The Spill Magazine The Spill Magazine
The Spill Magazine The Spill Magazine
The Spill Magazine The Spill Magazine
  • Reviews
    • Album Reviews
    • Features
    • Live Reviews
    • Festivals
  • Portraits
  • Headlines
    • News
    • Contests
    • Events
    • Entertainment Headlines
    • Concert Listings
    • Toronto Concert Venues
  • New Music
    • Premieres
    • Track Of The Day
  • Track Of The Week
  • Books + Movies
  • About
16
new
SPILL NEW MUSIC: GWAR HAVE GONE BERSERK! CHECK OUT THE NEW SONG “BERSERKER MODE” OUT NOW
SPILL NEW MUSIC: QUEEN KWONG RELEASES HER TAKE ON A ‘POP’ SONG “WITHOUT YOU, WHATEVER”
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: ART D’ECCO – “MIDLIFE CRISIS”
SPILL NEW MUSIC: YUNGBLUD ANNOUNCES SELF-TITLED THIRD STUDIO ALBUM SET FOR RELEASE SEPTEMBER 2 VIA LOCOMOTION/GEFFEN RECORDS
SPILL NEWS: CANADIAN PUNK LEGENDS DAYGLO ABORTIONS HIT THE ROAD WITH CITIZEN RAGE FOR A CROSS CANADA TOUR
SPILL FEATURE: DON’T YOU FEEL CLOSER? – A CONVERSATION WITH CY CURNIN OF THE FIXX
SPILL MUSIC PREMIERE: BROKE ROYALS – “REVIVALISM”
SPILL NEW MUSIC: COMBICHRIST SHARES NEW SINGLE & LYRIC VIDEO FOR “MODERN DEMON” VIA OUT OF LINE MUSIC
SPILL NEWS: KATIE TUPPER RETURNS WITH NEW SINGLE “HONEY” + EMBARKS ON CANADIAN TOUR
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: VARIOUS ARTISTS – PAY IT ALL BACK VOL. 8
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: FLORENCE + THE MACHINE – DANCE FEVER
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: MASTER BOOT RECORD – PERSONAL COMPUTER
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: FADER – QUARTZ
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: DIATOM DELI – TIME~LAPSE NATURE
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: PANJOMA – “BLEEDING SUN”
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: BEAUTY IN CHAOS – “AFTERLIFE” FT. TISH CIRAVOLO
  • Reviews
    • Album Reviews
    • Features
    • Live Reviews
    • Festivals
  • Portraits
  • Headlines
    • News
    • Contests
    • Events
    • Entertainment Headlines
    • Concert Listings
    • Toronto Concert Venues
  • New Music
    • Premieres
    • Track Of The Day
  • Track Of The Week
  • Books + Movies
  • About
  • Spill Menu
    • Reviews
      • Album Reviews
      • Features
      • Live Reviews
      • Festivals
    • Portraits
    • Headlines
      • News
      • Contests
      • Events
      • Entertainment Headlines
      • Concert Listings
      • Toronto Concert Venues
    • New Music
      • Premieres
      • Track Of The Day
    • Track Of The Week
    • Books + Movies
    • About
Album Reviews
553
Editor Pick
previous article
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: BLACK ANVIL - AS WAS
next article
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: SOHN - RENNEN

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: BONOBO – MIGRATION

Bonobo

Bonobo
Migration
Ninja Tune
RATING

Are you stuck inside, gazing out the window at the pouring rain? Is a green sunset falling gently over the horizon? Are you lying down in a calm, breezy meadow, while the distant hum of a running creek and bird songs fill the air? If not, no worries, just turn on your speakers, press play and close your eyes. The dreamy new release, Migration, is a lush, wistful, and moody ride. The album is the sixth by Simon Green (aka Bonobo), and spans a wide-range of emotions in its 12 songs. Migration, released on January 13th, features Nick Murphy (Chet Faker), Innov Gnawa, Nicole Miglis (Hundred Waters), and Rhye, as well as vocal samples from Pete Seeger and Brandy.

