Bonobos

Photo likely taken around 2016. Left to right: Hirotaka Umemoto, Bondo Tsuji, Chung-ho Sai, Natsuko Morimoto, Ryuhei Koike

### Band Members

Chung-ho Sai • Bondo Tsuji • Natsuko Morimoto • Ryuhei Koike • Yasuyuki Sasaki • Izumi Matsui

### Labels

Dreamusic • Orange Line Traxxx

***Bonobos*** is a Japanese rock group founded in August 2001 in Osaka by Chung-ho Sai (on vocals and guitar), Yasuyuki Sasaki (on guitar), Natsuko Morimoto (on bass) and Izumi Matsui (on percussion). Since then, Sasaki and Matsui have left the band, being replaced by Bondo Tsuji (on drums) and Ryuhei Koike (on guitar), as well as occasionally working with percussionist Hirotaka Umemoto. The band has released seven albums over its career, as well as multiple mini-albums and many singles. The band has a significant following and regularly plays live performances, as well as featuring the characteristic high-pitched vocals of Chung-ho Sai. The group's sound often draws comparisons to Fishmans, having appeared on Sweet Dreams for Fishmans and performing at occasional Fishmans Night events. The band's leader Sai has also performed as a lead vocalist with Fishmans on The Long Season Revue, and the two bands share a friendly relationship. On Bonobos' Facebook, the band describes themselves as such (translated to English):

> A hybrid futuristic music group of unparalleled talent heading towards folk while swallowing various rhythms such as reggae/dub, electronica, samba and calypso!
>
>

The band's Facebook page can be found here, and the band's personal website can be found here.

Despite being founded and playing live performances since 2001, Bonobos' first project, a mini-album titled Headphone Magic was released in May 2003, as well as a 12" dub disc titled Bonobos in Dub released the same year in July. After this, they were picked up by major label Dreamusic and released their first real single もうじき冬が来る. In 2004 they released more singles and their first album Hover Hover, as well as appearing on Fishmans tribute album Sweet Dreams for Fishmans to perform a cover of 感謝(驚). The following year, the band would release their second mini-album Golden Days and their second album Electlyric, both being their most popular works today. Their future album releases would receive lesser popularity (with the exception of Hyper Folk being fairly popular), and the band continued to tour into 2022. In early 2022, the band announced their final album to be released before they plan on disbanding in early 2023, releasing singles Not Love, Kedamono and YES (vanguard mix) as teasers for their final release.

## Discography

### Albums

* Hover Hover (2004, Dreamusic)
* Electlyric (2005, Teenage Symphony/Dreamusic)
* あ, うん (2006, Dreamusic)
* オリハルコン日和 (2009, P-Vine Records)
* Ultra (2011, Orange Line Traxxx)
* Hyper Folk (2014, Orange Line Traxxx)
* 23区 (2016, P-Vine Records)

### Mini-Albums

* Headphone Magic (2003, Or Glory)
* Golden Days (2005, Dreamusic)

### EPs

* Demo-Compact Disc for Limited Shops and Live Visitors Include 2 Songs (2003)
* Live Session EP (2008, Dreamusic)
* Folk City Folk .ep (2017, Orange Line Traxxx)

### Live Albums

* Hyper Folk Jamboree Tokyo.1 (2014, Orange Line Traxxx)
* Hyper Folk Jamboree Tokyo.2 (2014, Orange Line Traxxx)
* 23区 Live (2017, Orange Line Traxxx)
* Bonobos at Billboard Live Tokyo 2018 (2018, Orange Line Traxxx)
* Bonobos at Billboard Live Tokyo 2019 avant poetry (2019, Orange Line Traxxx)

### Rare Traxxx Series

* Rare Traxxx Series Vol.01
* Rare Traxxx Series Vol.02
* Rare Traxxx Series Vol.03
* Rare Traxxx Series Vol.04
* Rare Traxxx Series Vol.05
* Rare Traxxx Series Vol.06
* Rare Traxxx Series Vol.07
* Rare Traxxx Series Vol.08
* Rare Traxxx Series Vol.09
* Rare Traxxx Series Vol.10

### Maxi-Singles

* Bonobos In Dub (2003, Or Glory)
* Water (2004, Dreamusic)
* 今夜はGroove Me (2004, Dreamusic)
* あの言葉、あの光 (2004, Dreamusic)
* Standing There 〜いま、そこに行くよ〜 (2006, Dreamusic)
* Beautiful (2006, Dreamusic)
* Go Symphony! (2011, Orange Line Traxxx)

### Singles

* もうじき冬が来る (2003, Dreamusic)
* Thank You For The Music (2005, Dreamusic)
* Someway (2008, Dreamusic)
* Gold (2009, P-Vine Records)
* 夕景スケープ (2009, P-Vine Records)
* うつくしいなまえ (2013, Ototoy)
* Cruisin' Cruisin' / Hello Innocence (2016, Orange Line Traxxx)
* Thank You For The Music (Nui!) (2017, Orange Line Traxxx)
* Gospel In Terminal / 永遠式 (2018, Orange Line Traxxx)
* アルペジオ (2019, Orange Line Traxxx)
* Not Love (2021, Orange Line Traxxx)
* Kedamono (2022, Orange Line Traxxx)
* YES (vanguard mix) (2022, Orange Line Traxxx)

### Compilations

* Pastrama -Best of Bonobos- (2008, Dreamusic)

### Video Albums

* や、おん 〜Live at 日比谷野音〜 (2006, Nippon Columbia)
* 宇宙温泉へようこそ (2009, P-Vine Records)