Where do you start with Bonobo? For over 25 years under the Bonobo moniker, Simon Green has produced some of the most wondrous electronic music of his generation, consistently digging into the essence of the human experience in a way few electronic artists can. Every album from his 2000 debut, Animal Magic, to his most recent, 2022’s Fragments, has been stacked high with electrifying melodies, bewitching beats and emotional longing. After over two decades in the game, he returns as Bonobo with a career-spanning, introspective album that serves as a well-earned victory lap.
New album Distance in Static fuses the two sides of Green’s personality in a captivating way. On one hand, you have Green the composer, meticulously layering sounds that echo his more contemplative side. On the other, pulsing beats and euphoric synths showcase his innate understanding of the dancefloor. This duality has always been present in Green’s work, but on this album it serves an even greater artistic purpose. After a quarter of a century, there is a very real chance that this could be his last traditional album as Bonobo.
Atmospheric opener, “Dawn” sets the tone as gliding strings swell with intensity before dissolving into the mid-tempo house of “Cycles”. The latter captures Green’s dual identities coming together as ambient electronics and strings melt into more dancefloor-ready beats. “Fire on the Water” is the first of the album’s excellent collaborations and a sure sign that Green is keen to utilise his collaborators’ unique strengths. Featuring emotive lines from Pakistani-American vocalist Arooj Aftab sung in Urdu framed by warbling guitar, it’s a strikingly evocative piece that highlights Bonobo’s more experimental side as he immerses the listener in a deep well of sound.
“Drift” plays to all of his strengths. Deftly layering gleaming synths and punchy percussion, the track gradually builds as he wrings every last drop of euphoria from the music. The momentum continues into “Talk to Me”, where swirling electronics glide around a vocal loop from Hundred Waters singer Nicole Miglis, before morphing into a limber house track. The instrumental, “Uncasually”, is a more straightforward floorfiller but no less thrilling. It rides glowing modular arpeggios and an economical beat that sounds both reassuringly familiar and wonderfully fresh. It’s a prime example of his ability to locate the soul of electronic music.
The record segues beautifully into the glorious neo-soul of “Always on Your Side”. Featuring Joy Crookes, it’s an elegant, timeless-sounding piece that sits comfortably alongside the best collaborations in his long catalogue. The same can be said for “Youth”s Fountain” featuring singer-songwriter Nilüfer Yanya. Adding jazzy percussion and horns that blow in like a warm breeze, it is a beautifully affecting piece as Yanya tackles self-doubt, observing an existential crack become an insurmountable chasm before her very eyes (‘Cause you’re too far to save me/ Like you found youth’s fountain/ Part of the rhetorical mountains/Did you try everything?).
Wisely, Green paces the record by spacing out the vocal features, with “Shoukoufeh” offering a meditative instrumental break. Taking cues from Iranian folk music with Persian strings and deftly tapped pads, it builds around a sample from the artist who shares the title’s name. While it may not be as impactful as some of the other tracks here, it is a timely celebration of Iranian culture, which takes on added significance in the current political climate.
“Can’t You See” sees him team up with emerging London-based artist Aanya Martin, whose magisterial vocals entwine beautifully with the ethereal, circling synths and crackling percussion. Musically, it showcases his ability to use rhythm to heighten the music’s emotional impact. The trip hop meets house; “ID700” is altogether grittier and scuzzier, with shadowy synths stalking the fracturing beats as Green pulls you somewhere a little darker.
It quickly becomes apparent why “Me and You” was chosen as the first single. Extending many of the musical threads from the previous album, Fragments, Green fuses global instrumentation, shuffling beats and glistening synths, all imbued with a bit of classic Bonobo punch. It sums up everything that has marked him as one of the true electronic heavyweights of the last 20 years.
The album approaches the finish line on a calmer wave as plucked harp, gentle bass and hushed vocals journey through “Equinoctial”. Featuring Japanese singer-multi-instrumentalist Ichiko Aoba, its rich instrumentation serves as an almost transcendental bridge between the two facets of Green’s musical personality. The album closes with the spellbinding “Mercury”. Built around the Chinese traditional instrument the Guzheng and wavering strings, it builds to a beautiful conclusion where every emotion feels possible. It’s a song that leaves its poignant indentations long after the music has faded.
Distance in Static plays like an album that often feels like a conversation between two halves of Green’s brain. More importantly, it’s a bold statement from an artist still finding new ways to connect with his audience. If this marks the end of Bonobo”s traditional album-and-tour cycle, it is tough to imagine a more fitting send-off.