– THE PEACEFUL PROTEST –

It’s not often that one starts a music-related blog article by contemplating one’s own mortality but, should I (in the far distant future, of course) die, only to enter into a Vanilla Sky-esque state of suspended animation, I feel like Linked by Bonobo will be the soundtrack that accompanies my lucid dream.

The latest release from the double-GRAMMY-award nominated Simon Green (as Bonobo is known to his Mum*) follows in the wake of his compilation of a “fabric Presents” set; a collection that also included the equally brilliant Bonobo original Ibrik.

The follow up album to 2017’s Migration is already sounding tasty.

Linked, itself, is as meditative and as majestic a song I’ve heard from a ‘dance’ music producer.

A slow-burner, it builds through a range of sonic landscapes – each with a vista large enough to take in fully – while a pair of drumsticks click along nonchalantly in the background.

In many ways it is a perfect reflection of the pensive, thoughtful man that Green comes across as.

By this point in his career, long-term fans of Bonobo such as myself are way beyond expecting too many of the world and jazz elements of Black Sands (2010) – still a particular high point for me – but we do now appreciate his music for the sonic texture it adds to the fabric of our life (and potential afterlife).

*note, Green’s Mum probably doesn’t say the “double-GRAMMY-award nominated” bit. Probably.

MORE FROM THIS WEEK’S MIX

LOUIS COLE: DOING THE THINGS
KEFAYA + ELAHA SOROOR: JAMA NARENJI
BODY MEAT: NAIROBI FLEX
UNDERWORLD: CUSTARD SPEEDTALK

P.S. You can find all of the tracks reviewed above in the 45 Revolutions per Minute playlist below or click to access the 45 RPM Playlist on Spotify itself.

If you like what you hear (or even if you don’t), please engage in dialogue with me @45rpm_Reviews on Twitter. And, if you’d like to receive updates weekly, please subscribe to the email list to get these recommendations sent to your inbox weekly.

– SV –