Simon Green (born 30 March 1976), known by his stage name Bonobo, is a British musician, producer, and DJ based in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

. He debuted with a

trip hop Trip hop (sometimes used synonymously with "downtempo") is a musical genre that originated in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom, especially Bristol. It has been described as a psychedelic music, psychedelic fusion of hip hop music, hip hop ...

aesthetic, and has since explored more upbeat approaches as well as

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

and world music influences. His tranquil

electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...

sound incorporates the use of organic instrumentation, and is recreated by a full band in live performances.

Music career

1999–2009

Green debuted in 1999 on the

Tru Thoughts Tru Thoughts is a British independent record label founded in Brighton in 1999 by Robert Luis and Paul Jonas. Since the acclaimed first album release of Bonobo's debut ''Animal Magic'', the label has put out over 200 LPs, across genres from e ...

compilation ''When Shapes Join Together''. His stage name Bonobo is a reference to the

Bonobo The bonobo (; ''Pan paniscus''), also historically called the pygmy chimpanzee and less often the dwarf chimpanzee or gracile chimpanzee, is an endangered great ape and one of the two species making up the genus '' Pan,'' the other being the comm ...

chimpanzee species. Following the releases of the EP ''Scuba'', released on Brighton based label Fly Casual Recordings, and the single "Terrapin", Bonobo was offered label deals with

XL recordings XL Recordings is a British independent record label founded in 1989 by Tim Palmer and Nick Halkes. It has been ran and co-owned by Richard Russell since 1996. It forms part of the Beggars Group. Although only releasing an average of six album ...

and

Mute records Mute Records is a British independent record label owned and founded in 1978 by Daniel Miller. It has featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Depeche Mode, Erasure, Einstürzende Neubauten, Fad Gadget, Goldfrapp, Grinderm ...

, but he chose to remain in Tru Thoughts. His first album '' Animal Magic'' was released on the same label in 2000 to mixed reviews. Paul Cooper of ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...

'' stated that it "breaks no new ground for chill-out", while ''

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...

'' said Bonobo " howcasessmooth breakbeat loops, synth sounds, and aforementioned dub effects. nd hiselectronic music draws on live playing." Reviewer Dean Carlson also said that the album "slowly takes shape as a solid debut of narcoleptic downtempo." In spite of reactions, ''Animal Magic'' has given Bonobo a cult following. Its accompanying compilation album titled "'' One Offs...''", was issued in 2002 and contains reworked songs and rarities. In 2001, Bonobo was signed to

Coldcut Coldcut are an English electronic music duo composed of Matt Black and Jonathan More. Credited as pioneers for pop sampling in the 1980s, Coldcut are also considered the first stars of UK electronic dance music due to their innovative style, ...

's label

Ninja Tune Ninja Tune is an English independent record label based in London. It has a satellite office in Los Angeles. It was founded by Matt Black and Jonathan More (better known as Coldcut) and managed by Peter Quicke and others. Inspired by a visit ...

and in 2003, he released '' Dial 'M' for Monkey''. John Bush of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

stated in a review that Bonobo's influences were drawn more towards

alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...

and world music rather than hip-hop or trip hop. The album tracks "Pick up" and "Flutter" were featured in the snowboarding game ''

SSX on Tour ''SSX on Tour'' is a snowboarding and skiing game, the fourth title in the '' SSX'' series of video games for the GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox and PlayStation Portable. It was released in North America on October 11, 2005 and in the PAL region o ...

''. In 2005, Bonobo contributed to the ''

Solid Steel ''Solid Steel'' are a series of DJ mix albums issued on Ninja Tune, an independent record label in the UK. ''Solid Steel'' also has a radio station webcast and related live concerts which further showcase the DJing talents of such artists. In 1 ...

'' series, with ''

It Came from the Sea ''It Came from the Sea'' is a DJ mix album, mixed by Bonobo, released as part of the Solid Steel DJ mix series for Ninja Tune Ninja Tune is an English independent record label based in London. It has a satellite office in Los Angeles. It ...

