Premiere: Bongomann sneaks a dancefloor curveball on his forthcoming downtempo EP

Since dropping his debut ‘Smiles’ EP in 2020, the dreamy sound of Nick Bong’s adventurous alias, Bongomann, has been etched into Asia’s archive of dance music from the East.

He now makes a return to the esteemed Darker Than Wax imprint for a third solo outing, titled ‘Lounge Zero’.

Curling up into a hazy corner of the basement where only downtempo stories are told, Bong concocts an aptly deep set of ambient, trip-hop-laced and atmospheric soundscapes across the EP, with ‘Enter’, ‘Settle’, ‘Float’ and ‘Pause’.

Then comes ‘Zoof’.

‘Zoof’ is that child that could never sit still; it’s that groove that made your friends leave you behind on the dance floor because, well, probably because your friends weren’t as important in that exact moment. ‘Zoof’ is where Bongomann shows his distinct qualities of being a versatile producer and performer. ‘Zoof’ is just a fantastic word I could keep on repeating, and it just happens to be an absolute belter too.

Listen to 'Zoof' below.

As a closer for the EP, ‘Zoof’ makes a bold statement about the art of chilling out: it’s good to relax, but it’s even more important to let things flow in their own natural motion. Bongomann injects pulsating and body-warming shapes of psychedelia that ride effervescently over a jackin’ groove. ‘Zoof’ is primed for that euphoric peak after a three-hour workout on a Bongomann floor.

Bongomann ‘Lounge Zero’ is out on Friday, 15 September, on Darker Than Wax. Pre-order here.

Arun Ramanathan is Mixmag Asia’s Director. Follow him on Instagram.