Kero Kero Bonito | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Origin | South London, England |
Genres | |
Years active | 2013–present |
Labels |
|
Members |
|
Website | kerokerobonito |
Kero Kero Bonito (KKB) are a British indie pop band formed in London in 2013. The band consists of vocalist Sarah Midori Perry and producers and multi-instrumentalists Gus Lobban and Jamie Bulled.
Their musical style consists of indie pop, [1] electropop, [2] dance-rock, [3] hyperpop, [4] and bubblegum pop. [5] The band's earlier work was influenced by J-pop such as Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, as well as dancehall, and video game music; [6] however, following their 2018 EP TOTEP their sound and influences diversified, with their second studio album, Time 'n' Place , being influenced by indie rock contemporaries such as Mount Eerie and My Bloody Valentine. [7] [8] Perry, who is of mixed Japanese and British ancestry, sings and raps in both Japanese and English.
Lobban and Bulled grew up in Bromley in the suburbs south of London and met in their teens. [9] In search for a new band member, they posted advertisements, including on MixB, an online bulletin board for Japanese expatriates, largely due to their interest in "Japanese rap". [9] [10] Perry was one of the first respondents. They selected her based on her background in art, and their interest in her bilingual ability. [10] Although she had collaborated with a Japanese girl group previously, [10] Perry did not have a background in professional singing; instead, she was interested in collaborating with Lobban and Bulled simply because she "wanted to try it". [11]
The trio called themselves Kero Kero Bonito; its meaning is intentionally ambiguous, with one derivation from the Japanese onomatopoeic words for frog croaks and a type of fish. [12] Other meanings include the Brazilian quero-quero bird while "bonito" means "pretty" in both Portuguese and Spanish, thus "Pretty Quero-quero" – or even "I want, I want pretty" in a rough translation. [13]
The group released their debut mixtape Intro Bonito through Double Denim Records in August 2014. [14] [15] They wrote many of their songs featured on the mixtape using a Casio SA-46 mini-keyboard. [16] [17] The band contributed "Flamingo" to Ryan Hemsworth's compilation EP shh#ffb6c1. [18]
In September 2014, Kero Kero Bonito released Bonito Recycling, a compilation of Intro Bonito remixes by artists including Danny L Harle and Spazzkid. [19] The band released the single "Build It Up", on which Perry sings in a call and response pattern, in November 2014. [20]
On 10 August 2015, Kero Kero Bonito announced their first North American tour, which took place during October 2015. [21] [22]
On 21 October 2016, the group released their first album Bonito Generation through Double Denim. [23]
On 2 February 2017, the YouTuber Berd published a parody animation of the band's single "Flamingo". [24] The video went viral, and became an internet meme, surpassing 25 million views as of April 2023.
On 12 February 2018, the band released the single "Only Acting". It departs from the band's previous electronic sound with a darker, rock-influenced style. [25] Later, on 20 February 2018, the band released the EP TOTEP. The EP included "Only Acting", and other songs following the rock-influenced style.
On 13 April 2018, the band performed their first 'full band' show. This involved two extra members, James Rowland on electric guitar and Jennifer Walton on drums and sampler, as well as Lobban on drums and keyboards and Bulled on bass guitar. Rowland previously played guitar on TOTEP. This change in live line-up reflected their change in sound following the EP.[ citation needed ]
On 8 May 2018, the band released the single, "Time Today", and announced their second studio album, Time 'n' Place , which was released on 1 October 2018. The album was sonically a significant departure from their previous studio album, and was inspired by radical changes in the band's personal lives following their tour cycle for their debut album.[ citation needed ]
On 8 July 2019, the band uploaded "KKB Life" to YouTube, a vlog video recorded during the Time `n` Place era, announcing that a new era is starting. They announced a North America and Europe tour shortly after and released the single "When the Fires Come" in September 2019. Later on in the month, before the tour started, they also released their fourth EP Civilisation I . [26]
In 2020, the band wrote and performed "It's Bugsnax!", the theme song for the video game Bugsnax , which was featured in its announcement trailer. [27]
In April 2021, Kero Kero Bonito released their fifth EP, Civilisation II . [28]
In September 2021, Kero Kero Bonito released "Rom Com 2021", a remix of Soccer Mommy's single "Rom Com 2004". The song was released under the 23rd instalment of Adult Swim's Singles Series. [29]
In August 2023, the band released "Legendary", the official theme song for the Pokémon World Championships. [30]
Sarah Midori Perry, also known as Sarah Bonito and Cryalot, is the lead singer of the band. On 30 June 2022, Perry released "Hell Is Here", her debut single under her solo project Cryalot and the lead single to her debut solo EP Icarus , which was released on 2 September 2022. [31] [32]
In addition to her solo work she has featured on many other projects. Electronic musician Spazzkid was a fan of Kero Kero Bonito and enlisted Perry to rap on "Truly" from his 2014 Promise EP. [33] In 2014 she was also featured on the track "Horsey" by Macross 82-99. In 2015 she was featured on "Everyday", the debut single by producer Chroma-kei. [34] In 2021 she featured on A. G. Cook's remix album Apple vs. 7G , performing vocals on the remix version of "The Darkness" alongside Hannah Diamond. In 2022 she was featured on the track "STARSTUD" by Matt Watson from his first full-length album, SEE YOU THERE.