''. The mix features several exclusive tracks as well as remixes and re-edits. His third album, entitled '' Days to Come'', was released on 2 October 2006. An AllMusic review states that " onobobreathes new life into a well-worn genre." With the album as well as his future work, he featured vocalists such as Bajka, thus "adding norganic and vibrant musicality that's rare in electronic music." ''Days to Come'' was voted Best Album of 2006 by

Gilles Peterson Gilles Jérôme Moehrle MBE (; born 28 September 1964), better known as Gilles Peterson (), is a French broadcaster, DJ, and record label owner. He founded the influential labels Acid Jazz and Talkin' Loud, and started his current label Brown ...

's listeners. The song "Nightlite" appeared on '' UEFA Champions League 2006–2007,'' and "Recurring" was used in a surfing film broadcast on ''Fuel TV''.

2010–2015

Glenjamn3 - BONOBO - HELLO DO-OVER CHILL VIBES @ DO-OVER LA - 8

The song "The Keeper" featuring vocals by

Andreya Triana Andreya Triana is a British singer and songwriter, ''Red Bull Music Academy'' alumna and MOBO nominated artist hailing from South East London, Her debut album, '' Lost Where I Belong'' released in September 2010 on London based record label Nin ...

was released in September 2009 as the lead single from his fourth album ''

Black Sands ''Black Sands'' is the fourth studio album by English DJ Bonobo. It was released on 29 March 2010. Artwork The cover features a photograph taken of Derwentwater, in northern England. The tower in the background is located in Castlerigg (). ...

'', released in March 2010. ''A

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...

'' review by Paul Clarke stated that ''"''Green has progressed from predominantly sample-based production to more live instrumentation ndhas become equally adept at mastering ..multi-layered atmospheres.''"'' in the same review, Clarke has also commented that the songs "We Could Forever" "saddles an Afro-inflected guitar and skittish flute to deep sub-bass" and "Kiara" combines "oriental strings with cut-up beats." After their collaboration for ''Black Sands'', Green produced Andreya Triana's debut album ''

Lost Where I Belong ''Lost Where I Belong'' is the first studio album by British singer-songwriter Andreya Triana. It was released on Ninja Tune in 2010. Critical reception Rick Anderson of AllMusic gave the album 4 stars out of 5, describing it as "a debut album ...

''. The song "Kong" was used during a scene in an artist's studio in the eighth episode of the second season of ''

House of Cards A house of cards (also known as a card tower or card castle) is a structure created by stacking playing cards on top of each other, often in the shape of a pyramid. "House of cards" is also an Expression (language), expression that dates back to ...

''. In February 2012, ''Black Sands Remixed'' was released on Ninja Tune, featuring tracks from the original ''Black Sands'' record remixed by electronic producers such as

Machinedrum Travis Stewart, better known as Machinedrum, is an American electronic record producer and performer from North Carolina.Mark Pritchard. The first single off the next Bonobo album, "Cirrus", was given its worldwide debut on

's BBC Radio 6 programme on 19 January 2013. The album is titled ''

The North Borders ''The North Borders'' is the fifth studio album by British musician Bonobo (musician), Bonobo. It was due for release on 1 April 2013, but was released early on 21 March in digital format after a promotional copy was leaked. The album charted a ...

'' and was set for release on 1 April 2013, but was released early in its digital format after a promotional copy was leaked prior to the planned launch date. ''The North Borders'' marked his first UK and US album chart entries, where they respectively reached numbers 34 and 122. The track "Cirrus" was featured as the closing song of the pilot episode for the

AMC AMC may refer to: Film and television * AMC Theatres, an American movie theater chain * AMC Networks, an American entertainment company ** AMC (TV channel) ** AMC+, streaming service ** AMC Networks International, an entertainment company *** AM ...

show ''Halt and Catch Fire''. He produced the song, "Pulls" by

DELS Kieren Gallear also known as DELS (pronounced "Dels") is a British art director, recording artist, rapper, graphics designer and filmmaker born in Ipswich, England, currently based in London. Gallear signed with the Ninja Tune imprint Big Dada ...

for his 2014 album ''

Petals Have Fallen ''Petals Have Fallen'' is the second album by DELS. It was released through Ninja Tune imprint, Big Dada Big Dada is a British independent record label imprint distributed by Ninja Tune. It was started by reputed hip hop journalist Will Ash ...

'', which was released under

Big Dada Big Dada is a British independent record label imprint distributed by Ninja Tune. It was started by reputed hip hop journalist Will Ashon in 1997. It is best known for marketing of prominent British hip hop artist Roots Manuva, poet and playwri ...