London’s laid back groove connoisseur relocated to Los Angeles and arrived with a sweet serenade of tunes. Nature has always been a big influence of Bonobo’s, (just look up his album titles) and this is no exception. While he still offers his distinct vibe of break-beats and tribal grooves, the lush layers of bright soundscapes is what sets Migration apart from his previous work. In his whimsical whirlpool of samples and sounds, Green uses an airport elevator in Hong Kong, rain in Seattle, a tumble dryer in Atlanta, and a fan boat engine in New Orleans.

The opening track, “Migration,” is a lovely, floating piece. The song slowly builds on an echoey mid-range keyboard and piano. Eventually, far away drum sequences, which Green actually designed a specific algorithm for, begin to take shape and find foreground. The song lets the drums play before soaring into a vast and open finish. “Break Apart” uses an amplitude of percussive elements that blend and groove together. A marching snare finds itself in the distance behind hand claps, finger cymbals, and a persistent bell rhythm. Vocalist Michael Milosh (Rhye) provides an ambient, melancholy melody that was recorded in a hotel room in Berlin. Green then built most of the song structure while on a long flight; thus the listener begins to see why the theme of the album is so deeply rooted in travel, distance, movement, and shapeshifting.

The 8 minute long “Outlier” begins as a delicate, mellow dance tune. It builds with heavy bass and slowly transforms into a much darker, trance vibe. The bright meshes with dark, clarity becomes a fuzzy haze, and juxtaposition is found at its finest – the way the best dessert is cold ice cream on top of hot brownie. Finally, throw some sprinkles on top: Green sums it all up with a heartfelt harp arrangement and gentle reversed loops. In the album’s single “Kerala”, Green uses a vocal sample from R&B singer Brandy. In this subtly jungle-driven track, the vocals are more a texture than anything else. Various instruments enter and exit from left field, constantly driving the track’s head bobbing momentum.

Green has always been at the forefront of downtempo electronic; stylistically combining a freeform influence of jazz and a copy/paste ingenuity of trip hop. Throughout his nearly 20 year career span as Bonobo, Green is an aficionado of soundscape storytelling. He creates a sonic atmosphere that engulfs the listener. Migration appears simpler and more sophisticated than his 2013 release, The North Borders, because Green focuses more on quality than quantity. The album is an attempt to display and interpret various textures of human nature. As Green states, “Life has highs, lows, loud and quiet moments, beautiful ones and ugly ones. Music is a reflection of life.” Bonobo’s career and albums have covered many territories and sought new boundaries. Similarly, as Green says, “Over time, the identities of places evolve…is home where you are or where you are from, when you move around?” Migration is one man’s attempt at answering, or at least conveying an appreciation for these thoughts and ideas.


Artist Links

website_flat_2016 facebook_flat_2016 twitter_flat_2016 instagram_flat_2016 soundcloud_flat_2016 youtube_flat_2016 itunes_flat_2016

Editor Pick
Item Reviewed

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: BONOBO – MIGRATION

Author

Andrew Smith

Here's what we think...
Spill Rating
Fan Rating
Rate Here
New Criteria
10
8.5
8.0
Total Spill Rating
8.5
Total Fan Rating
1 rating
You have rated this
Album Reviews
album reviewsbonobobrandychet fakerhundred watersinnov gnawakeralamigrationnick murphynicole miglisninja tuneoutlierpete seegerrhyesimon green
album reviews, bonobo, brandy, chet faker, hundred waters, innov gnawa, kerala, migration, nick murphy, nicole miglis, ninja tune, outlier, pete seeger, rhye, simon green
About the Author
Andrew Smith
After majoring in business & entrepreneurship at UCSB and traveling the world, Andrew moved to Los Angeles to pursue music and not give up his love for surfing, hiking and yoga. He is also in a couple really cool, up and coming, indie-rock bands in LA - Mothlight & Lone Kodiak.
RELATED ARTICLES
album reviewsbonobochet faker
 
9.0
On-U Sound
—

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: VARIOUS ARTISTS – PAY IT ALL BACK VOL. 8

by Ljubinko Zivkovic on May 13, 2022
Various Artists Pay It All Back Vol. 8 On-U Sound Master producer/songwriter/artist Adrian Sherwood has been behind all things On-U Sound since 1979, and since then he and [...]
 
