Why Bonobo's 'Days To Come' Feels So Real

Simon Green AKA Bonobo is perhaps the most underrated of the artists on Ninja Tune, but ever since his decision to turn Bonobo into a live project (after the release of 'Dial M for Monkey') a quiet buzz has been building around his latest album, 'Days To Come.' Erroneously lumped in with the nascent 'chillout' genre when he released his debut 'Animal Magic' on Tru Thought, Green reinvented himself on 'Dial M...', adding layers of intricacy to his compositions. Now, it appears the transformation is complete - 'Days To Come' arrives fully-formed, with a confident, rounded, multi-instrumental sound that levers Bonobo out of the chillout music sub-genre - above genre concerns altogether - into a more timeless realm.

The bump of his beats is still wholesomely fat and rounded, the trace element of hip-hop still audible. The rest of the sound is orchestral - clarinets, oboes, horns, flutes, and a multitude of drums and keys round out the very few samples, while vocal compositions from Bajka (pronounced Biker) and labelmate Fink bring focus to the project. Fink delivers one tune, the sedate If You Stayed Over. Bajka meanwhile, who has travelled with gypsy jazz / folk bands across Europe, and recorded on legendary jazz label Compost, leads the album with a stunning set of vocals that recall Nina Simone, Shirley Bassey, and early Morcheeba. Her awesome pedigree is evident in every breathy note, and in the right-on, clear eyed positivism of her lyrics. 'Days To Come' is not a cynical album - it gently shines with light, and life lived.

Green's desire to create an album that: "... sounded like it was recorded in one room, in one day," is realised magnificently. It is hard to imagine 'Days To Come' as the fruits of a studio project, because the instruments are recorded with a naturalistic echo and reverb that lets you feel the space around them as they play. Green lets the instruments breathe. Bonobo's previous work has always had the ability to transport you into a dreamlike state, but on 'Days To Come,' it's like being there.

Although Bonobo has cultivated a retro, organic vibe on his latest offering, the electronic flourishes are there in the basslines of The Fever, and in the tightness of the sampled loops of Recurring. Without a doubt, Simon Green is a gifted composer and producer, and Bonobo's music has that vital ingredient - soul. Much of modern music is manufactured pop, or tough, shiny, music that is all surface and no feeling. Let's hope 'Days To Come' is a sign of how things are going to be in the future.