; a sister label of Ninja Tune.

2016–present

Bonobo released his sixth album, ''

Migration Migration, migratory, or migrate may refer to: Human migration * Human migration, physical movement by humans from one region to another ** International migration, when peoples cross state boundaries and stay in the host state for some minimum le ...

'', in January 2017. In an interview with ''Billboard'', Bonobo said that he conceived the album from "living and being in various locations", as he toured extensively and did not "have a home base for about a year". The album and the track Bambro Koyo Ganda have been nominated for the

60th Annual Grammy Awards The 60th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on January 28, 2018. The CBS network broadcast the show live from Madison Square Garden in New York City. The show was moved to January to avoid coinciding with the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongc ...

for Best Dance Recording and Best Dance/Electronic Album. The album peaked higher in the UK chart (number 5) and in the US (number 59). In 2018, Bonobo's "Migration" album also won Album of the Year at the 2017

Electronic Music Awards The Electronic Music Awards is a music award show focused on electronic music genres that debuted on September 21, 2017 in Los Angeles. It was created by Paul Oakenfold and entertainment company Hunt & Crest and produced by Live L!ve Media. The sho ...

and Bonobo was also nominated for Live Act of the Year. On 1 July 2019, Bonobo released a new song, "Linked", online. "Linked" was later nominated for

Best Dance Recording The Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Recording (formerly known as Best Dance Recording) is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists f ...

at the

62nd Grammy Awards The 62nd Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on January 26, 2020, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. It recognized the best recordings, compositions, and artists of the eligibility year, running from October 1, 2018, to August 31, 2019. Ali ...

, but lost to "Got to Keep On" by

The Chemical Brothers The Chemical Brothers are an English electronic music duo formed by Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons in Manchester in 1989. They were pioneers (along with the Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, the Crystal Method, and other acts) in bringing the big beat genre t ...

. The following year, Bonobo remixed

Michael Kiwanuka Michael Samuel Kiwanuka (born 3 May 1987) is a British singer-songwriter and record producer who is signed with Polydor Records. His 2012 debut album, '' Home Again'', went gold in the United Kingdom and his second album, '' Love & Hate'', debu ...

's song "Final Days". Bonobo's seventh studio album '' Fragments'' was released on 14 January 2022. Five singles were released ahead of the album's release. The first single, "Rosewood", debuted on 6 October 2021, followed by "Tides" on 20 October 2021, a collaboration with

Jamila Woods Jamila Woods (born October 6, 1989) is a Chicago-based American singer, songwriter and poet. Woods is a graduate of St. Ignatius College Prep and Brown University, where she received a BA in Africana Studies and Theater & Performance Studies. H ...

. A third single, "Otomo", was released on 10 November 2021, a collaboration with O'Flynn, followed by "Shadows", with

Jordan Rakei Jordan Rakei (born 23 May 1992) is a New Zealand-Australian musician, singer, songwriter and record producer currently based in London, United Kingdom. Rakei has also released and performed under the moniker Dan Kye. Early life Rakei was born in ...

, on the 1st of December. The fifth and final single, "From You", with Joji, was released on 3 January 2022.

Musical style

Bonobo's sound is oriented on beats and samples but typically "soothing", combining influences ranging from club music to world music. ''

'' named him a key figure in the 2000s

downtempo Downtempo (or downbeat) is a broad label for electronic music that features an atmospheric sound and slower beats than would typically be found in dance music. Closely related to ambient music but with greater emphasis on rhythm, the style may ...

electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that started in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mostly used to r ...

scene while ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' associated him with the recent popularity of "

ambient Ambient or Ambiance or Ambience may refer to: Music and sound * Ambience (sound recording), also known as atmospheres or backgrounds * Ambient music, a genre of music that puts an emphasis on tone and atmosphere * ''Ambient'' (album), by Moby * ...

world electronica". While his earliest work was firmly based in

, his style soon became more upbeat and delved into genres such as

(which has led him to be described as a

nu jazz Nu jazz (also known as jazztronica, or future jazz) is a genre of jazz and electronic music. The music blends jazz elements with other musical styles, such as funk, electronic music, and free improvisation.Definition from Sergey Chernov, June 7, ...

artist) and traditional

Indian music Owing to India's vastness and diversity, Indian music encompasses numerous genres in multiple varieties and forms which include classical music, folk (Bollywood), rock, and pop. It has a history spanning several millennia and developed ove ...

