Bonobo - Fragments CD/INDIE 2LP/DLX 2LP
"Fragments" is the most emotionally intense record that he - aka Simon Green - has ever had to make. It’s no surprise that it’s also his masterpiece. The album features Jamila Woods, Joji, Kadhja Bonet, Jordan Rakei, O’Flynn and Miguel Atwood-Ferguson. Born first out of fragments of ideas and experimentation, the album ultimately was fused together in a burst of creativity fuelled by both collaboration and Green’s escape into the wild.
"Fragments" is a series of 12 sonic affirmations, featuring some of the hardest and most hip-shaking grooves that Green has ever created. The ballads are perfectly placed throughout; they capture a world in flux and glow with hope. Coaxing the ideas out initially took some hard work. The constantly-touring Green creates best while on the move; the global shutdown forced him to stand still.
Musical themes began to arise through Green’s exploration of modular synthesis, recordings he had made of harpist Lara Somogyi, his work with arranger and string player Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, his own playing of the Fender Rhodes and more, as the album was created, recorded and mixed by Green over the past two years. The album also came into focus as he sought refuge on solo adventures into nature, away from the shutdowns and wild fires and into the blazing California desert.
Tides, featuring Chicagoan singer and poet Jamila Woods, acted as a catalyst, and the album began to click into place around it. “I knew I had a centerpiece, I knew how it was all going to sound,” he says. Working with arranger and string player Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, musical themes began to emerge. Recording orchestral musicians in actual studios helped bring the songs “out of the box” even more.
It's about the dancefloor in many ways, about how “I remembered all over again how much I loved crowds and movement and people connecting with each other,” Green reflects. But the positivity isn’t just in the uptempo rhythms: even the most introspective and melancholic pieces have joy in them.
Tracklist:
1. Polyghost [feat. Miguel Atwood-Ferguson]
2. Shaows [feat. Jordan Rakel]
3. Rosewood
4. Otomo [feat. O'Flynn]
5. Tides [feat. Jamila Woods]
6. Elysian
7. Closer
8. Age of Phase
9. From You [feat. Joji]
10. Counterpart
11. Sapien
12. Day by Day [feat. Kadhja Bonet]
About this product: this release is available on CD, INDIE 2LP and DLX 2LP formats.
The INDIE 2LP is pressed on red marbled vinyl. Includes a download code.
The DLX 2LP is pressed on 'Crystal Clear' vinyl, housed in a lenticular sleeve. Includes a download code and four art prints.