Electronic musician, producer and DJ Simon Green has been creating music under his ‘Bonobo’ moniker for more than two decades now, and in that time has built up a cult following, swapping his native Brighton for LA along the way. Fragments is his seventh studio album in that time and follows on from his last effort Migration, and as is explained on his official website, it is an album “born first out of fragments of ideas and experimentation”. 

Green specialises in chilled out electronica and experimentation so this is encouraging, and indeed it’s a gently plucked acoustic guitar and the sense of waves rolling in that opens his latest work, before ‘Polyghost’ layers in its intricate strings. ‘Otomo’ is the first taste of anything higher tempo, delightful bass drops accented by the most delicate of keys and even a choir, while ‘Closer’ has an old school feel, bristling with a sparkling energy.

Of the guest vocals, it’s Jamila Woods on ‘Tides’, a slow burn R&B-infused number that is wonderfully rich, and Joji on the ethereal ‘From You’ that shine brightest, each voice neatly woven into Green’s intelligent, well-paced creations. ‘Day By Day’ draws things to a close nicely, it’s joyful strings and notes of saxophone pairing perfectly with another vocal worthy of acclaim, provided by Kadhja Bonet.

Writing on Bonobo’s official Facebook page, Green said: “Almost five years to the day since Migration. This is my seventh album and it’s been without a doubt the most difficult one to make. I’d honestly lost a little confidence somewhere over the past few years. That compounded with the whole mess of 2020 made the period of making this record an uphill struggle a lot of the time.

“As much as it’s a document of a weird and uncertain time, it’s also about optimism and joy. I’m extremely proud of it and I hope that sense of optimism is felt. Huge, huge thanks to everyone who’s been a part of this album. Much love.”

Fragments tracklist:

1. Polyghost
2. Shadows
3. Rosewood
4. Otomo
5. Tides
6. Elysian
7. Closer
8. Age Of Phase
9. From You
10. Counterpart
11. Sapien
12. Day By Day

Watch the official video for ‘From You’ (featuring Joji) below. 

Author: Joe Sharratt

Joe Sharratt is a writer and journalist based in the UK covering music, literature, sport, and travel.