For Austin, the wait to see Bonobo took exactly nine years and 21 minutes: Nine years is how long it’s been since Bonobo’s debut, Animal Magic, dropped and 21 minutes is how long it took for the London DJ and his scratch band to come on stage at the Parish last night after the house lights went out.
Since Bonobo and his local fans had never met face to face, the mystery remained as to who was who, so in the dark every soundman was a saxophonist and every roadie could have been an elusive keyboardist. A round of cheers echoed through the Parish each time, but the house music only picked up again, whipping the jam-packed crowd that had arrived in full-on party mode into a downright frenzy.
That’s when the chanting began. “BonoBO! BonoBO!” and a roadie who’d previously been setting down towels raised his arms from the stage entrance before retiring backstage. Then four heads came out of the darkness; everything already seemed well worth the wait.
To say that Bonobo “vibes out” would a discredit to the Ninja Tune staple’s true allure. On record, like with this year’s excellent Black Sands, and in concert, Bonobo excels at creating textured landscapes, which derive from hip-hop though there’s just as much taken from jazz as there is from anything else. It’s like diving into a lake at midnight, delving deeper down into a fully encompassing abyss, and returning safe but not exactly understanding what your previous surroundings were.
Starting out behind a DJ table, Bonobo and his crew first launched into “Kiara,” the first proper track off Black Sands, before switching to his usual bass role. Bonobo’s band feels it. They punch the sky when other players hit big notes. They nod their head in affirmation throughout. From the middle, Bonobo pointed out directions and called for changes with eye contact.
Everything changed when Andreya Triana entered the mix mid-set. A smoke-voiced songstress, Triana contributes vocals to three of Black Sands’ finest tracks – “Eyesdown,” “Stay the Same,” and “The Keeper” – and her presence on stage morphed Bonobo into a crack backup band, laying the canvas for Triana’s emotive and atmospheric vocal exploration.
A “thank you” and she was gone, and Bonobo was back in instrumental mode, hitting on “El Toro” and “1009” while everyone in attendance jived, grooved, and frayed in rhythm and motion. Nine years and 21 minutes, but well worth the wait.
This article appears in April 9 • 2010.