Bonobo – Distance In Static (LP Vinyl)

I want to reinforce this idea that you can be more than one thing,” Green explains. It’s that duality – of live artist and DJ, introspective composer and club-focussed selector – that sits at the heart of latest album ‘Distance in Static’, a record that is full of depth, detail and emotion; both beautiful and banging; quintessentially Bonobo, yet pushing beyond the contours of what a Bonobo album has traditionally been.

A large portion of the record was created at Neil Young’s legendary Broken Arrow Ranch studio in Woodside, California – an environment Green describes as deeply immersive and creatively transformative. A pivotal track to emerge from these Ranch sessions was the enchanting “Fire on the Water”, featuring Arooj Aftab, who travelled down from her NYC base to record what became a breakthrough moment during the album’s creation. Evolving, almost accidentally, from a rough acoustic guitar loop recorded while Green was testing studio inputs one morning. Elsewhere, tracks like “Drift” and “Me and You” perfectly encapsulate the album’s club-focussed leanings, with both quickly emerging as firm fan favorites in Green’s recent DJ sets.

Buried within the ‘Distance in Static’ universe, there is also a sense that this record – and particularly the accompanying live tour – marks something quite monumental, too. It’s a moment of transition, a celebration of Bonobo’s 25 years, but also, perhaps his last record in the traditional sense: complete with expansive guest features and a multi-year full live-band world tour.