Echoes of the Blues in Lazarus’ Melodic Core

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            Music has always played a pivotal role in Shinichirō Watanabe’s anime productions. Each soundtrack is not just background music; it is deeply intertwined with the essence of his series. From the vibrant big band jazz and rock sounds of <em>Cowboy Bebop</em> to the chill lo-fi beats of <em>Samurai Champloo</em>, the music adds a distinctive layer to his storytelling.
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            Watanabe’s latest creation, <em>Lazarus</em>, a sci-fi action thriller that debuted earlier this month, continues this tradition and might even be his most ambitious work yet, both conceptually and musically. Instead of enlisting a traditional composer, he collaborated with three favorite musical artists: jazz saxophonist Kamasi Washington, EDM producer Floating Points, and downtempo artist Bonobo, to shape the unique soundscape of the series.
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            Simon Green, known as Bonobo, spoke with Polygon last week about his experience working with Watanabe, his process for scoring <em>Lazarus</em>, and the pivotal song that embodies the series' themes.
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            [<strong>Ed. note:</strong> This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.]
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            <strong>Polygon: Can you share how you first got involved with <em>Lazarus</em>? How did you and Watanabe connect for this collaboration?</strong>
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            <strong>Bonobo:</strong> A couple of years ago, Watanabe reached out to me. We were both fans of each other’s work. He said he was developing a new show and wanted me to contribute music. I believe this occurred in early 2023. He shared a PDF outlining character breakdowns and backstories regarding the universe he was creating for the show, both geographically and conceptually.
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                            <img alt="Bonobo and Shinichirō Watanabe smiling and giving a thumbs-up in Tokyo." data-chromatic="ignore" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-nimg