BONOBO
Fragments NINJA TUNE
Consummate cool from the British electronica don
7/10
“Save me, save me from the unknown”, entreats guest Jordan Rakei on “Shadows”, which uses Bonobo’s witnessing of the 2020 California wildfires as a metaphor for personal uncertainty and destruction. The track’s echoing of Theo Parrish’s work both adds to its resonance and points up Bonobo’s roots. It’s 20 years since his debut LP and Fragments could have been made any time in the last 25, yet the down-tempo warmth, tasteful orchestrations and immaculate production are still a winning combination. There’s a lot of soulful hush against smooth breakbeat backdrops but the boshing, laserstrafed “Otomo” and “Age Of Phase”’s woodblock funk deliver welcome pick-ups of pace.