Cirrus (song)
{{Short description|Single by Bonobo}}
{{for|the Pink Floyd song|Cirrus Minor (song)}}
{{EngvarB|date=February 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2014}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Cirrus
| cover = "Cirrus" cover art.jpg
| alt =
| caption = CD cover art
| type = single
| artist = Bonobo
| album = The North Borders
| released = 2013
| format =
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Instrumental
| label = Ninja Tune{{cite AV media notes | others=Bonobo | title=The North Borders | publisher=Ninja Tune | type=booklet | year=2013 | location=London}}
| writer = Bonobo
| producer = Bonobo
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title =
| next_year =
| misc = {{Audio sample
| type = single
| file = Cirrus (Bonobo) sample.ogg
| description = "Cirrus"
}}
}}
"Cirrus" is a 2013 instrumental performed, written and produced by British musician, producer and DJ Bonobo. Released as the first single from his fifth studio album The North Borders, the song did not chart but in 2014 the song was featured in a Vodafone advert. The song premiered on Giles Peterson's BBC Radio 6 show on 19 January 2013. It was released on 1 April 2013 worldwide and on 2 April 2013 in North America.
Composition
"Cirrus" was performed, written and produced by Bonobo. The song contains complicated drum patterns and live instrumentation.
Release and reception
The song was released as the first single from his fifth studio album The North Borders.{{cite web | url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/mw0002492374 | title=Review: The North Borders | publisher=AllMusic | access-date=9 July 2013 | last=Jeffries | first=David}} It premiered on Gilles Peterson's BBC Radio 6 show on 19 January 2013.{{cite web | url=http://lamaisondeballons.com/bonobo-cirrus-2/ | title=Bonobo – 'Cirrus' | work=House of Balloons | date=January 2014 | access-date=6 January 2014 | author=Ruff, Megan Jean | location=London | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222170654/http://lamaisondeballons.com/bonobo-cirrus-2/ | archive-date=22 February 2014 | url-status=dead }} The track was released on 1 April 2013 worldwide and on 2 April 2013 in North America.{{cite web | url=https://www.theverge.com/2013/1/26/3919126/Watch-cirrus-bonobo-and-cyriaks-trippy-music-video | title=Animation and music collide in 'Cirrus,' Bonobo and Cyriak's incredibly trippy music video | publisher=Vox Media | work=The Verge | date=26 January 2013 | access-date=27 March 2014 | author=Streams, Kimber}} Although the song did not chart, the song was featured in a Vodafone advert in 2014.{{cite web | url=http://www.tvadmusic.co.uk/2014/01/vodafone-winter-sale/ | title=Vodafone – Winter Sale | publisher=TV Ad Music | date=20 January 2014 | access-date=27 March 2014 | author=Staff writer "Paul" | location=United Kingdom}} The song has also appeared in ads for Google's DevArt initiative and on AMC's Halt and Catch Fire
The song has been met with positive critical reception. A writer for Fact magazine called the track "a twinkling slice of fairy-light house", noting it to be "delicate" while also containing a "slightly steelier edge" that deviates from his style.{{cite web | url=http://www.factmag.com/2013/01/23/bonobo-drops-new-single-plus-probable-album-countdown/ | title=Bonobo drops new single (plus probable album countdown) | publisher=The Vinyl Factory | work=Fact | date=23 January 2013 | access-date=2 May 2014 | location=United Kingdom}} Jason Grishkoff from Indie Shuffle found the song "pursuing the same sound" of his previous four albums, characterizing it as "absolutely perfect" for San Francisco rain.