10
Florence + The Machine
4.9

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: FLORENCE + THE MACHINE – DANCE FEVER

by Robert Defina on May 13, 2022
Florence + the Machine  Dance Fever Polydor Records Florence + The Machine has always found the midway point between her classically-trained vocals and accessible dance pop. Her [...]
 
9.0
Master Boot Record
—

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: MASTER BOOT RECORD – PERSONAL COMPUTER

by Samantha Stevens on May 13, 2022
Master Boot Record Personal Computer Metal Blade Records Once in a generation a musical genre takes a leap and for metal…that leap is Master Boot Record. The brainchild of [...]
 
9.0
Fader

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: FADER – QUARTZ

by Aaron Badgley on May 13, 2022
Fader Quartz Blanc Check Records Fader is a duo, consisting of Neil Arthur (Blancmange/Near Future) and Benge (Wrangler, Creep Show and John Foxx And The Maths). Quartz is their third album, [...]
 
9.0
Diatom Deli

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: DIATOM DELI – TIME~LAPSE NATURE

by Ljubinko Zivkovic on May 13, 2022
Diatom Deli Time~Lapse Nature RVNG International Artist PR’s can really go to extremes, from bare facts to wordy gibberish that praises the artists to heaven with no substantial [...]

Latest Album Reviews
View All
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: VARIOUS ARTISTS – PAY IT ALL BACK VOL. 8
9.0
—
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: FLORENCE + THE MACHINE – DANCE FEVER
10
4.9
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: MASTER BOOT RECORD – PERSONAL COMPUTER
9.0
—
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: FADER – QUARTZ
9.0
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: DIATOM DELI – TIME~LAPSE NATURE
9.0

Tweets by @spillmagazine

SPILL MAGAZINE MENU
  • Home | The Spill Magazine
  • Premieres
  • Track Of The Week
  • Album Reviews
  • Books + Movies
  • Features
  • Live Reviews
  • Festivals
  • Portraits
  • News
  • Events
  • Entertainment Headlines
  • Concert Listings
  • Toronto Concert Venues
  • About Us
  • Contests
  • New Music
  • Spill Magazine Contributors
  • TOTD
  • Privacy Policy
  • The Scene Unseen
  • Newsletter

Copyright © 2022 | The Spill Magazine
All Rights Reserved.

TRENDING RIGHT NOW
   
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE – FASCINATION
716
 
SPILL FEATURE: CRUISE TO THE EDGE 2022 – THIS YEAR’S PROG CRUISE MAKES A LOT OF NOISE. A WHOLE LOT OF NOISE.
566
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: PRIMUS – CONSPIRANOID
421
 
SPILL FEATURE: DANCE TO THE PERFECT MESS – A CONVERSATION WITH CARL MARSH OF SHRIEKBACK
406
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: MEN WITHOUT HATS – AGAIN (PART 2)
322
 
SPILL NEWS: BARENAKED LADIES TO RELEASE LIVE TRACKS FROM SOLD-OUT ROYAL ALBERT HALL SHOW | DELUXE EDITION OF ‘DETOUR DE FORCE’ OUT JUNE 3
320
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS – UNLIMITED LOVE
312
 
SPILL LIVE REVIEW: JERRY CANTRELL w/ LOLA COLETTE @ HISTORY, TORONTO
282
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: TANGERINE DREAM – RAUM
268
 
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: LOST CAT – “L.O.S.T.”
265
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: VR SEX – ROUGH DIMENSION
255
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: PAN AMERICAN – THE PATIENCE FADER
253
 
SPILL NEW MUSIC: VENUS BEMUS RELEASES DEBUT SINGLE “STORMS”
251
ENTERTAINMENT HEADLINES