Bonobo

Bonobo

14 December, 2010
by: Alexholley

Alexandra Holley discovers that when you have a cold a Bonobo is the best cure.

While many across the nation were eagerly glued to the hopes and dreams of this year’s X Factor finalists being cranked up to the stars only to be dashed harder than Keith Richards’ New Year's resolutions, I was lucky enough to witness a little bit of Saturday night magic from one of the UK’s most respected producers. Arriving at East London’s Troxy with a bitch behind the eyes and enough lurgy to frighten off even the most obnoxiously drunk, I can’t say I’m in the perfect state of mind for music appreciation. But the ambient and textured layers with which Si Green (Mr. Bonobo that is) fills the theatre prove better than any Lemsip.

Hailing from the home counties via Brighton, Si Green’s Bonobo project started out in 1999 and has since spawned four albums, of which 2010’s ‘Black Sands’ has been hailed as his best yet. Bonobo knows how to move and manipulate a crowd dynamically. The set is a ride of highs and lows, and the translation of his studio tracks to live performance is a slick crossover that doesn’t overshadow or replace the original but enhances it. One valuable addition is the moving quality of super-tight live strings that surf over the top of tracks like ‘Kiara’ and ‘El Toro.’

From a modest position at the back of the stage, the main man runs the show like a master puppeteer. He comes across as a real musician’s producer, allowing his talented band the space to add their own colour and flair to his music. There are trombone and clarinet solos interspersing moments when Green cranks up the bass and nobody can keep themselves from moving.

Arguably the star of the evening is vocalist Andreya Triana, whose forthcoming solo album Green finished producing earlier this year. Working two mics and looping herself into a breathy, multi-layered solo build-up mid-set, she owns the crowd like a true pro, whilst graciously restraining herself from stealing Green’s thunder. Triana is off stage for the second half of the set, where instrumentals come to the fore, but she then returns for ‘Eyesdown’ (from this year’s ‘Black Sands’). And it feels like the kind of thing you've always been waiting for, without ever quite being aware of it.

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Alexholley