Late last week, Gilles Peterson premiered the latest single from chillout doyen Bonobo on his BBC Radio 6Music show.
The Ninja Tune resident hasn’t released an album since 2010’s Black Sands, although a formidable remix collection – featuring takes from Machinedrum, FaltyDL, Mike Slott, Funkineven, and heaps more – appeared in 2012.
New single ‘Cirrus’ – available to buy now, incidentally – is a twinkling slice of fairy-light house, full of exotic timbres and fluttering bell tones (not as many as you, Pantha, don’t worry). Delicate, for sure, but there’s a slightly steelier edge on display than we’re used to from Bonobo, and it augurs well for whatever comes next from him.
Bonobo’s website is currently running a countdown, which will reach zero at around 3pm on Thursday afternoon. Given the new single, plus Peterson’s none-too-subtle suggestion that a new album is on the way, we’d say the safe money’s on a fifth Bonobo studio album dropping on Ninja Tune before the year is out.