Downtempo subgenre of electronic music has been experiencing a lot of success over the past years, as it develops and progresses. Besides its obvious influence on mainstream, the genre is evolving within itself while being mix with music from all over the world. Thanks to the great releases by Jon Hopkins, Nicolas Jaar, Four Tet and Jamie Xx, there are a lot of expectations attached to this genre. At the beginning of this year, we have got the sixth studio album by one of the most prominent representatives of the scene.
British DJ and producer Simon Green, aka Bonobo, delivered the most eclectic release in his career yet titled Migration. Four years after the fantastic The North Border, his current work does not have anything to do with the global problems we are facing at the moment. It is more a personal story about his transition to Los Angeles. Due to numerous and frequent tours and travels, Green is trying to deconstruct what home means.
High quality production was never a question with Bonobo, and now he is playing with diverse music influences from all over the world, which gives him a dose of exotic vibe. The first single Kerala is inspired by the music of the region in India, while Bombro Koyo Ganda brings elements of Arabian dance music from Morocco.
There are also vast dancefloor moments on the album, including Outlier and 7th Sevens. Ontario is a hybrid of post-rock and orchestrated jazz, while Grains and Second Sun are meditative and chill numbers. The biggest appearance is certainly that from Nick Murphy, aka Chet Faker on No Reason.
Migration cemented Bonobo’s status as one of the most important downtempo producers in this century. It is also another evidence that his creativity knows no limits.
