introduction
In this article, you will be introduced to a talented musician and musical artist who used the name of a special and endangered species of primate for an artist name.
We shall take a look at who this artist is, what genre on music he makes, and his musical career.
who or what is Bonobo?
There are two kinds of Bonobo in the world. There is the endangered species of great ape (one of the two species making up the genus Pan, the other being the common chimpanzee). And then there is the musician, producer and DJ known as Bonobo.
the sound of Bonobo
Bonobo’s music has been associated to ‘ambient world electronica’, however, the earliest music was said to be firmly based on ‘trip-hop’.
The musical style has come a long way from the early days. Bonobo’s style quickly developed into upbeat areas such as jazz, for which he has been described as ‘nu-jazz’.
The evolution in musical style can be heard throughout the history of Bonobo’s music. You will notice the development, incorporating many styles and influences – particularly on the “Migration” album – to what we hear today with the new music “Expander.”
expander
This latest piece of music by Bonobo – “Expander” – we can hear melodically organic vocals and deep synthesizer sounds beautifully woven together with fast-paced drums. The resulting combination gives a club dance-floor feel to the music no matter where you are.
“Expander” gained popularity after Bonobo played it at the well-known Glastonbury festival in England (UK) and has been a huge hit this summer on the dance music scene.
This is another demonstration of Bonobo’s ability to cross genres and environments. What we hear today may be aimed at the big environment dance-floor, however, Bonobo’s styles has taken a colourful journey from start to present.
Follow me back in time, as we look through the musical career of Bonobo, and discover the transformation of this artist and his expression through music.
musical career
Bonobo, who’s real name is Simon Green, was born on the thirtieth of March in nineteen-seventy-six, and grew up in a era when electronic music was becoming more popular and the start or clubbing culture.
debut
Bonobo has been on the music scene for quite some time. Around nineteen-ninety-nine, Bonobo debuted on a compilation and shortly after released “Terrapin”, which caught him some attention. Following the song “Terrapin,” Bonobo released his first album, “Animal Magic.”
signed to ninja tune
The album received some criticism, nonetheless, it clearly impress the people at Ninja Tune music label, as the following year Simon Green signed to the renowned independent music label. Two years later, Bonobo released his second album, “Dial M For Monkey”, which received praise and is said to have drawn more influences from alternative rock, rather than hip-hop or trip-hop.
“days to come”
In October two-thousand and six, Bonobo released a third album, “Days To Come”, that received positive reviews as “breathing new life into a worn genre.” The album features vocalist, Bajka, who is said to “[add an] organic and vibrant musicality that is rare in electronic music.” Two songs from the album that received particular attention were “Nightlife” and “Recurring”.
“black sands”
In September twenty-ten, his fourth album, “Black Sands”, was released with the lead song, “The Keeper” featuring beautiful warm vocals by Andreya Triana. In a review of the album by critic, Paul Clarke, stated that “Green has progressed from predominantly sample-based production to more live instrumentation [and] has become equally adept at mastering […] multi-layered atmospheres.”
After the collaboration between Simon and Andreya, Bonobo produce the debut album by Andreya, titled “Lost Where I Belong”
It was in twenty-ten and the release of the “Black Sands” album that Bonobo opted to start touring with a full band for the Black Sands tour. The group plays live renditions of studio material, with a singer, keyboardist, guitarist, saxophonist, string section, electronics, and drummer, often with improvisations and solos.
In February twenty-twelve, a remix album of “Black Sands” was released on Ninja Tune we a collection of contributing artists, Floating Point being one name.
“migration”
At the start of twenty-seventeen, Bonobo released a sixth album named, “Migration,” which Simon said he created the album “from living and moving around” while on tour and “did not have a home base for about a year.” The album and the track “Bambro Koyo Ganda” were nominated at the twenty-eighteen Grammy Awards for Best Dance/Electronic Album and Best Dance Recording, respectively. The song peaked at number 5 on the UK chart and 59 in the US. In 2018, it won Album of the Year at the Electronic Music Awards, and the artist was nominated for Live Act of the Year.
“fragments”
Bonobo’s seventh studio album, “Fragments” was released on 14 January 2022, with five singles issued ahead of its release; “Rosewood,” “Tides,” “Otomo,” and “Shadows.”
the best of Bonobo
Listen to the best of Bonobo playlist to discover more great music.
