Simon Green
's
Bonobo
project may not have the respect of discriminating, forward-thinking
electronica
fans, but his melody-driven
downbeat
pop
is no less interesting for its lack of processing power -- in fact,
Dial "M" for Monkey
is more intriguing for its focus on discernible melodies as well as
experimental
samples.
Green
's second proper
album is a model of structure and economy; though he uses just a few elements for each song and rarely varies the rhythm, the results are always compelling listening. Breakbeats power most of these tracks, befitting its release on
Ninja Tune
, though much like labelmate
Fog
,
's interests don't lie in
hip-hop
or even
trip-hop
; his influences encompass
alternative rock
(
"Something for Windy"
is reminiscent of
the Cure
) and
world
music (are those Indonesian
gamelan
bells driving
"D Song"
or something from a children's toy?). ~ John Bush