Bristol based songwriter, bonsi, occupies a world somewhere between analogue experimentation and electronica. The musical equivalent of a Stan Brakhage film, her gentle words are like cut up collages, and slip into the nooks and crannies of her densely spacious arrangements. Her compositions pose more questions than they give answers – new single, Mouth of Shame (featuring Harvey Causon), heads off in another left field direction. But the unpredictability is definitely part of her charm.

These are her Sound & Vision picks:

Three Favourite Albums:

Jai Paul – Leak 04-13 (Bait Ones)

 

Jai Paul’s demos that were leaked in 2013 are some of my favourite sounds ever. They live in their own world of texture and beautiful over compression. This is the holy grail of production for me; I think it’s very cool that they don’t sound like anyone else. The sounds that fly in and out of these songs are like something from another planet – one I would like to visit!

 M.I.A – Arular

 

M.I.A is very bold in the placement of her sounds, they feel confident and intentional. Even if it’s sonically chaotic, it sounds so right because that’s how she made it. I respect how this album and most of her work feels outside of any genre, they feel like scrapbooks instead of albums. Sunshowers, Bingo and Galang are highlights for me; her rough edged beats and narratives continue to inspire me.

Kllo – Back Water

 

This album is my melancholic nostalgic listening space. I love how Kllo grow the build ups in their songs, they really take their time to let a song blossom. It was hard to choose between Back Water and Maybe We Could (their new album), which contains some of my favourite tunes of 2020, but I’m such a sucker for semi lo-fi production with moody vocals that this will always be my favourite. 

One film that I love: Boy

Boy is a great film! It’s about a Māori boy called Boy in 1984 New Zealand. There are a few clips of hand drawn animation in the film to show how the little brother is feeling, I thought that was so cool. It’s beautifully shot in rural New Zealand and the acting from the kids is so impressive. If you watch it you will see the magic of it. 

One book that I love: The Book of Hearts by Francesca Gavin 

A friend gave me this book years ago on my 17th birthday. It’s a book full of different drawings, paintings and interpretations of the heart by multiple artists. It’s accompanied with what the symbol of the heart represents in different cultures throughout history. It’s so nice to own compilations of art; they are the closest thing I’m gonna get to visiting any gallery at the moment. 

One song that’s important to me:  Track 4 by LFO 

 

Track 4 by LFO is a slightly more minimal dance track that makes me think of the music I grew up around, it also sounds like it was made by an alien producer who landed in 90’s England. I love the drum machine programmed vibe and how bold the synth melodies with barely anything else. A song that can clear my head or make me dance – it’s a big tune!