{{cite web | url=http://www.indieshuffle.com/bonobo-cirrus/ | title=What's so good? | publisher=Townsquare Media | work=Indie Shuffle | date=24 January 2013 | access-date=6 January 2014 | author=Grishkoff, Jason}} Phillip Yung of Earmilk stated the track "immediately" gives the listener "a spacey organic feel" and found the slide bass during the middle to give it "much anticipated weight",{{cite web | url=http://www.earmilk.com/2013/01/24/bonobo-cirrus-audio-video/ | title=Bonobo – 'Cirrus' [Audio + Video] | work=Earmilk | date=24 January 2014 | access-date=6 January 2014 | author=Yung, Phillip | location=Queens}} while Amy Heaton of Kaltblut magazine wrote the song was "the perfect soundtrack" to come out of hibernation to, calling it "one big loop of elation".{{cite web | url=http://www.kaltblut-magazine.com/bonobo-cirrus/ | title=Bonobo – Cirrus! | work=Kaltblut Magazine | date=20 May 2013 | access-date=6 January 2014 | author=Heaton, Amy | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140107213558/http://www.kaltblut-magazine.com/bonobo-cirrus/ | archive-date=7 January 2014 | url-status=dead }}
Music video
File:American Thrift opening title.jpg
A music video was created for the song by Cyriak on 24 January 2013.{{cite web | url=http://bonobomusic.com/news/cirrus-video | title=Cirrus Video | date=1 March 2013 | access-date=7 January 2014 | author=Bonobo | author-link=Bonobo (musician) | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140108001858/http://bonobomusic.com/news/cirrus-video | archive-date=8 January 2014 | url-status=dead }} The video manipulates footage from American Thrift, a public domain film from 1962 depicting American consumerism.{{cite web | url=https://archive.org/details/bonobocirrus | title=Bonobo Cirrus Official Video (2013) | publisher=Internet Archive | date=26 February 2013 | access-date=27 March 2014 | author=Cyriak | author-link=Cyriak | location=San Francisco, California}}{{cite web | url=http://motionographer.com/2013/01/28/cyriak-bonobo-cirrus/ | title=Cyriak: Bonobo 'Cirrus' | work=Motionagrapher | date=28 January 2013 | access-date=8 January 2014 | author=Cone, Justin}} Cyriak borrowed inspiration from Zbigniew Rybczyński's film Tango,{{cite web | url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/cyriaks-video-for-bonobos-cirrus-is-a-cascading-visual-mantra/ | title=Cyriak's Video For Bonobo's 'Cirrus' Is A Cascading Visual Mantra | publisher=Vice Media | work=The Creators Project | date=28 January 2013 | access-date=27 March 2014 | author=Holmes, Kevin | location=Montreal}} and obtained the film through the Prelinger Archives through the Internet Archive, calling it "a goldmine for us video artists." The video is 3:23 in length, and, {{as of|2020|06|lc=y}}, has been viewed over 15 million times on YouTube.{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WF34N4gJAKE | title=Bonobo: Cirrus [Official Video] | publisher=YouTube | date=24 January 2013 | access-date=27 November 2014 | author=Bonobo | author-link=Bonobo (musician) | location=San Bruno, California}}
Critical reception for the video has been positive; Kimber Streams of The Verge called it "beautifully surreal", whereas Oli Kruscher of DropoutUK said that it "would slot smoothly into Monty Python's world [and] will take you on a mind-bending trip".{{cite web | url=http://www.dropoutuk.com/music/9468/video-bonobo-cirrus.html | title=Video: Bonobo 'Cirrus' | work=DropoutUK | date=25 January 2013 | access-date=6 January 2014 | author=Kuscher, Oli | location=London | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140107211651/http://www.dropoutuk.com/music/9468/video-bonobo-cirrus.html | archive-date=7 January 2014 | url-status=dead }} Andrew Tarantola of Gizmodo reckoned it would be "what doing acid with the Beav would be like".{{cite web | url=https://gizmodo.com/5979730/bonobo-cirrus | title=Bonobo: Cirrus | publisher=Gawker Media | work=Gizmodo | date=29 January 2013 | access-date=6 January 2014 | author=Tarantola, Andrew}}
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|artist=Bonobo|title=Cirrus|award=Silver|type=single|relyear=2013|certyear=2024|accessdate=2 September 2024|id=20295-4277-1}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true|nosales=true|noshipments=true}}