Extended plays
Singles
Gus Lobban, also known as Kane West [35] and Augustus, provides drums, keyboards, sampler, background vocals, and production for the band. He won a remix contest for Tiga's "Let's Go Dancing" with Audion. He contributed to PC Music's mix for DISown. He later released his Western Beats EP through the label. [36] Tiny Mix Tapes ranked the EP 31st on their list of "Favorite 50 Music Releases of 2014", [37] and Fact placed Western Beats 33rd on its year-end list. [38] The following year, his song "T.R.U.E.L.O.V.E." appeared on Folie Douce's second Confessions compilation. [39] In August 2015, Kane West released the EP Expenses Paid on Turbo Recordings. [40] Since 2016, Lobban has used this alias mainly to release remixes, with the exception of "Definitely Come Together", a collaboration with Cecile Believe [41] [ non-primary source needed ] [42] released through PC Music during their Month of Mayhem.
As well as Kane West, Lobban also releases solo work as Augustus, a project influenced heavily by Japanese city pop music. Under this name he has released an original song entitled "Vs." (as part of a promotional compilation for Zoom Lens), as well as cover versions of songs by GFOTY and Perfume. He also provides vocals on the song "Money Won't Pay" by fellow London musician bo en. In addition to these two projects, Lobban co-wrote and produced two tracks on Saint Etienne's 2017 album Home Counties .
Extended plays
Singles
Jamie Bulled, also known as Wharfwhit, performs keyboards, electric guitar, bass guitar, sampler, and production for the band. Prior to Kero Kero Bonito, Bulled was a member of the band Kabogaeries. Since forming Kero Kero Bonito, Bulled now records music under the name Wharfwhit, [45] with the 2016 single 'Elbows' and 2017 albums 'Evidently' and 'WHARFWHAT!?' [46] released under this name. In December 2021, Bulled released the double A-side single 'Strictly Dumb Dancing / Live Laugh Love London', under the moniker The JLB. The two tracks are in a UK garage style.
Mixtapes
Extended plays
Singles
The band perform live as both a traditional band, and as a trio using a sequencer and samplers. The full live band consists of these members:
Mixtapes
Extended Plays
Year | Association | Category | Nominated Work | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | Libera Award | Best Outlier Album | Time 'n' Place | Nominated | [47] |
CFCF is the stage name of Canadian electronic musician/vocalist Michael Silver. Based in Montreal, Silver took the name CFCF from the call sign of the city's CFCF-TV. Silver's work oftentimes involves themes of nostalgia.
Cecile Believe is a solo project by Montreal-based Canadian musician Caila Thompson-Hannant.
PC Music is a record label and art collective based in London and run by producer A. G. Cook. It was founded in 2013, uploading its first releases to SoundCloud that year. Artists on its roster have included Hannah Diamond, GFOTY, Danny L Harle, Easyfun, Namasenda, and Planet 1999. The label's releases have been showcased on the compilations PC Music Volume 1 (2015), Volume 2 (2016), and Volume 3 (2022). Following a decade-long run, since 2024 the label is now only dedicated to archival projects and special reissues.
Hannah Amond, known professionally as Hannah Diamond, is an English singer, songwriter, photographer, and visual artist. She has recorded on A.G. Cook's PC Music label since 2013, beginning with her debut single "Pink and Blue". Her music and visual art employs an aesthetic of hyperreality and heavily produced cuteness in tension with sincerity. Diamond released her debut studio album, Reflections, in November 2019. Her second studio album, Perfect Picture, was released in October 2023.
The Garden is an American experimental rock band from Orange County, California, formed in 2011 by twin brothers Wyatt and Fletcher Shears. The duo released their debut album The Life and Times of a Paperclip in 2013, with several smaller releases following. In 2015, the group released their second studio album Haha along with the lead single "All Smiles Over Here :)" to critical acclaim after being signed to Epitaph Records. The brothers have toured across the US, Europe, United Kingdom, China, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Mexico, and in 2019 and 2023, they appeared at Coachella.
Bonito Generation is the debut studio album by British indie pop band Kero Kero Bonito. A follow-up to the 2013 mixtape, Intro Bonito, this album was released via Double Denim Records on 21 October 2016. Bonito Generation produced six singles: "Picture This", "Lipslap", "Break", "Graduation", "Trampoline", and "Fish Bowl". Music videos were created for "Lipslap", "Break", and "Trampoline".
