I recently got into an indie-eclectro artist by the name of Bonobo. Hailing from Brighton, his soundscapes are so chill that they make Josh Davis seem like a speed junkie. His drum lines, offset by the interesting and eclectic collection of orchestral samples, back the serene vibe . Bonobo's musical stylings put me on a beach where I'm being served by European models wearing nothing but what God gave them. It's a beautiful thing. His music doesn't necessarily inspire much action, he's a chill curator, and that's often just what I'm looking for. No wrist slitting angst, or rage driven thrashing, just sit back relax and shut the fuck up music.
What does that mean? Well I'm not talking 90s new age lame-as-flip-flops-and-a-chicken-killer style "chill" like Enya. This is far greater than ambient noise that could have very well been a recording of an emu fighting a manatee....underwater. Subtle aggressiveness comes from the sharp stompings on the kick drum and the harsh snap of the snare. The drum hook drives his tracks along like a slave parade some time during the roman empire, but then drops into a free form break giving a sense of spiritual enlightenment. Okay, maybe that's a little intense...but it's really good music to vibe to.
Does this mean you can't dance? Hell nawwww, dance up a storm brothas and sistas!
Personally I've always had a place in my musical heart for deejays of the obscure, especially those who exhibit a strong sense of energy in their music. To be able to blend chill with energetic drive is a skill few can muster. Thankfully there are respectable killah's out their doing there thing.
The design of www.bonobomusic.com however simple, was lacking in terms of graphical style. Although I did like the quasi-animated header panel which changes (like the background colour) from section to section, it was not enough to deliver any form of visual appeal. Aesthetically speaking his site flopped - a good idea executed in poor fashion. I agree, sometimes pragmatism takes the wheel and form gets thrown in the trunk.... but I also agree with design purists that it makes for a slack design.
The stutter effect when you click photos, the reload factor when you switch pages...it all amounts to a sub-par site for a phenomenal artist. Unforch? Definitely. To its credit, the site was designed for people who know Bonobo. It is for those who know music and not necessarily for freshies on the scene. You have to be a part of it naturally and when you are, you realize it's about the music.
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