Bonobo
Tuesday 7 January 2014
Palace Theatre, Melbourne

PictureImage courtesy of lifevanmildert.com
Simon Green is not a new guy in the electronic scene. Known by his stage name, Bonobo, Green has spoilt electronic music lovers with beautifully crafted tracks for more than 10 years, ranging from ambient to dance music. His much acclaimed album Black Sands (2010) is a testament to his ingenuity and creativity. For Green, electronic music is not limited to DJ sets and broken beats, but extends to collaboration with various instruments, from Indonesian gamelan to orchestral instruments. 

This concert was a surprise show; initially Bonobo, the stalwart of the Ninja Tunes label, was only going to be performing at the 2013 Falls Festival. Then he announced a series of sideshows across Australia—truly exciting news for his fans, rapt to have the privilege of an intimate experience with the performer. 
Green kicked off by delivering "Cirrus" which is my favourite track from his latest album The North Borders. This beautiful combination of melodious chime and rhythmic bass sent a promising sign to the audience of the show to come. However a slight problem with the sound in the next few songs left me and others to wonder whether the promising start to the show was just an anomaly. For example, the performance of British singer Szjerdene, which would otherwise have been fantastic, was submerged into the background music.  Fortunately, this problem was short-lived and Green and his crew soon regained a quality sound. 
PictureImage courtesy of newrockstarphilosophy.com
Throughout the show, Bonobo fans were spoilt by stunning compositions from The North Borders, including "Emkay", "Jets", "Sapphire", and "Don’t Wait". Although this show was primarily an introduction to Green’s latest album, he included a selection of tracks from his much-acclaimed Black Sands album. Szjerdene executed "The Keeper" (Black Sands) very well, arguably on par with the original singer, Andreya Triana. A cameo performance by Melbourne based, radio darling Chet Faker was a special treat for everyone. As Green invited Chet Faker to join the band on stage, the Palace filled with screams of excitement and thunderous clapping. Chet Faker delivered "First Fires" brilliantly with his characteristically heavy voice, a rather different approach to the original singer Grey Reverend. 
Contrary to the general perception that a DJ performance is a one-man-show, Green’s show was a collaboration of numerous musicians, blending electronic sounds with other instruments. In this show, he brought along with him three violin players, two woodwind players and a drummer. Watching him on the stage with these musicians, I did not feel like I was watching a DJ performance, but rather a modern orchestra with an electronic twist. On some occasions, Green let other musicians be the main performer, while he played bass. These scenes could have him mistaken for an additional player rather than the beatmaker maestro. When he left the stage prior to the encore, the audience was treated to a  solo drum performance by Jack Baker. This was an unexpected treat as the drum cleverly carried the upbeat vibe through to the encore. 
All in all, I had a great night and I expect so did all others who came to this show. After listening to Green’s music for years and seeing his performance at the Palace, I kind of wonder whether he will take up the challenge of playing with a full orchestra.  I know that Green’s style of music would allow him to do so but more importantly, someone of Green’s calibre and talent could make the supposedly complicated collaboration of electronic and acoustic sounds enjoyably accessible. I for one, excitedly await what comes next!

Citu Permadi
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Image courtesy of audioabsinthe.com