Customer Reviews

One Off Remixes & B- Sides

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If Simon Green (Bonobo) made indie British rock he'd have been on a half dozen magazine covers by now. But, he dance music, downtempo fare at that; hardly the stuff of mass recognition. As for Remixes and B-sides, whether critical clamoring or a rumored label jump prompted it, fans who wisely snapped up his debut Animal Magic are given material far better than what that title may imply.

Led by a slow Dixie whistle and cello, shimmering electronics in the background, his spin on Pilote's "Turtle" may be the freshest chillout tune this year. A simple melody yet effortlessly catchy, it's an example to the hundreds of tunes flooding the market that, while politely programmed, fail to leave a discernable impression. Mechanical Me's "Beachy Head" nearly tops that, a melancholy ballad with captivating vocals processed like a 50s era record - the stuff of comps for sure (think Royksopp "Sparks") - but with an extra dusting of magic.

Other efforts prove similarly amicable; the keyboard pips of "Dismantling Frank," heavy drums anchoring "The Sicilian," and the crackling vinyl pops, horns, and castanets of sterling closer "Scuba," a foray into breakbeat. Soulful, sweeping soundscapes are explored throughout, a style some artists (cough, Moby, cough) merely attempt to emulate.

To be fair, remixes of "The Plug" and "Dinosaurs" offer a new spin but nothing startling, while a rework of Amon Tobin's over-indulgent "Fout Ton Mantis" provides the lone stumbling block. Still, there's an ocean of jazzbo/instrumental/downtempo ... bands playing similar material, with very few with musical ideas worth sharing. Bonobo is on the short list.

I was surprised that only one man has reviewed this, 'cause it should get much more attention. And then by seeing 4 stars as a rating, I was even more surprised. My ratings for the songs:

1: (5/5) Sounds like there's a very happy man, whistling while walking through the fields, with the sun on his head. This is the song that really stays in your mind the first time you get to hear the album.
2: (5/5) Great chorus in this song, sounds a bit '50, but that's a good thing. The song stays in your head for a long time, at least in my head. Sounds like there are two people lying in the grass just enjoying the moment. Once you hear it, you understand what I mean.
3: (5/5) Nice song, vocals remind me of Moby. Very well build up, at the end everything fits together. This song gets me in the happy mood all the time.
4: (5/5) Can't describe it. I've tried, but I can't. But believe me, it's worth 5/5.
5: (4/5) A bit boring, but at the end the song gets better. Makes me think about a snake coming out of it's basket by hearing a flute.
6: (4/5) Good song, but it's nog a standout.
7: (4/5) When I close my eyes, I see a guy on a banjo walking through the streets, and while playing he gets the attention of the other people and bladibladibla everyone was happy. The song can get boring after a while.
8: (5/5) Heavy piano, gets you banging your head. Well done
9: (5/5) Tell me how you feel!!!! Hypnotising!
10: (5/5) Great combination of slow hitted chords on a harp with nice drum programming on the background and a trumpet-like (???) thing making the melody.
11: (5/5) Sounds like some man from the Middle East is pinging on his gitar with very nice beats on the background.

Conclusion: I think it's a CD you will listen to 'till it's broke. If you like Röyksopp or the latest CD's by Moby, you will certainly like this one. And not that this band is a copy of one of the named above, it really has it's own style. I can't get enough of it and I think it can get the same effect on many other people. Try it, buy it and, most importantly, like it! I think you will! The title doesn't sound very promising (referring to B-Sides), but when you have listened to it, you will hear what I mean! It's the besto Bonobo album available at the moment.

Some wonderful B-sides and remixes on this compilation, all blessed by that Bonobo magic. There's careful and nuanced layering of sounds on the tracks, from the whistling on Pilote's "Turtle" to the Italian jazz organ on "The Shark." For the most part, Bonobo's remixers stay true to the original: Quantic's mix of "The Plug," for instance, substitutes a slightly uptempo beat and adds a light guitar line. Jon Kennedy, however, takes a completely different tack to "Dinosaurs," retaining only the bassline. "Magicman," however, sounds a little too similar to his other work, but this is a very minor quibble when presented with the next track; "Scuba" more than makes up for any shortcoming.

I've recently become a fan of Bonobo after hearing the song "Dismantling Frank" playing in a cafe (and asked the staff what was on). That led me to acquire several Bonobo CDs, and I must admit to being so very happy to discover yet new music that I really like. This CD (One Offs...) is so cool, so vibrant, so rich, and so hard to describe. Several of the songs (#2 Mechanical Me, among others) are the sort that swirl their tonality and rhythm into my consciousness when I've got nothing playing... I feel delighted to have new music become haunting -- such hasn't happened to me in a long while. The more I play this CD, the more deeply it becomes enmeshed in me. A great discovery, and one I hope you decide to take a chance on.

A MUST HAVE for any and EVERY fan of Bonobo! And if you are not yet a fan, give a listen! Dude is ill!

its bonobo it has to be good nuff said