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Ben Edwards (born 1967), known professionally as Benge is an English musician and record producer based in Cornwall, England. The main focus of his work is within the experimental electronic music field. [1]
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Ben Edwards (born 1967), known professionally as Benge is an English musician and record producer based in Cornwall, England. The main focus of his work is within the experimental electronic music field. [1]
He launched the record label Expanding Records as an outlet for his debut album Electro-orgoustic Music in 1995. The label, which focuses on instrumental electronic music, continued to grow to include a roster of approximately 20 artists from around the world. He also runs a music studio called Memetune Studios which houses a large collection of vintage electronic synthesisers and other recording equipment. [2]
In 2008, Benge released his tenth studio album Twenty Systems, a concept album which featured twenty tracks made on twenty different synthesisers between the years 1968 and 1988 and an accompanying book describing the instruments and the development of the synthesiser in general. The album was called 'a brilliant contribution to the archaeology of electronic music' by Brian Eno. [3]
Since 2012, Benge has released a regular series of online solo albums via his bandcamp and iTunes pages. These albums regularly feature his "one-synthesiser-per-album" concept, whereby he limits himself to creating a full album using a single electronic music system, thereby developing the idea he introduced with Twenty Systems in 2008. [4]
| Title | Record label | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Electro-orgoustic Music | Expanding Records | 1995 |
| Beautiful Electronic Music | Expanding Records | 1996 |
| Polyrythmic Electronica | Expanding Records | 1996 |
| I, Computor | Expanding Records | 1997 |
| Home Music | Expanding Records | 1998 |
| The Very Best of Benge | Sub Rosa / Quatermass | 1999 |
| Experimental Non-Vocal Electronic Pop | Expanding Records | 1999 |
| Silicon Valleys | Sub Rosa / Quatermass | 2000 |
| Meme Tunes | Expanding Records | 2002 |
| I Am 9 | Expanding Records | 2005 |
| Twenty Systems | Expanding Records | 2008 |
| Abstraxa | Expanding Records / iTunes | 2012 |
| Harmuna | Expanding Records / iTunes | 2012 |
| Minurtua | Expanding Records / iTunes | 2012 |
| Rebisus | Expanding Records / iTunes | 2012 |
| Chimeror | Expanding Records / iTunes | 2013 |
| Forms One | Expanding Records / iTunes | 2013 |
| Forms 2 - Earthmoves | Expanding Records / iTunes | 2013 |
| Forms 3 - Controls, Sources & Treatments | Expanding Records / iTunes | 2013 |
| Sulieo | Expanding Records / iTunes | 2014 |
| Loop Series One | Expanding Records / iTunes | 2014 |
| Minimalist Work (Sustained Tone Branch) | Expanding Records / iTunes | 2014 |
| Loop Series 2: Films, Layers | Expanding Records / iTunes | 2014 |
| Moor Music | Expanding Records / iTunes | 2015 |
| Forms Five: Shapes In Space | Expanding Records / iTunes | 2016 |
| Forms Six: Works On Paper | Expanding Records / iTunes | 2017 |
| Tone Flow | Expanding Records / iTunes | 2018 |
| Thirteen Systems | Not On Label (Benge Self-released) | 2020 |
Over the years Benge has amassed a large collection of electronic synthesisers, drum machines and studio equipment which is housed in his 'Memetune Studio Complex'. From here he writes and records his own music as well as his many collaborations
Benge's first work as collaborator and producer was the 1999 synth-pop experiment entitled Volume (with Richard Lee and Paul Elliott). Since then he has regularly worked on collaborative projects, inviting people to co-write, record and mix studio albums and EPs.
He has also been involved in the production of other artist's records which were recorded at his Memetune studio. Albums by Tunng, Beth Jeans Houghton and Hannah Peel have all been recorded and mixed there with Benge's involvement (alongside Mike Lindsay of Tunng). Benge has also co-produced an album by singer songwriter Serafina Steer, Change is Good.
Benge co-wrote and produced an album with John Foxx (founder of Ultravox!) released in early 2011 under the name John Foxx & The Maths. The album Interplay gained wide critical acclaim. [6] Benge has also performed live with John Foxx and The Maths, including a nine date UK tour, plus festivals in Poland and Belgium. A second album The Shape of Things by John Foxx and the Maths was released prior to the tour in October 2011, and was initially on sale at concerts only. A live performance with John Foxx and the Maths at The Roundhouse in London in June 2010 was captured on the CD/DVD release Analogue Circuit: Live At The Roundhouse (2012). Two further albums Evidence (2012) and Rhapsody (2013) have been released, the latter made up of recorded live at Benge's MemeTune Studios in November 2011. The band won the annual Artrocker Magazine award for Best Electronic Band in 2012.
He has further collaborated with John Foxx and classical violinist Diana Yukawa releasing the album Codex under the collective name of Ghost Harmonic in 2015. [7]
2017 saw the release of five albums (John Foxx & The Maths - The Machine, Fader - First Light, I Speak Machine - Zombies 1985, Lone Taxidermist - Trifle, Blancmange - Unfurnished Rooms) and the recording of three more albums due for release in 2018 (Creep Show ft. John Grant - Mr Dynamite, Oblong - The Sea At Night, Wrangler - A Situation). The Lone Taxidermist LP reached No. 9 in The Quietus top 100 albums of 2017. The Blancmange, Fader, Lone Taxidermist and I Speak Machine albums all made the Electronic Sound magazine best-albums-of-2017 list, reaching No. 8, 13, 21 and 23 respectively.
