SK Shlomo

An acclaimed beatboxer, a celebrated theatre performer and a well-respected collaborator with the likes of Björk, Gorillaz, Imogen Heap and Rudimental.

SK Shlomo is the first ever World Looping Champion. They brought Ed Sheeran onstage as their guest at Glastonbury, were the first non-classical Artist in Residence at London’s Southbank Centre, and was even the subject of a feature film.

10 years into their career, however, something shifted. In the midst of a deep depression, they stopped performing. Shlomo spent almost two years off the road, recovering what had felt lost.

After a powerful comeback tour, a series of personal revelations changed the way that Shlomo viewed themselves and their work. The result was an award-winning one-person show “BREATHE” which was more personal than any of their previous output. Shlomo touched on themes they never previously shared in public - queerness, gender, being foreign, disability and mental health and, ultimately, the healing power of rave.

SK Shlomo gives more than just talks; they always combine their story with interactive live music, and include inspiring messaging about creativity and mental health awareness.

They are a 3-time TEDx speaker, an ambassador for the suicide charity CALM, and love giving keynote speeches that combine their experience as a world champion performer with their human stories about LGBT+, disability, and anti-racism.

In addition to live performances, SK Shlomo is also a popular and highly sought-after public speaker on topics including mental health, innovation, technology and creativity.

Keynote Speaking - How Technology is Changing The World
Since winning the World Loopstation Championships at the NAMM conference in LA, SK Shlomo has been in high demand as an authority on technology and creativity.

They have spoken at international events including TEDx, CDI (Mexico), ITV's Big Think, Roundhouse Rising, MusicTechFest, MGX (Microsoft USA) and WIRED.

Motivational Speaking - Mental Health Awareness
In an emotional, inspiring and humbling talk, SK Shlomo encourages talking, sharing and clearing away the stigma attached to men who are suffering feelings of worthlessness, are panicking, or scared about the future.

Performing under the stage name, SK Shlomo, Simon Kahn knows how it feels to be on top of the world. Their breathtaking vocal skills gained them early recognition as a world record-breaking beatboxer and world looping champion.

For over a decade, the genre-defying music producer has set new standards for their craft. As Shlomo, they burst in to the mainstream collaborating with Björk and performed with famous fans from Ed Sheeran, Damon Albarn, Lily Allen and Jarvis Cocker to Imogen Heap, Martha Wainwright and Rudimental.

But staying on top becomes increasingly tricky to maintain. Despite the standing ovations and the accolades, Simon would feel oddly empty inside. So, they took a step back to work out what they wanted and their world seemed to crumble under their feet. Like many high-achieving artists, they’d always been incredibly driven, but ultimately that came at the expense of their mental health.

Behind Simon's reinvention lies a realisation – that throughout their 20s, despite composing and producing for other artists, as well as for film and commercials, they had resisted becoming the solo recording artist they desperately wanted to be for fear of failure.

Determined to change, Simon set a challenge – to write a song every day for a month. For the first five days, they delivered. Then things ground to a painful halt, triggering a mental breakdown which led to six months in therapy. Diagnosed with PTSD, they were forced to confront their past.

Talking about a major trauma from childhood was a huge turning point in Simon's life. They named their album Surrender, because that's all the traumatised Simon could ever do - let go and trust. They found it empowering, stopping trying to control everything around them.

None of Simon's achievements in music arrived the traditional way. Appearing on Jools Holland at the start of their career was about the sum of it. They always strived to do everything differently, to create their own path. However, they realised that the biggest challenge was to stand up on stage and simply be their authentic self.

No clever machines, no fancy techniques, no persona. This was the real Simon, naked so-to-speak. And it was the scariest, most exciting thing they’d ever tried.

Live Performances
SK Shlomo is in huge demand to perform at festivals, live events, corporate functions, award ceremonies, product launches, international conferences, team building workshops and private parties. They have performed at every Glastonbury Festival since 2005.

SK Shlomo often performs what are known as "energisers" - virtuosic and exciting bursts of interactive entertainment, showcasing the beatboxing and live looping that they first became known for. They also love DJing - playing all genres, so there is something for everyone

SK Shlomo has twice held the record for the World's Largest Beatbox Ensemble, the latest being to direct a group of 2,081 Google employees at the Dublin Convention Centre in November 2011.

Previous clients include Google, Ford, Smirnoff, BBC Music, Glastonbury Festival, Bacardi, Bestival, XBox, Red Bull, Nokia, Southbank Centre, Microsoft, WIRED, Viacom, TEDx, Sony, Lloyds Bank, Vauxhall, War Child and Royal Albert Hall.

Exclusive interview with SK Shlomo

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