All 8 Bonobo Albums Ranked

British musician Bonobo has traversed a wide array of styles to the point where it’s actually difficult to pin down what he’s going to do next. And so far, it feels like he's always gone through styles per two albums. Dial M for Monkey and Animal Magic embraced the dusty, sample-laden downtempo aesthetic. A cinematic flair adored in South American influences and nu-jazz informed Days to Come and Black Sands. And now, we’re currently experiencing a Bonobo that is likened to acts such as Four Tet, Tycho, Caribou, and even George Fitzgerald by virtue of his contemporary electronica transition.

Below I rank Bonobo’s 7 (soon 8) albums starting from the ones I least liked, to the ones that blew me away and kept me coming back for more. This, of course, is just my humble opinion, and let's not forget - any Bonobo record is a great record.

• Animal Magic (2000)
• Dial 'M' for Monkey (2003)
• Fragments (2026)
• Migration (2017)
• Days to Come (2006)
• Black Sands (2010)
• The North Borders (2013)

And of course it's too early, but we're all eagerly anticipating Distance in Static, which will be dropped on Sep 11th via Ninja Tune.

Now, let's dive right into the lush sonic world of Simon Green.

Animal Magic (2000)

Honestly, Animal Magic wouldn’t be an ideal way to introduce someone to Bonobo. Even though it is Green’s debut album, when matched up against the rest of his versatile catalog, it falls short by virtue of its passive nature. For its time, I definitely think it was significant though, especially considering that downtempo was experiencing an upsurge in popularity during the late 90s and early 2000s.

In the album, Bonobo superbly flaunts his aptitude when it comes to sampling, and we’re delicately teased with ‘world sounds’ on occasion. Some may say this was a slight glimpse into the future sound of Bonobo. A few of the standout tracks on here include Silver, Terrapin, and The Plug.

Dial 'M' for Monkey (2003)

This was the first Bonobo album I heard, with "Flutter" being the first Bonobo track which swept me off my feet. Dial M for Monkey actually sounds like a literal continuation of Animal Magic… Think about it, both albums heavily lean towards hip hop for their sampling and looping techniques. But Dial M doesn’t quite linger in the background. The bright glockenspiel cascading throughout "Flutter" and the boisterous low end on "Wayward Bob" are just a few examples of Bonobo vies for our undivided attention. This is further accentuated by the compelling surprises we’re acquainted with thanks to the ravishing arrangements on Dial 'M' For Monkey.

Fragments (2022)

This is the kind of album that could easily be divided into two cohesive EPs, yet it remains remarkably unified as a single body of work. In fact, I'd go as far as to say it's Simon's most DJ-friendly album, although with moments of cinematic tension that pull from neo-classical, r&b, and variants of chill electronic music.

The guest list is stacked with legendary musicians like Miguel Atwood-Ferguson alongside modern trailblazers such as Joji and Jordan Rakei, among many others. "Rosewood", the track that appeared as the second single, is sure to get OG Bonobo fans buzzing. The tune builds slowly, with a balance of restraint and intensity. For those who LOVE his sound for the dance floor, the collaboration with O’Flynn "Otomo" is a burst of energy that sits between fierce and moody. Fragments continues to flow like a river, full of different segments that leave the listener without a moment of boredom. I couldn't think of a better closing combo than "Counterpart", "Sapien", and "Day by Day" featuring the lovely Kadhja Bonet.

We did an album review of Bonobo's Fragments back in 2022, in case you want to find out more.

Migration (2017)

Migration is certainly one of the seminal works in Bonobo’s catalog, although it only dawned upon me as I was writing this that – I actually felt no connection to the project as a whole. Simon relinquished the downtempo aesthetic and adopted a grainy electronic sound tethered together by pervasive 4/4 and two-step rhythms, including exultant cinematic sections that enliven tracks like “Ontario” and “Figures”. Now, this sounds dazzling, but uggghh, personally, it felt like technically stellar music which lacked the kind of soul and vibrancy which was prevalent in his previous works. Resident Advisor, I think, said it best, “it's like a faded photocopy of its predecessor”.

Our emotions are sent on a roller coaster ride throughout the album, but not quite the roller coaster ride where you’re screaming “YES YES I WANNA DO IT AGAIN”.

Days to Come (2006)

There was a point in time where I found myself really attached to the track "Nightlight" – a jubilant tune decorated with a seductive vocal performance from Bajka. The exotic charm of this gem pretty much lured me to Days to Come.

It’s clear that this album was a turning point for Simon, as this was the first time he tapped guest vocalists and many of the tracks are meticulously orchestrated, full-bodied works that wholly engulf the listener. I can’t neglect to mention the pervading Latin American and jazz influence, to the point where it’d be a tad disrespectful to merely lump him in the downtempo category. This is also the album where you’ll find some of the best drum arrangements from Bonobo, and "Transmission 94 (Parts 1 & 2)" is a stellar example!

Black Sands (2010)

If you’ve seen Bonobo live over the past couple of years, you’ll notice that a large chunk of the tracks are from this album (unless it was his Migration tour). That’s no surprise considering that this is his most lauded effort, boasting tracks like “Animals”, “Kiara” and the utterly sensational “Black Sands” soundtrack that begs mention amongst newly acquainted Bonobo fans.

The album is COLOSSAL, and it’s almost as if he transformed himself into a one-man orchestra with a total of 12 different instruments played by Simon throughout the record. Before, he was pretty much lumped in the trip hop/ downtempo space, but the sound of Black Sands catapulted him into the realms of acts like The Cinematic Orchestra and Snarky Puppy whilst still holding on to the World influences we were temporarily acquainted with from Days to Come.

The North Borders (2013)

Something I find VERY fascinating about this album is the fact that it rests on an elevated pedestal shrouded by soaring clouds in the eyes of many DJ’s and producers, yet critically it hasn’t been acquainted with acclaim. It's certainly one of those underrated gems that have informed the sound of countless musicians, and with the sound of The North Borders we were swiftly ushered into a new era of Bonobo as programmed 4/4, two-step, and other off-kilter rhythms dismissed the live drums we were accustomed to from his previous records.

The record also harbors arguably one of Bonobo’s most iconic tracks,  and in my opinion that is "Cirrus". I'm glad to see Ivo loving the album as much as I do, which you can sense in his 2013 album review of The North Borders.

Distance In Static (2026)

Since this is brand new, we're leaving this for last. This morning, Bonobo just unveiled his 8th studio album and can already tell it's going to be a good day. After so many albums and songs, the British musician, producer, and DJ keeps finding that special recipe. No wonder he would never lose a spot in my personal top 5 artists. There's something beautifully open-ended about Bonobo at this point in his career - always moving, always exploring, but somehow never losing that unmistakable thread that makes his music feel like home.

We've already featured a few of the singles so far (like "Always on Your Side" and "Drift"), with my standout being "Drift". One of the stand out releases on the album "Youth's Fountain" blends a downtempo energy a-la-Black Sands with Nilüfer's alluring vocals and is beautifully sewn together by gorgeous-sounding drummings, perfect dynamics in the mix, and spacious jazz elements. Listening to the song is the most elevating experience I've felt in a while. A song and album designed to heal your soul.