As of 2018, Benge has recorded collaborative albums under the following names: Volume (with Richard Lee and Paul Elliott), Tennis (with Douglas Benford), Stendec (with Paul Merritt), Oblong (with Dave Nice and Sid Stronach), Wrangler (with Phil Winter of Tunng, and Stephen Mallinder), Fader (with Neil Arthur), Creep Show (with Wrangler and John Grant), as well as his continuing work with John Foxx as The Maths. His production and writing credits include Serafina Steer, The Magnetic North, Hannah Peel, Laura J Martin, Gazelle Twin, I Speak Machine, Lone Taxidermist and Blancmange. In 2017 Benge began working with John Grant on his fourth solo album. [8] This album entitled Love is Magic was released on 12 October 2018.
Blancmange are an English synth-pop band formed in Harrow, London, in 1979. The band were a duo for much of their career, composed of Neil Arthur (vocals) and Stephen Luscombe (keyboards). They came to prominence in the early 1980s, releasing four UK top-20 singles: "Living on the Ceiling", "Waves", "Blind Vision" and "Don't Tell Me". They released three studio albums during that decade: Happy Families (1982), Mange Tout (1984) and Believe You Me (1985).
John Foxx is an English singer, musician, artist, photographer, graphic designer, writer, teacher and lecturer. He was the original lead singer of the new wave band Ultravox, before leaving to embark on a solo career in 1980 with the album Metamatic.
Metamatic is the debut solo album by John Foxx, released in 1980. It was his first solo project following his split with Ultravox the previous year. A departure from the mix of synthesizers and conventional rock instrumentation on that band's work, Metamatic was purely electronic in sound. The name 'Metamatic' comes from a painting machine by kinetic artist Jean Tinguely, first exhibited at the Paris Biennial in 1959. The album peaked at #18 on the UK Albums Chart.
The Garden is a 1981 album by John Foxx, the follow-up to his debut solo album Metamatic, released the previous year. By comparison, it features more diverse instrumentation and romantic stylings.
Gareth Jones is an English music producer and engineer notable for working with Depeche Mode, Einstürzende Neubauten, Wire and Erasure.
Stephen William Mallinder is an English artist and musician who was a founding member of Cabaret Voltaire, and went on to work as Sassi & Loco, the Ku-Ling Bros., Hey, Rube!, Wrangler, and Creep Show.
Systems of Romance, released on 8 September 1978, is the third album by British new wave band Ultravox. It was the final recording for the group with original lead singer, lyricist and co-composer John Foxx, and their first album without guitarist Stevie Shears, who had left the band. Shears was replaced by Robin Simon, making his first and only appearance on an Ultravox album. Though not a commercial success, Systems of Romance had a significant influence on the electropop music that came after it.
"Burning Car" is a song by John Foxx, released as a single in 1980. It was his third solo single, following "Underpass" and "No-One Driving" earlier in the year. The track was not included on Foxx's debut solo album Metamatic, post-dating its January 1980 release, but has been included as a bonus track on the 2001 and 2007 CD reissues. It was Foxx's last 1980s record in a hard-edged electronica style.
Serafina Steer is an English harpist, pianist, singer and songwriter.
Shifting City is an album by John Foxx and Louis Gordon, released in 1997. Released simultaneously with Foxx's ambient album Cathedral Oceans, Shifting City was Foxx's first album release since In Mysterious Ways (1985).
Metatronic is a retrospective compilation of recorded audio and visual material by British musician and recording artist John Foxx. It was released in 2010 by Edsel Records to mark the 30th anniversary of Foxx's debut solo album Metamatic and the start of his solo career. The idea for the compilation was first mentioned in the Ultravox fanzine Extreme Voice back in 1999.
John Foxx and the Maths is a musical project featuring electronic music pioneer John Foxx, Benge and more recently Hannah Peel. The group specialises in the use of analogue synthesizers and drum machines. It was initially a studio based project working from Benge's studio in Shoreditch, London but has also engaged in live work.
"No-One Driving" is a 1980 song by UK artist John Foxx, and was released as a single in March 1980. It was the second single release from the Metamatic album, after "Underpass". The song is typical of Foxx's musical output of the time, featuring a Ballardian dystopian scenario involving an automobile in the lyrics, with music produced using electronic instruments only.
Hannah Mary Peel is a British artist, music producer, Mercury Music Prize and Emmy-nominated composer and BBC Radio 3 broadcaster. Her solo music is primarily electronic, synthesiser-based and often includes classical scoring and sound design, with references to the links between science, nature and music. She has scored music for television, film, theatre and dance, including Game of Thrones: The Last Watch.
This is a complete discography of the British recording artist John Foxx.
"Underpass" is a song by UK artist John Foxx, and was released as a single in January 1980. It was the artist's first solo single release after leaving the band Ultravox and the first single release from the Metamatic album, which was released shortly after.
"Europe After The Rain" is the title of a John Foxx song, released as a single in August 1981, and included on The Garden album released later the same year.
Unfurnished Rooms is the ninth studio album by English band Blancmange, released in 2017. It was produced by Neil Arthur and Benge, and reached No. 40 on the UK Independent Albums Chart.
Wanderlust is the tenth studio album by British synth-pop band Blancmange, released in 2018. It was produced by Neil Arthur and Benge, and reached No. 22 on the UK Independent Albums Chart. The single "Not a Priority" features Hannah Peel on backing vocals.
Commuter 23 is the eighth studio album by British Synth-pop band Blancmange, released in 2016. The album reached No. 38 in the UK Independent Albums Chart.
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