Bonobo

Crafting soulful electronica with sparse, hypnotic atmospherics, Simon Green (born March 30, 1976 in Brighton, UK) embraces every genre from jazz and hip-hop to folk in his melodic, blissful soundscapes. Taking the moniker Bonobo (a type of chimpanzee), he started DJing and producing in Brighton and was compared to the likes of Air and Royksopp when debut album Animal Magic was released by the Ninja Tune label in 2001. Championed by Radio 1 DJ Gilles Peterson, his tracks were used in television shows Lost, House and Californication and fourth album Black Sands (2010) won acclaim for its down-tempo funk and eclectic mix of melodic chill-out beats and soothing cinematic symphonies. His use of live instruments increased both in live shows and in the studio, culminating in the soul/jazz-influenced The North Borders (2013), which featured vocals from R&B star Erykah Badu. Bonobo went to Number 5 in the UK with his sixth album, Migration (2017) also released on Ninja Tune, and for which he received a nomination at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards (Best Dance/Electronic Album). Fragments, his first album in five years, came out in January 2022 and was also ranked Number 5 on the UK albums chart.