We review “Distance in Static”, Bonobo’s new album
The musical transformation of Bonobo –he’s been pumping his chest and reinventing himself for just over twenty-six years now– he goes through the dirt of broken lo-fi rhythms that are still rising in my ears –Simon was impeccable with the Akai S950– the inverted melodies, and even remembering his time in bands playing guitars (or the sitar, ideal if you press play and listen to “Terrapin” again). A trajectory in which the organic discourse has been evolving towards less heavy, less abrupt textures and BPM, betting on a much more transparent production and, so to speak, more domesticated and with less danger. And to fall in love I need to perceive some risk, not just perfect envelopes.
Although in districts like “Animal Magic” (00) and “Dial ‘M’ For Monkey” (03) squeezed the art of sampling and more limited resources to the point of exhaustion, Bonobo decided to park the laboratory a long time ago. Otherwise, experimentation became experience. The mud, clean waters. This “Distance in Static” once again smells like Nenuco, thus continuing the path started in previous works such as “Migration” (17). Extreme cleanliness and space. Well, and let’s say it now, the similarity is especially great with the previous “Fragments” (22), so much so that I would dare to say that the new album and this one can coexist together. “Otomo” is closely linked with “Talk To Me”; “Closer” with “Can’t You See”, and so on… They are natural extensions.
This, like almost everything, goes by neighborhood. I haven’t hesitated to show my feather duster, and it’s clear that I long for those first long lengths with muddy material, but I absolutely don’t despise that current more refined, warm and atmospheric attitude. Even in the new work, not everything is house or spiritual dance electronics, but we find songs that recall acoustic trip hop, “Youth’s Fountain” with Nilüfer Yanya. Posh downtempo, the kind that doesn’t hurt.
Another notable point is how well Bonobo externalizes and stands out with the 2step. “ID700” is the spearhead on the new album. Enthusiastic, but soft-edged. And the virtue of incorporating folk sounds that could well be African or Southeast Asian – it is not very clear – in such a meticulous, yet important way. The previous one is one of the few songs that does not contain an official vocal collaboration, something to which the Briton has certainly subscribed. By “Distance in Static” parade Arooj Aftab, Joy Crookes, Ichiko Aoba, Nicole Miglis, Aanya Martin and the aforementioned Nilüfer Yanya. They interpret in English, Japanese or Urdu, which is still striking.
To close, it is clear that “Distance in Static” It is not so much a reinvention of the artist, but rather the purification of everything he has learned during a little more than two decades or so. The dilemma, if we can call it that, is that where Simon Green found accident, dirt and danger – and I found a valuable and entertaining gadget for life – today it is control, balance and perfection. Will you ever want to take risks again when you have already turned your own language into such a comfortable place? Ah, the release of the new album will be accompanied by a completely renewed live show. We know that it is designed by Pierre Claude (Air, Gesaffelstein, Phoenix and Caroline Polachek), and that it will kick off with a North American tour this fall.
