Seven Gulps of Air

Jon Hopkins is an electronic producer who meticulously constructs lush, downtempo arrangements, blending digital beats and soothing ambience. His unique, hypnotic style made him a sought after producer in the pop world, and earned him credits on albums by Coldplay, Massive Attack, Brian Eno, and Herbie Hancock in the late 2000s. Starting out as a gifted child pianist, in his teen years he became interested in synthesized sounds and started making acid house and drum'n'bass on a four-track recorder using computer software. He signed to Just Music at the ripe age of 19 in 2001, and recorded his debut album, Opalescent, while working part-time as a studio session musician in Wembley. His second album, Contact Note, was slightly more cinematic in nature, and gained the respect of Brian Eno, who recruited Hopkins to play keys on his 2005 comeback album Another Day on Earth. Through Eno, Hopkins began working on Coldplay's Viva La Vida as a co-producer before he returned to his solo career, taking three years to complete his 2009 album, Vessels.' - Jason Lymangrover, All Music Guide