Album Review: Bonobo - Migration

Like birds flying south for winter, like fluffy cumulus clouds that scud across blue skies, Bonobo's latest album Migration drifts across time and place with a subdued sense of wonder.

The title track dials us into the vacuum of a departure lounge where pensive vibes contemplate leaving and loss as much as they do arrival. Minimal musings on a piano provide a structure for loose washes of sound and twinkling electronica. North American outfit Rhye help work the melancholy moods of dissolving relationships on Break Apart.

In 2000, Simon Green (aka Bonobo) started to make a name for himself with his trademark chill, down-tempo vibes. The gentle, feathery-soft feel of this album demonstrates Bonobo's mastery in producing seductive soundscapes that sooth as they massage. Perhaps we could blame globalisation for homogenising culture to the point where musicians from around the world understand Bonobo's aesthetic? Artists like Nicole Miglis (who features on Surface) from Melbourne, Florida and Nick Murphy (fka Chet Faker, who features on No Reason) from Melbourne, Australia perfectly understands the deep grooves providing appropriately introspective vocals.

Occasionally Bonobo stops over and more exotic influences are allowed to infiltrate the mix. The sun-kissed groove of Grains has a distinctive Middle Eastern feel while Moroccan musicians Innov Gnawa allow tribal rhythms to take control of Bambro Koyo Ganda. It's often striking how an album crafted with synthesisers can sound so sweetly organic. This album delivers gentle listening pleasure for contemplative moments spent staring at a flickering flame.