SuppliedBonobo
Migration
Ninja Tune
https://bonobomusic.com/
Following President Trump’s inauguration, it’s easy for Canadians to shrug off our southern neighbours’ increasing attitudes of division as “not our problem.” But listening to the latest offering from Simon Green, aka Bonobo, serves as a subtle reminder that in these divisive times, there is immense beauty to be had in togetherness.
Migration, Green’s sixth studio album under the DJ pseudonym Bonobo, was released earlier this month and immediately stands out among his discography. Green elevates his typical fare of bedroom electronica with improvements to his song writing and composition, all while finding space for a few dreamy vocal performances to shine. The resulting 12 songs may be stitched together individually, but are seamless as they play out. No walls divide one track from the next, or the listener from the music.
Opener “Migration,” which marries classical piano, crashing symbols, and bass that tickles your inner-ear, is equally at home next to the harp-plucks and hypnotic hymns of Rhye’s Milosh on “Break Apart” or the UK-flavoured electronica of “Outlier.” Even more impressive, when the songs are totally removed from the confines of the album’s track list and dropped into a playlist (Apple Music’s “Today’s Chill,” for example), they still find harmonious unity among their new peers. Detractors will say this makes the music of Migration “generic,” but I prefer the word “universal.”
As it turns out, the accessibility and openness of Migration comes from a deeply personal place for Green. “My own personal idea of identity has played into this record and the theme of migration,” Green explains. “Is home where you are or where you are from, when you move around?”
On his migratory journey, Green encounters old friends, such as Nick Murphy (FKA Chet Faker) on the club-ready “No Reason,” and new sounds worth celebrating, as on the uplifting “Kerala.” But no matter how far the distance grows between the points on his adventure, or how different they may be, they manifest as part of a whole on Migration, a unity of Green’s experiences, encounters, and art.
Although we may feel further separated by the borders, walls, and political leanings that define our individual selves, Migration offers a sense and a glimpse that togetherness is still within reach. And that’s a beautiful thing.