. He has collaborated with various artists, including Bajka,

Erykah Badu Erica Abi Wright (born February 26, 1971), known professionally as Erykah Badu (), is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Influenced by rhythm and blues, R&B, Soul music, soul, and hip hop, Badu rose to prominence in the ...

, and

Rhye Rhye is an R&B musical project of Canadian singer Mike Milosh. It originally consisted of him and Danish instrumentalist Robin Hannibal. They released the singles "Open" and "The Fall" online without much detail, which led to speculation about ...

who contributed vocals to songs on his last four albums '' Days to Come'', ''

'', ''

'', and ''

'', respectively. He also performed with Robert Luis of the

label under the aliases Nirobi and Barakas. Whilst often touring solo, and performing DJ sets and residencies, in 2010 Bonobo opted to start touring with a full band for the ''Black Sands'' tour. The band plays live renditions of studio material, with a singer, keyboardist, guitarist, saxophonist, string section, electronics, and drummer, often with improvisations and solos. His albums employ sampling, for example 'Behind the Light' (from Pick Up EP, 2003) uses a clip of 'Judy' from

John Renbourn John Renbourn (8 August 1944 – 26 March 2015) was an English guitarist and songwriter. He was best known for his collaboration with guitarist Bert Jansch as well as his work with the folk group Pentangle, although he maintained a solo care ...

Discography

Albums

Live albums and EPs

* '' Live Sessions'' (2005) * ''The North Borders Tour - Live'' (2014)

Singles and EPs

* ''Scuba'' EP (2000) * ''Terrapin'' EP (2000) * ''Silver'' EP (2000) * ''The Shark'' EP (2000) * ''Kota'' EP (2002) * ''Pick Up'' EP (2003) * ''Flutter'' EP (2003) * "Nightlite" / "If You Stayed Over" (2006) * "Nightlite" (Zero dB Reconstruction/Bonobo Remixes) (2006) * ''The Keeper'' (featuring

) EP (2009) * "Stay the Same" (featuring Andreya Triana) (2009) * "Eyesdown" (featuring Andreya Triana) (2010) * "

Cirrus Cirrus may refer to: Science *Cirrus (biology), any of various thin, thread-like structures on the body of an animal *Cirrus (botany), a tendril *Infrared cirrus, in astronomy, filamentary structures seen in infrared light *Cirrus cloud, a type ...

" (2013) * "First Fires" (featuring Grey Reverend) (2013) * ''Ten Tigers'' EP (2014) * ''The Flashlight'' EP (2014) * ''Bambro Koyo Ganda'' EP (2017) * "Ibrik" (2019) * "Linked" (2019) * "Heartbreak" (with

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs Orlando Tobias Edward Higginbottom (born 7 March 1986), known professionally as Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs (or TEED), is a British electronic music producer, DJ and singer-songwriter based in the United States. Early life Orlando is ...

) (2020) * "Loom" (with

Ólafur Arnalds Ólafur Arnalds (; born 3 November 1986) is an Icelandic multi-instrumentalist and producer from Mosfellsbær, Iceland. He mixes strings and piano with loops and beats, a sound ranging from ambient/electronic to atmospheric pop. He is also the ...

) (2020) * "6000 Ft." (with

) (2020) * "Rosewood" (2021) * "Tides" (featuring

) (2021) * "Otomo" (featuring O'Flynn) (2021) * "Shadows" (featuring

) (2021) * "From You" (featuring Joji) (2022) * "ATK" (2022) * "Defender" (2022)

Remix albums

* ''One Offs, Remixes & B-Sides'' (2002) * ''Black Sands Remixed'' (2012)

Other albums

* ''Sweetness'' (2002) * '' Solid Steel Presents: It Came from the Sea'' (2005) * '' Late Night Tales: Bonobo'' (2013) * ''fabric presents: Bonobo'' (2019)

DVDs

* ''Live at Koko'' (2009) * ''The North Borders Tour - Live'' (2014)

References

External links

* *
Bonobo interview for Clash magazine, September 2006

Profile at rcrdlbl.com

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bonobo 1976 births British trip hop musicians Downtempo musicians English electronic musicians English DJs English record producers Living people Musicians from Brighton and Hove Ninja Tune artists Nu jazz musicians