Bonobo: "Migration"

Deeply personal compositions which should appeal to audiophiles and substance-freaks alike

Though Bonobo has already cemented his place among the greatest of chilled out electronica, he drives this placement home fifty times over with his newest opus, Migration. As if the works of Bonobo didn't already suggest it, the title of the newest album also suggest that this composer isn't keeping still when it comes to style and genre. Migration is simplistic yet swelling, not quite as fuzzy as, say, Black Sands, but he definitely keeps to his own general aesthetic, perhaps only more substantial and fine-tuned this time around.

"...drawn-back soundscapes with colourful plumes,"

Never one to get ahead of things and dive right in there, the album starts out at a comfortable pace, but while it may come off as a easy-going album opener, it sets the tone for the mindset of the album. Throughout the journey we follow Bonobo on a melancholic trip through a variety of drawn-back soundscapes with colourful plumes jutting out through the calm pools of electronica.

On an overall level, Migration plays like a sonic mirage, serene and peaceful, but heavy with feeling. Migration is an exceptionally concise album in spite of its play time which exceeds an hour. Bonobo is a master of lounging ambience softened with various ethnicities, and where many let their melodies take a backseat, this composer lets them soar way above being mere wallpaper music. Each little composition is a soothing window into tidbits of an artist's life, and above all, the album feels exceptionally inspired.

9/10

Released in 2017 by Ninja Tune

Links

Bonobo on BANDCAMP
Bonobo OFFICIAL SITE
Bonobo on FACEBOOK
Ninja Tune OFFICIAL SITE

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