Benge (Electronic Musician)
Encyclopedia
Benge is the artist name of Ben Edwards (b. 1967), a musician and producer based in London
, England
. The main focus of his work is within the experimental electronic music
field.
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 - 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
.
, 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. 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 announced for release prior to the tour in October 2011 and was initially on sale at concerts only.
Benge has also 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 Stronarch), Wrangler (with Phil Winter of Tunng
), and Great Guns (with Jean Gabriel Becker).
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The main focus of his work is within the experimental electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
field.
Solo career
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 and now has a roster of approximately 20 artists from around the world. He also runs a music studio called Play Studios in London which houses a large collection of vintage electronic synthesisers and other recording equipment.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 - 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
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
.
Benge solo albums
- 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
Other projects
Benge has been involved in several collaborations over the years. See below for a further discography. He has also been involved in the production of other artists records which were recorded at his London studio. Recent albums by TunngTunng
Tunng are an experimental folk band from the United Kingdom.The band is often associated with the folktronica genre due to the electronic influences evident in some of their work.-Biography:...
, Beth Jeans Houghton
Beth Jeans Houghton
Beth Jeans Houghton is a singer-songwriter from Newcastle upon Tyne who plays "sweet and gentle folk music." Beth Jeans Houghton has been described by The Guardian as looking like "Gwen Stefani with a touch of Brody Dalle", with a sound that "is Vashti Bunyan crossed with Nico and Laura Marling"In...
and Hannah Peel have all been recorded and mixed there with Benge's involvement (alongside Mike Lindsay of Tunng
Tunng
Tunng are an experimental folk band from the United Kingdom.The band is often associated with the folktronica genre due to the electronic influences evident in some of their work.-Biography:...
). Benge has also co-produced an album by singer songwriter Serafina Steer
Serafina Steer
Serafina Steer is an English harpist, pianist, singer and songwriter.- Career :In 2007 Serafina released a 7" single and an album entitled Cheap Demo Bad Science on Static Caravan records. Some were recorded and produced in collaboration with Mike Lindsay of folktronica band Tunng, some tracks...
, Change is Good.
Benge co-wrote and produced an album with John Foxx
John Foxx
John Foxx is an English singer, artist, photographer and teacher. He was the original lead singer of the band Ultravox before being replaced by Midge Ure, when he left to embark on a solo career in 1979...
(founder of Ultravox!
Ultravox
Ultravox is a British New Wave rock band. They were one of the primary exponents of the British electronic pop music movement of the late 1970s/early 1980s. The band was particularly associated with the New Romantic and New Wave movements....
) released in early 2011 under the name John Foxx & The Maths. The album Interplay
Interplay
Interplay may refer to:* Interplay , a 1957 album by jazz musician John Coltrane* Interplay , Jerome Robbins, 1945* Interplay , a 1962 album by jazz musician Bill Evans...
gained wide critical acclaim. 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 announced for release prior to the tour in October 2011 and was initially on sale at concerts only.
Benge has also recorded collaborative albums under the following names: Volume (with Richard Lee and Paul Elliott), Tennis (with Douglas Benford
Douglas Benford
Douglas Benford is an English musician with ginger hair, curator, producer and co-founder of SPRAWL. He lives and works in London.-About:Benford has had many recorded releases under many guises: mainly as Si-cut.db, but also Radial Blend, Phoenix Jig, Pantunes Music & Media Form , covering...
), Stendec (with Paul Merritt), Oblong (with Dave Nice and Sid Stronarch), Wrangler (with Phil Winter of Tunng
Tunng
Tunng are an experimental folk band from the United Kingdom.The band is often associated with the folktronica genre due to the electronic influences evident in some of their work.-Biography:...
), and Great Guns (with Jean Gabriel Becker).
Discography of collaborative albums
- Volume | 'Computer Gun' | Expanding Records | 1999
- Volume | 'Evolver' | Expanding Records | 2000
- Tennis | 'Wooden Sweets' | Electro-Chemical Research | 2000
- Tennis | 'Europe on Horseback' | Bip Hop | 2001
- Tennis | 'Furlines' | Bip Hop | 2003
- Stendec | 'A Study of And' | Expanding Records | 2004
- Oblong | 'Indicator' | Expanding Records | 2006
- John Foxx & The Maths | 'Interplay' | Metamatic Recordings | 2011
- John Foxx & The Maths | 'The Shape of Things' | Metamatic Recordings | 2011