Bonobo on New Album 'Distance in Static' and Leaving the Hamster Wheel

In an interview with Kulturnews, Simon Green, known as Bonobo, discusses his new album 'Distance in Static' and his evolving approach to music after 25 years. Green reflects on his debut 'Animal Magic' from 2000 and admits that for the first time, he has engaged with his own history, feeling he no longer has anything to prove. He describes a shift from constantly questioning what to do next to simply making music that feels good. The interview also touches on the rediscovery of his early work by younger fans, some of whom were not alive when his first albums were released. Green notes the phenomenon of kids on TikTok explaining early IDM and referencing Aphex Twin and Autechre, seeing a cyclical nature in music discovery. Regarding vinyl hunting, he mentions that he used to buy a lot of vinyl, but now feels most music is archived, though he still finds inspiration in unexpected places, such as samples of Iranian folk music from the Caltech University archive used on the new album. Green expresses a fascination with sounds from cultures unfamiliar to him, often manipulating sounds to move away from Western traditions. When asked if 'Distance in Static' could be his last album, he says he currently does not know what comes next and, for the first time, is not trying to think about it, wanting to step off the treadmill of recording, promoting, and touring that he has been on for 25 years.