen to Everything's Peachy Pt. 8 and Pt. 12 below. Get a black vinyl copy or a digital version of the album from Bandcamp right here. 

Just in time for Christmas... Matt Berry's Witchazel vinyl repress

Matt Berry's 2011 debut recording Witchazel – prized by Laszlo Cravensworth fans – will be recirculated by Acid Jazz Records on December 12th.

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A coal-black vinyl repressing of Matt Berry's 'Witchazel' is being released on December 12th via Acid Jazz Records.

Matt Berry’s debut album on Acid Jazz and the start of his now-15 year relationship with the label. It is of course the home of the fantastic 'Take My Hand’ - known the world over at the theme to the BAFTA Award winning TV show Toast Of London.

Last year the track became a surprise internet sensation, and all remaining physical copies of the album were hoovered up. Which is a shame, because the album’s Wicker Man-inspired folk funk is a marvel, and gives us the roadmap for Matt’s continued success.

Acid Jazz will start shipping a new black vinyl edition of the album on December 12th. This will not be available to general distribution until early 2026. 

Pre-order it directly from Acid Jazz right here. Listen to "Take My Hand" below. 

Project Gemini remixes Matt Berry's "Stay On The Ground"

Check out Project Gemini's fanciful revisions of Matt Berry's tune "Stay On The Ground" off his latest album, Heard Noises. 

Happy Birthday Matt Berry!

Raising a glass to What We Do In The Shadows' Matt Berry with a few career highlight clips, a chat with Tom Scharpling and a new single.

Matt Berry - "Silver Rings" single

Following the January release of Matt Berry's acclaimed new album ‘Heard Noises’ (you can get a vinyl copy and most of his prior recordings directly from Acid Jazz Records right here), we’re excited to announce this exclusive special edition 7” single, in a unique collaboration between Matt and New Street Adventure.

‘Silver Rings’ is one of the stand-out tracks from the album, described as a ‘late 60’s sounding pop classic [that] gives Richard Hawley some competition in the songwriting stakes’ (Louder Than War), the production evocative of a West Coast sound defined by 12-string guitars, session crews and classic studios, befitting the quirky, California cool of the album.

The perfect grounding for interpretations, Matt offered it to newly-reformed Acid Jazz label-mates New Street Adventure, who responded by creating a masterful, contrasting retro-soul inspired take, mixed by Colemine Records associate Rafferty Swink.

‘Heard Noises’ reached No. 22 on the Official Album Chart upon release and was described as “One of the most joyous albums you’re likely to hear in 2025.” (Classic Pop), “great music for an occult go-go dancing competition.” (Shindig!), and “Arguably his best album yet.” (Record Collector). 

Presented in a special picture sleeve (see below), designed by Matt himself with an allusion to the lyric,  and limited to just 500 copies – available exclusively from Acid Jazz. Get a copy via Bandcamp right here. 

Matt Berry's new album "Heard Noises" is out Friday

Matt Berry aka 'Laszlo Cravensworth' from What We Do In The Shadows has a swingin' new selection of tunes called "Heard Noises" out Friday. 

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Following the huge acclaim of Matt Berry’s 2021 album The Blue Elephant (“A sonic odyssey” – Uncut) – as well as last year’s one-off album of library music collaboration with the KPM label (“another string to Berry’s impressive bow” – Prog magazine) – we present Heard Noises, Matt’s eighth studio album with Acid Jazz, out Friday (January 24). Get a copy on limited edition psychedelic swirl vinyl, sky blue vinyl, soft-pack CD or cassette via Bandcamp right here. Sadly the 8-track cartridge version is already sold out.  

Out now, lead single ‘I Gotta Limit’ finds Matt trading lines with Kitty Liv (Kitty, Daisy and Lewis) as a man after a second chance with a woman impatient with his pleading. With a song structure inspired by Sly Stone, in a little over three minutes ‘I Gotta Limit’ crams in a plethora of musical ideas on an instantly catchy song which is part Northern Soul, part psych.

In contrast to The Blue Elephant’s dizzying trip through an idiosyncratic love of British psych, freakbeat, acid rock and late ‘60s pop, Heard Noises finds Matt heading for a looser, Californian psychedelia through his love of the trippier sounds of space pop and rock, and his ear for a haunting melody.

Once again, the album is testament to Matt’s exceptional musicianship, production skills and songwriting prowess. Almost every instrument is played by Matt including guitars, bass, a variety of keyboards (acoustic and Wurlitzer pianos), synthesizers and organs (including Moogs, Vox, Farfisa, Gibson, Eminent organs) and Mellotron.

He is joined by long-time collaborator, neo-prog drummer Craig Blundell, and guests including Pokerface’s Natasha Lyonne and back with Matt is The Shins/Fruit Bats’ Eric D. Johnson (acoustic guitar, autoharp and backing vocals on ‘Why On Fire?’, ‘To Live For What Once Was’ and ‘Snakes That Slide’), Phil Scraggs (lap steel guitar on ‘To Live For What Once Was’ and ‘Snakes That Slide’), Rosie McDermott (vocals on ‘Sky High’) and the S. Club 60s Choir (featuring Matt’s mum).

In many ways Heard Noises could be considered the perfect distillation of the extraordinary breadth of musical ideas across Matt’s albums to date. Listen to "Wedding Photo Stranger" and "I Gotta Limit" followed by a What's In My Bag? segment. 

Matt Berry discusses some of his fave British records and more

Matt Berry – aka Laszlo Cravensworth on What We Do In The Shadows – talks about his favourite UK LPs, hits Amoeba and chats with Tom Scharpling.   

Matt Berry offers his take on British TV theme music

Toast Of London and The IT Crowd actor and musician Matt Berry salutes his favourite TV tunes.

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"It's a covers album, just an appreciation of a time when the signature tune and title sequence were both important elements within the overall theme, atmosphere and tone of a television show. I've always loved these now lost, rare and in some cases forgotten themes so, as with everything I do artistically, I set out to please myself and capture these gems as best as I could and make them available on vinyl, some possibly for the first time?"

BAFTA award winning actor Matt Berry returns with a new album, cleverly titled Television Themes released on October 5th. Inspired by his youth, it’s a collection of TV theme tunes that have not only influenced Berry but undergone a fascinating and unique metamorphosis under his musical stewardship.

Television Themes was recorded on his own and with his regular band The Maypoles in his newly built studio. It includes favourites from the 60s, 70s, and 80s such as Are You Being Served? and Rainbow alongside lesser known themes from Picture Box and Wildtrak amidst those that transcend the decades, Doctor Who and Top Of The Pops…

Combining his love of music production and his passion for the 'signature tune',  Television Themes sees Berry enhance his musical reputation following the success of  his previous releases encapsulating  Berry’s formative years as a viewer and  paired with  his boundless appetite for music -  be it  psych-folk, electronica, jazz or Prog. Genre-defying, mixed with a love of nostalgia, Matt Berry once again finds a home at the small but perfectly formed London-based independent label Acid Jazz Records. Pre-order a signed copy of the vinyl version right here. Check out Matt's versions of Sorry! and Are You Being Served? following the track listing.



Track-listing for Television Themes:
Are You Being Served? (1972-1985)
The Good Life (1975-1978)
LWT (1968 – 1972)
Blankety Blank (1979 – 1990)
Top Of The Pops (1963 - 20050
Picture Box (1966-1990)
The Liver Birds (1969 – 1979)
Thames Television (1968 – 1992)
Rainbow (1972-1997)
Doctor Who (1963- present)
Wildtrak (1979-1984)
World In Action (1963-1998)
Sorry! (1981 – 1988)
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