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For a style of electronica (chillout/downtempo) that's grown decidedly dusty over the past decade--even though Bonobo is clearly striving to move well beyond such staid genre divisions, and in many ways succeeding, that's probably still the best place to slot him if you gotta--Black Sands is a welcome infusion of life and warmth.
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Although the parallels with Bonobo's peers are obvious, his fourth album doesn't just sit in their shadows. Rather, it's an inspiring example of how, free of pressure and publicity, he has blossomed into something beautiful at his own pace.
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Black Sands is an album so fully realized that comprehending the places he still so obviously has yet to reach is staggering.
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[The title track] may not be very Bonobo, but it is very beautiful, and--like much else on his latest long play--begs to be listened to.
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MojoDeluxe, post-dance soundscapes from Simon Green's anthropoid alias. [May 2010, p. 97]
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It is a hugely impressive piece of work, and subsequent listens will reveal further layers and melodies you missed first time around. Don't delay the induction a minute longer.
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Even though Black Sands is no radical departure in the Bonobo narrative, it tells us once again how Green made Chill Out palatable to discerning listeners. It's also another feather in his cap for making electronic production into a sophisticated art form.
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Q MagazineChill-out with substance. [May 2010, p.117]
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With Black Sands, he's proven himself to be a skilled multi-instrumentalist who knows how to construct beautiful, arresting music with enough layers of complexity to hold interest for multiple listens. Nevertheless, if he wishes to avoid being the listening choice for those who don't actually want to listen, he's not quite succeeded yet.
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Simon Green stands with a select group of musicians who have been consistent in both quantity/quality output of this type of introspective music. Bonobo's Black Sands is an album that should not be missed and is undoubtedly one of the most superior releases of this year.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 23 out of 26
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Mixed: 2 out of 26
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Negative: 1 out of 26
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Aug 30, 2011
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Jan 4, 2011
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Oct 9, 2019Uma grande viagem através do mais sofisticado que há na música eletrônica.