Dominik Dvorak, known by their stage name felicita, is an English record producer and DJ based in London. They came to prominence through early collaborations with Nabihah Iqbal, Palmistry and Sophie. In 2014, they released the Frenemies EP with Gum Artefacts on digital platforms and vinyl.
Alexander Kotz, known professionally as Elderbrook, is an English electronic musician and DJ. His career began in 2015 when he released his first EP containing the song "How Many Times", which went on to be remixed by German duo Andhim and ranked one of Mixmag's best songs of 2015.
TOTEP is the third extended play by British band Kero Kero Bonito, self-released on 20 February 2018. The EP marks a departure from the "sunny" electropop of previous releases in favor of a "grungier, guitar-heavy style, full of crunching distortion and glitched out noise." The EP was preceded by the single "Only Acting", which was later featured on the band's second studio album, Time 'n' Place (2018).
Time 'n' Place is the second studio album by British indie pop band Kero Kero Bonito, released on 1 October 2018 through Polyvinyl Record Co in North America and self-released worldwide. It is their first album released under Polyvinyl. Produced by the band's multi-instrumentalist Gus Lobban, it includes the previously released singles "Only Acting", "Time Today", and "Make Believe". Musically, the album marks a stylistic departure from the band's previous electronic musical efforts, showcasing a mix of indie rock, noise, shoegaze, dream pop, experimental pop, and synth-pop musical styles.
The discography of British indie pop band Kero Kero Bonito consists of two studio albums, one mixtape, one compilation album, five extended plays, 38 singles, seven remixes, and 18 music videos.
Intro Bonito is the debut mixtape by British indie pop band Kero Kero Bonito. It was self-released by the band on 30 September 2013, followed by a reissue on 25 August 2014 by Double Denim Records. It was promoted by the singles "Homework" and "Sick Beat" and the title track received a music video. A remix EP called Bonito Recycling was released on 29 September 2014.
Civilisation I is the fourth extended play (EP) by British band Kero Kero Bonito. It was released on 30 September 2019, shortly after the single "When the Fires Come". In a press release for its sequel EP, Civilisation II, the band describes the EP as a concept album, where they "envisioned a historically-ambiguous alternate-reality". The EP marks another change in terms of the band's musical style; eschewing many of the guitar-driven shoegaze influences of TOTEP and Time 'n' Place, instead drawing heavily on synth-pop and dream pop. Lyrically, the EP explores concepts of society, war, religion, and environmentalism. The band released a follow-up to the EP on 21 April 2021. Both EPs along with an additional track, "Gateway", were merged into a compilation album, titled simply Civilisation and released on 10 September 2021.
Calum Thomas Bowen, also known professionally as Bo En, is an English musician and video game producer based in London.
"Ringtone (remix)" is a song by American experimental musical duo 100 gecs, composed of Dylan Brady and Laura Les, from their remix album 1000 Gecs and the Tree of Clues (2020). The song features vocals from British singer Charli XCX, American rapper Rico Nasty, and British singer Sarah Bonito of the indie pop band Kero Kero Bonito. The song is a remix of "Ringtone" from 100 Gecs' debut studio album 1000 Gecs (2019). The song's production is glitchy with "80's video game-inspired blips" and uses heavy bass and Auto-Tune.
Civilisation II is the fifth extended play (EP) by British indie pop band Kero Kero Bonito, released on 21 April 2021 by Polyvinyl. The follow-up to 2019's Civilisation I EP, Civilisation II was preceded by the single "The Princess and the Clock" on 24 February 2021.
Apple vs. 7G is the debut remix album by British producer A. G. Cook. It compiles reworked versions of songs from his first two albums 7G and Apple, both released in 2020. It was released on 28 May 2021 by Cook's label PC Music. A deluxe "Silver Edition" includes 7 extra tracks and is exclusively available for purchase on Bandcamp. Many of the remixes featured were premiered on various compilation albums, DJ mixes or hidden zip files prior to Apple vs. 7G's release. The album was promoted by seven singles.
The discography of English producer Danny L Harle consists of one studio album, one remix album, two collaborative albums, two extended plays, 22 singles, and 22 remixes.
Icarus is the debut EP of Cryalot, a solo project by Kero Kero Bonito vocalist Sarah Midori Perry, released 2 September 2022 by AWAL.
"Touch the Sun" is a single from Kero Kero Bonito vocalist Sarah Midori Perry's solo project Cryalot, released 27 July 2022 by AWAL. The song is the second single from Cryalot's debut EP Icarus, and like the lead single "Hell Is Here", it was co-written by Perry and producer Jennifer Walton. "Touch the Sun" was released alongside a music video directed by Perry.