The bonobo is a species of primate closely related to the chimpanzee and is one of the only wild animals known to have sex for pleasure, not just for procreation. Unlike its more famous cousin, the bonobo will engage in intercourse in a variety of positions and occasionally with members of the same sex. Could this be the animal magic that England's Bonobo, Simon Green, refers to in the title of his new album? Probably not, given that Animal Magic is about as sexually provocative as an empty plate of oyster shells. No, this Bonobo makes music better suited for ending your day than for starting your night.
Rooted in the organic down-tempo sound Ninja Tune fans have savored for years, Animal Magic is wispy chill-out music that specializes in the art of subtlety. Instead of patronizing the listener with obvious, emotionally coercive melodies, Bonobo aligns himself with the subjective grace and intangible beauty of impressionism. Each component of the pieces completes the next, displaying a musical socialism that contrasts the self-aggrandizing leads found in much of contemporary down-tempo.
Although the staple instruments of chill-out like strings, pianos, and Rhodes are all utilized, they are never ostentatious; tracks such as "Dinosaurs," "Terrapin," and "The Plug" make strong impressions because of, not in spite of, their hushed poignancy. The animal magic Green references are the musical archetypes the listener connects with while enjoying this album.
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