Bonobo (musician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bonobo
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Bonobo in 2017
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Simon Green |
| Also known as | Barakas |
| Born | 30 March 1976 |
| Origin | Brighton, England |
| Genres |
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| Years active | 1999–present |
| Labels | Ninja Tune, Tru Thoughts |
Simon Green (born March 30, 1976), known as Bonobo, is an English musician, producer, and DJ. He lives in Los Angeles. His music started with a trip hop style. Over time, he explored more upbeat sounds. He also added influences from jazz and world music.
Bonobo's electronic sound uses real instruments. When he performs live, a full band plays his music.
Contents
Bonobo's Music Journey
Early Years (1999–2009)
Simon Green started his music career in 1999. His first songs appeared on a collection called When Shapes Join Together. He chose the name Bonobo after the great ape.
After releasing a few songs, Bonobo signed with the record label Ninja Tune in 2001. His first album, Animal Magic, came out in 2000. Some people thought it was a good start for his calm, electronic style. This album helped him gain many fans.
In 2003, he released his second album, Dial 'M' for Monkey. This album showed more influences from alternative rock and world music. Some songs from this album were even used in the snowboarding game SSX on Tour.
Bonobo released his third album, Days to Come, in 2006. This album brought new life to electronic music. He started working with singers like Bajka. This made his music feel more natural and lively. Fans of radio host Gilles Peterson voted Days to Come the Best Album of 2006.
Growing Success (2010–2015)
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In 2009, Bonobo released "The Keeper." This song featured vocals by Andreya Triana. It was the first song from his fourth album, Black Sands, which came out in March 2010. This album showed that Bonobo was using more live instruments in his music. He became very good at creating many layers of sound.
After working together on Black Sands, Bonobo helped produce Andreya Triana's first album. A song called "Kong" from Black Sands was used in the TV show House of Cards.
In 2012, Bonobo released Black Sands Remixed. This album featured new versions of his songs by other electronic music producers.
His next album, The North Borders, was released in 2013. It was his first album to appear on the music charts in the UK and the US. The song "Cirrus" from this album was featured in the TV show Halt and Catch Fire.
Recent Work (2016–Present)
Bonobo's sixth album, Migration, was released in January 2017. He said he got ideas for the album from traveling a lot. The album and one of its songs, "Bambro Koyo Ganda," were nominated for Grammy Awards in 2018. The album reached number 5 on the UK charts. In 2018, Migration won Album of the Year at the Electronic Music Awards.
In 2019, Bonobo released a new song called "Linked." This song was also nominated for a Grammy Award. The next year, he remixed a song by Michael Kiwanuka.
Bonobo's seventh studio album, Fragments, came out on January 14, 2022. Five songs were released before the album. These included "Tides" with Jamila Woods and "From You" with Joji.
In 2023, Bonobo was nominated for a Brit Award for British Dance Act. He also helped create music for the Japanese anime TV series Lazarus, which is set to be released in 2025.
Bonobo's Music Style
Bonobo's music focuses on beats and samples. It often sounds very "soothing." His style mixes different influences, from club sounds to world music.
He is known as an important artist in the downtempo electronica music scene. While his early music was trip hop, his style became more upbeat. He explored genres like jazz (which led to him being called a nu jazz artist) and traditional Indian music.
Bonobo has worked with many singers. These include Bajka, Andreya Triana, Erykah Badu, and Rhye. They have added vocals to many of his songs.
Besides his solo work, Simon Green has also performed as Nirobi and Barakas.
Even though he often performs DJ sets by himself, Bonobo started touring with a full band in 2010. This band plays live versions of his studio songs. The group includes a singer, keyboard player, guitarist, saxophonist, string section, electronics, and a drummer. They often add improvisations and solos to their performances.
Albums and Songs
| Releases | ||
|---|---|---|
| ↙Studio albums | 7 | |
| ↙Live albums | 2 | |
| ↙Extended plays | 11 | |
| ↙Singles | 27 | |
| ↙Remix albums | 2 | |
| ↙Other albums | 3 | |
Studio Albums
- Animal Magic (2000)
- Dial 'M' for Monkey (2003)
- Days to Come (2006)
- Black Sands (2010)
- The North Borders (2013) - Reached number 34 in the UK.
- Migration (2017) - Reached number 5 in the UK.
- Fragments (2022) - Reached number 5 in the UK.
Other Music Releases
- EPs:
- Scuba (2000)
- Terrapin (2000)
- Silver (2000)
- The Shark (2000)
- Kota (2002)
- Pick Up (2003)
- Flutter (2003)
- The Keeper (featuring Andreya Triana) (2009)
- Ten Tigers (2014)
- The Flashlight (2014)
- Bambro Koyo Ganda (2017)
- Live Albums:
- Live Sessions (2005)
- The North Borders Tour – Live (2014)
- 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)
- Lazarus (Adult Swim Original Series Soundtrack) (2025)
- Singles:
- "Nightlite" (2006)
- "Stay the Same" (featuring Andreya Triana) (2009)
- "Eyesdown" (featuring Andreya Triana) (2010)
- "Cirrus" (2013)
- "First Fires" (featuring Grey Reverend) (2013)
- "Ibrik" (2019)
- "Linked" (2019)
- "Heartbreak" (with Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs) (2020)
- "Loom" (with Ólafur Arnalds) (2020)
- "6000 Ft." (with Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs) (2020)
- "Rosewood" (2021)
- "Tides" (featuring Jamila Woods) (2021)
- "Otomo" (featuring O'Flynn) (2021)
- "Shadows" (featuring Jordan Rakei) (2021)
- "From You" (featuring Joji) (2022)
- "ATK" (2022)
- "Defender" (2022)
- "Fold" (with Jacques Greene) (2023)
- DVDs:
- Live at Koko (2009)
- The North Borders Tour – Live (2014)
See also
In Spanish: Bonobo (artista) para niños
- List of ambient music artists
