Bonobo Shares New Singles ‘Fire on the Water’ & ‘Drift’

Both tracks are taken from Bonobo’s upcoming eighth studio album Distance In Static.

Image Ryohei Ambo

UK-born, LA-based electronic producer and DJ Bonobo has shared two new singles, ‘Fire on the Water’ and ‘Drift’, both taken from his upcoming eighth studio album Distance In Static, out Friday 11 September via Ninja Tune.

‘Fire on the Water’ features celebrated Pakistani-American artist Arooj Aftab and is said to represent the emotional heart of the record. “When that song happened, that's when I could first see an album coming into shape,” says Bonobo, aka Simon Green. “We were both like, ‘Oh, this is really special’.” 

Speaking about the collaboration, Aftab adds, “I had the dreamiest time making this song with Simon in the Redwoods. He is a boyish joy and a beautiful soul. The lyrics, written by my dear friend Yasra Rizvi, live in that tender place where time keeps moving but desire remains. There can still be fire on the water.”

‘Drift’, on the other hand, is similar to the album’s first single, ‘Me and You’, with a more club-focused appeal.

As for Distance in Static, the album is a truly global afair, with recording taking place in LA, Tokyo, London and beyond – including Neil Young’s legendary Broken Arrow Ranch in California – and featuring collaborations with Joy Crookes, Nilüfer Yanya, Ichiko Aoba, Nicole Miglis (Hundred Waters) and Aanya Martin.

The album features singing in English, Urdu and Japanese, while historic Iranian samples and guzheng recordings sit alongside Green's own meticulously processed instrumentation.

Visually Green has gone in a new direction, teaming with celebrated designer Trevor Jackson to create imagery that draws on microscopic photography by renowned photomicrographer John I. Koivula,

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Distance in Static arrives as Green celebrates 25 years as a recording artist, during which he’s released two Top-10 Albums (2017’s Migration and 2022’s Fragments, which both landed at #5 on the UK chart), plus numerous Gold and Silver certified singles.

Green also believes Distance in Static might be his last traditionally released record. “It’s probably the last go-around the track in this format,” he admits. And on the future? “I don't know what that will look like just yet, but it's really about me redefining how to be a musician from here.”

‘Fire on the Water’ and ‘Drift’ by Bonobo are out now. Distance In Static drops Friday 11 September via Ninja Tune. Pre-order here.

Distance in Static

1. Dawn

2. Cycles

3. Fire on the Water (feat. Arooj Aftab)

4. Drift

5. Talk to Me (feat. Nicole Miglis)

6. Uncasually

7. Always on Your Side (feat. Joy Crookes)

8. Youth’s Fountain (feat. Nilüfer Yanya)

9. Shokoufeh

10. Can’t You See (feat. Aanya Martin)

11. ID700

12. Me and You

13. Equinoctial (feat. Ichiko Aoba)

14. Mercury (feat. Kanako Yamamoto)

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