Review – Bonobo “Late Night Tales”

Brighton based musician and Producer Simon “Bonobo” Green released his Late Night Tales compilation this week, and the results are superb.

Bonobo live on stage

Bonobo on stage in Phildelphia.

‘Late Night Tales’ is more or less exactly what the name says. Artists are invited to produce a compilation of songs best suited for the end of the evening, and the results are mixed and released, with an added spoken word story on the end. The series boasts an impressive collection, with other compilations produced by the likes of Metronomy, MGMT, Fatboy Slim, Four Tet and Jamiroquai.

In this case, Bonobo’s multi-genre down tempo offering certainly ticks all these boxes. An eclectic mix of relaxing songs from recent times to over 30 years ago, the album flows perfectly, and is the ideal way to wind a night down. Featuring tracks from Nina Simone, Shlomo, Lapalux and Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, it gives insight into Bonobo’s own influences, giving context to the jazzy presence on all of his releases.

The compilation ends with Benedict Cumberbatch reading the third part of the “Flat of Angles”, a bleak but beautifully written love story by Simon Cleary. It’s difficult to explain, but this series is truly something unique as far as my experience goes, and ending with spoken word from talent such as Cumberbatch, Brian Blessed and Sir Patrick Moore truly sets it apart.

All in all, this compilation is one of the best releases I’ve heard in the last six months, and has put me onto a series I’m sure to follow closely. It definitely deserves a listen (check it out in our spotify tab), earning a 9/10 from me.

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