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''Migration'' is the sixth
studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...
by British DJ and
record producer A record producer or music producer is a music creating project's overall supervisor whose responsibilities can involve a range of creative and technical leadership roles. Typically the job involves hands-on oversight of recording sessions; ensu ...
Simon Green, performing under the name
Bonobo The bonobo (; ''Pan paniscus''), also historically called the pygmy chimpanzee (less often the dwarf chimpanzee or gracile chimpanzee), is an endangered great ape and one of the two species making up the genus ''Pan (genus), Pan'' (the other bei ...
. It was released on 13 January 2017 through Ninja Tune. The album was recorded primarily on laptops rather than in a studio. It was supported by the release of several singles, including "Kerala". The album received generally positive reviews from critics and charted internationally, reaching the top five of the UK Albums Chart.


Background

''Migration'' was primarily written and recorded while Green was still on tour for his previous album, '' The North Borders''. After the completion of the tour, Green completed a move from
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
to the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. The move, as well as the travelling for the tour and the deaths of some family members, led Green to contemplate on themes of identity, migration, and the environment. Because the tour for ''The North Borders'' consisted of approximately 175 shows across three continents for about eighteen months, the music for ''Migration'' was mainly created on a laptop as opposed to the studio environments of Green's previous albums.


Artwork

Neil Krug served as the art director for the album. Green had tasked Krug to create artwork that was "beautifully sinister". Krug and Green decided that the artwork should be ambiguous and tease a thematically darker narrative. As a result, the artwork, which was captured in four hours, depicts the " Martian" landscapes of the Mojave Desert. The images were then digitally manipulated to add as much colour as possible "without being ridiculous".


Release

The lead single, "Kerala", was released on 3 November 2016. The music video features Gemma Arterton attempting to run away from a meteor in a London suburb. "Break Apart" was released next on 6 December 2016. The third single, "No Reason", was released on 10 January 2017. The album was released by Ninja Tune on 13 January 2017. As of 12 July 2017, ''Migration'' has sold 16,000 copies in the United States. An alternative music video for "Break Apart" was released on 25 October 2017.


Critical reception

Upon release, ''Migration'' received positive reviews by
music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on ...
. At
Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 77, based on twenty reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception. Stephen Worthy of '' Mixmag'' called the album a "music-making masterclass" and praised its political themes and undertones. Writing for ''
Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly ''Exclaim!'' print magazine publishes seven ...
'', Daryl Keating also highlighted the album's thematic elements: "Bonobo questions the very nature of home... The result is an extremely reflective record, just a few shades more tranquil than his last two albums, but easily matching their well-produced splendour." Some reviewers criticised the album for being unenterprising and too similar to Green's previous album, ''The North Borders''. Andrew Ryce of ''
Resident Advisor ''Resident Advisor'' (also known as ''RA'') is an online music magazine and community platform established in 2001 and dedicated to showcasing electronic music, artists and events across the globe. Its editorial team provides news, music and ev ...
'' contrasted the album's themes with its cautious style, writing, "But rather than taking his sound anywhere, ''Migration'' stays put." In a mixed review for '' The Observer'', Emily Mackay similarly criticised the album, calling it "a sonically rich album, perfect for gazing dreamily out of windows at passing landscapes, even if it doesn't reach any new destinations".


Accolades

''Migration'' was nominated for Best Dance/Electronic Album at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards, though the award ultimately went to Kraftwerk for '' 3-D The Catalogue''. The lead track "Bambro Koyo Ganda" was nominated for Best Dance Recording, which was ultimately won by LCD Soundsystem for " Tonite". The album won the Album of the Year award at the 2017 Electronic Music Awards.


Track listing


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


References

{{Authority control 2017 albums Bonobo (musician) albums Ninja Tune albums