Bonobo
Migration

The migratory phenomenon is not just a hot geopolitical issue worldwide, a hot potato in the hands of various rulers, with constant flows that need to be governed and managed increasingly in an emergency in an exasperated internal social context.
There is another migration, less massive and quieter, which is that of the self, growing and feeling the need to land in a new harbor by cutting the moorings with the old land made of traditions, old faces, and bittersweet memories. Often, the migration is merely a journey that flows through the mind's own streams without covering any physical distance.
The latest diaspora of Simon Greene, known as Bonobo, is a journey where the musical dimension meets the human one, in a blend of the most diverse places and musical experiences. Bonobo's latest work starts from this premise, trying to compare different cultures embracing diverse traditions within the eclectic electronic universe.

It can be stated that, despite the abundance of offerings on "Migration," this is not the album that will change your opinion of the British-born DJ based in Los Angeles. Besides, my opinion about Bonobo changes little, even recognizing his talent. After all, the best moments in the past were those more minimal-instrumental-jazz rather than the chart or club house atmospheres.
And Simon, who certainly doesn't lack ambition, doesn't quite manage to fully convince despite "Migration" boasting a couple of spots that emanate excellent vibrations with very inspired instrumental airy symphonies: the liquid atmosphere felt within the title track with a backdrop of distant melancholic vocal echoes, which features a piano collaboration by Jon Hopkins, is sublime. I can't get out of my head that if the album had been entirely played, we would be talking about something else. On the other hand, the British DJ's skill lies primarily in managing to create at times, without forgoing dynamism, evocative ethereal carpets upon which to soar.
Indeed, it's the more ambient moments like "Kerala" and "Ontario" with their tropical aftertaste, "Second Sun" and the substantial "Outlier" (which produces an excellent beach beat) that bring out a visionary and natural aesthetic rather than the predictable pop features with various Rhye, Nicole Miglis, and Nick Murphy. The only truly successful collaboration is with the North African group Innow Gwana on "Bambro Koyo Ganda," which brings to life a happy and unusual ethnic-tribal experiment with a feverish loop, while the samples of "Grains" emit a strong sense of warmth and gathering.

The final judgment must ultimately contend with this dual color palette of the "Migration" project, between magnificent visions and landscapes on one side and predictable flattening on the song form on the other. Many figures on the field, a couple of classy numbers, certainly more than sufficient, but it could have dared even more by avoiding compromises.