Bonobo is Simon Green, the Brighton-born producer and DJ whose lush downtempo and jazz-flecked electronics have made him a Ninja Tune mainstay. Black Sands (2010) is the classic entry point, and Migration (2017) and Fragments (2022) push the sound toward the dance floor. Shop Bonobo vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
Simon Green, performing as Bonobo, was born in Brighton, England on March 30, 1976. He signed with Tru Thoughts for his debut album Animal Magic (2000), then moved to Ninja Tune, where he has remained throughout his career. He is based in Los Angeles. His live performances feature a full ensemble including string and horn players, with the live show widely cited as a defining contemporary electronic concert experience.
Bonobo's sound combines downtempo, electronic, ambient, trip hop, and dance music with live instrumentation, jazz and soul samples, and atmospheric production. His more recent albums (Migration, Fragments) have incorporated more dance-oriented and house-influenced material alongside his core downtempo and ambient approach.
Ninja Tune pressings of the Bonobo catalog have been issued in multiple variants and anniversary editions. Black Sands and Migration in particular have had extensive reissue campaigns.
Listeners new to Bonobo typically start with Black Sands (2010) or Migration (2017).
