In recent years, the face of the mainstream electronic music has not represented the nuance of the genre. DJs can get rich spinning formulaic tracks packed with as much bass as possible. While no one is denying the satisfaction a drop can bring, it can be disappointing to see subtlety absent from what has potential to be an intricate musical style. Bonobo’s latest release, “Migration,” is a much-welcome sigh of relief for the genre as a whole. With the widespread success of the artist’s prior 2013 album, “The North Borders,” many were expecting his latest release to largely play to his strengths while not bringing anything new to the table. Thankfully, the naysayers were wrong.
On his latest album, Bonobo has refined his personal style of songwriting to its sharpest form yet. While no one could deny Bonobo’s impeccable production on prior releases, songs would occasionally drag past what their initial energy could sustain. Each track was lush, but could be an onerous listen. In “Migration,” each track has a more tangible progression, resulting in a more substantial experience.
“Outlier,” the third song on the album, flows from one form to the next while maintaining an understated core identity throughout. The track’s essence migrates, much like the name of the album would suggest. As the track progresses, drum beats fade into the background as a driving synth line takes over.
“No Reason,” a more brooding track at the end of the album, exhibits an equally satisfying progression. Trancelike bass kicks form the scaffolding of the track, over which guest singer Nick Murphy’s voice interplays softly with arpeggiated synths. Right as the listener has been totally hypnotized, Bonobo lets the energy of the track boil over in an enormous ending section. Motion is an unendingly pervasive theme on “Migration.” Each track is fluid. Bonobo’s latest work is aptly named.
Just as impressive as the songwriting on “Migration” is the sound engineering. Bonobo draws from a wide range of sources, digital and otherwise, to produce a textured soundscape that seldom fails to surprise. Tracks like “7th Sevens” rely on glitchy, syncopated beats and a particularly jarring array of sounds. A given track could feature anything from a hang drum to a modulated synth. Yet somehow, Bonobo harmoniously balances this symbiosis between the natural and the digital. The sound of the album is decidedly organic and open, like the sonic equivalent of a sweeping landscape.
Bonobo has outdone himself in every way on “Migration.” His songwriting has been sharpened to its finest point yet, while his production acumen remains as evident as ever. This release shows the most beautiful, complex facets of electronic music just as they should be seen.
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