Live Sessions

Bonobo is a rising Ninja Tune star, the recipient of a lot of (deserved) praise for his Animal Magic and Dial 'M' For Monkey. This EP sees four of his better known tracks… performed by a live band! The four live tracks definitely still emanate a strong trip-hop, murky, classic Ninja Tune feel. And the instruments give the tunes an extra helping of downtempo jazz club flavor. But I should mention, the live instrumentation also take away from the former simpler sample/electronic aesthetic. Regardless, this is a great, fun new take on Bonobo.

Better yet, the fifth track is a gorgeous, brand new studio track. Certainly among his best works!

Oh, and – surprise, surprise – there's also a Four Tet remix. I want to roll my eyes, but it's actually pretty damn good.

Favorite Tracks: 5 is my favorite, but everything else is good too!

- Captain Dee, July 2005

*1. Dreamy Harp/strings intro. Slightly spooky nighttime jam, with weird vocal-ish warbles. Reminds me of Blockhead. (4:34)
**2. Murky/classy organ-centered jam, super funky bassline, reserved horn. Some really tight breakdowns! Slick!! (4:05)
**3. Mellow, keys-heavy groove, soulful horn, mysterious strings. Bluesy vocals in the second half. Nice!! (6:09)
4. Sexy jam. Spanish-ish guitar melody, horn, harmonica. Slightly exotic vibe. Cool jazzy horn solo towards the end. (6:24)
***5. Beautiful looping/hypnotic melody. Slick beat, trip-hop goodness, funky bass and steel-ish guitar, touches of strings. Amazing head-nodding groove! Imagine a sped-up, funkier version of Bonobo’s "Terrapin." (5:03)
*6. This Four Text remix sounds like every other of the billion remixes he’s done. Folksy vibe, messy drums, uptempo trip hop. I must admit, this is pretty tight. (6:23)