- I’d never really thought about it before, but Bonobo is one of the real survivors in the beats game. 2010’s Black Sands made me so glad of the fact: jazzy rhythms, soulful horns, muted strings, and the vinyl warmth of downbeat came spilling out of the speakers. It was the core Ninja Tune of the 90s and, in a world where such sounds had been virtually extinguished, a much needed trip down memory lane.

The collection of remixes that followed in 2012, functionally dubbed Black Sands Remixed suffered no concomitant lack of imagination in its variegated reworking of Bonobo’s originals. These creations from the likes of Lapalux, Mark Pritchard and Floating Points mercilessly put out the oldschool and embraced the new, which was only momentarily confronting, before the largely excellent quality of that release assuaged my concerns. It also proved, I suppose, that Bonobo was in touch with what was going on in today’s electronic music, even if he wasn’t making it himself, yet.

The North Borders as you may have guessed, gives him the opportunity to make good on that. A bit shy at first he camouflages his intent with the classic triphop of First Fires featuring the mournful crooning of fellow Ninja Tune alumni Grey Reverend. Even here, wiith the steady bass vibration, there’s a certain echo of James Blake. Emkay however, breaks out a wonky beat and a canned r’n’b sample: hey it’s 2013 again, welcome aboard Bonobo.

The jazzy, latin groove of Cirrus is reasonably oldschool even though it keeps the pace considerably up. That seductively dance vibe has had all sorts of people reaching for Four Tet and Caribou comparisons. It seems a little unassuming to be a first single, but it is far from dull. What it really does do is act as a justification for the next number, Heaven For The Sinner. Such a direct lift from Flying Lotus, I had to laugh, complete with an Erykah Baduh guest vocal, it was fortunate that Cirrus reminded me: hey, before the Lotus, who was the man who owned jazzy downbeat? Sounds pretty sweet, too. If Bonobo had put this down, even three years ago, it would have given Lotus a serious run for his money.

Andrea Treana, ever-present on Black Sands is conspicuously absent from The North Borders. I’ll be honest though, I wasn’t that into her and the additions of the up-and-coming Szjerdene bring, again, an icey triphop quality to both the tracks she guests on. The other guest artist, Cornelia has a pleasantly twee sound that Bonobo deftly marries to an Eskmo style bass-music: really nice.

This whole album, actually: if it doesn’t surprise, if it is just the logical continuation of Bonobo’s journey in beats, nonetheless it all, really works. There’s not a single thing on it that I didn’t enjoy listening to, and as the influences are more successfully digested across the course of the record, my enjoyment has only increased. Year after year, Bonobo continues to impress.

- Chris Cobcroft.