Hip hop, funk, disco, ragga, afrobeat, ska, dancehall, soul, reggae, jungle, latin, mashed-up beats... Stevie Wonder, Cutty Ranks, Fela Kuti, Pinchers, Jungle Brothers, Congo Natty, Plantlife, Loid Morris, Parliament, Skatalites, Busta Rhymes, The Specials, Gwen McCrae, Krafty Kuts, JSTAR, The Nextmen, De La Soul, Radio City, Toots and the Maytals, Gil Scott Heron, James Brown, Kenny Dope, Barrington Levy, Elvis Costello, MIA, Ms Thing, The Ragga Twins, Prince, The Roots, Diplo, Coldcut, Ty, Tony Allen, Kool and the Gang, The Clash, Aretha Franklin, Luke Vibert, Youngblood Brass Band, Roots Manuva, The Cure, Brand Nubian, The Pharcyde, Laurel Aitken, Arthur Russell, Outkast, DJ Food, Run DMC...
Sounds Like
Sounds nice and sweet! Why not listen to a mix?
Click here to listen to Mr Benn's 'Square One Sound Part II' mix, which was aired on Ninja Tune's most wonderous Solid Steel radio show.
Click here for the third installment in the series - 'Square One Sound Part III'.
Click here for the latest installment in the series - 'Square One Sound Part IV - As if by Magic...'.
Mr Benn has blasted his way into the hearts, minds and record boxes of the more discerning DJs around the globe. His unmistakable blend of skankin’ reggae grooves married with the chunkiest of hip hop beats makes for dancehall, dance floor chaos whenever his beats are dropped.
The leading light of the infamous Bristol-based Leisure Recordings, Mr Benn has cut some of the freshest and funkiest records to come from, well…anywhere in recent months. His debut 12″ ‘Take It Back’ introduced the new sound of Bristol to the masses and his follow ups ‘The Jump’ with MC Souls Liberation and ‘Trubble’ with ragga don Blackout JA confirmed our man as one of the finest beatsmiths working today.
2008 saw Mr Benn release ‘Long Time’, a fresher than fresh 12″ with UK hip hop legend Blak Twang and Blackout JA that kept his good ship on course and with plenty of wind in its sails. The first release on his very own Square One Sound label, it found favour with the biggest names in alternative beats and bobs with Mr Scruff, DJ Yoda, Sinden, Steinski and Black Grass among those that just couldn’t get enough.
His latest collaborations – including work with The Ragga Twins and Basement Jaxx and Toddla T cohort, MC Serocee – are currently being whipped into shape in the studio and are destined for his debut album, due to drop early 2010.
As well as dropping massive beats for heads and feets, obligatory remix work keeps the fires burning while further showcasing Benn’s diverse production talents and techniques. A recent Horace Andy & Ashley Beedle remix competition run by Strut Records saw Mr Benn beat over 400 other hopefuls to the prize, and his effortlessly effective reworkings of Mark Rae’s Yes King project and Bastard Jazz’s The Magic Fly have garnered some serious praise from a whole host of heavy hitters. Keep your eyes and ears open for more top-drawer remixes - of Terry Lynn, The Leisure Allstars and Loungeclash - all set to drop in the coming months. Add to this his ‘under the counter’ rewirings of pop smashes under the name Mr Blennd on his Rhythm’n’Booze imprint and you have a prolific producer that manages to keep quality his priority while the quantity does not suffer.
Mr Benn’s talent isn’t confined to production work either. His skill as a DJ and selector have seen his inspired mixes broadcast on Ninja Tune’s Solid Steel radio show and led to him gracing the turntables of many a sweaty club. A regular fixture at the best venues in Bristol, you can catch Benn DJing as part of the Bristol Hi-Fi collective alongside Massive Attack’s Daddy G, Queen Bee and MC Souls Liberation. As well as keeping his locals happy, Mr Benn is no stranger to taking in exotic trips to far-flung dance floors. Recent sets in the UK and Europe, and at The Big Chill Festival, Sunday Best’s Bestival, and WOMAD events around the world have ensured the riddims run far and wide for all you party people.
RELEASES:
Looking For A Style - Bantam (Oak Groove)
Skatwell - Mr Benn (Oak Groove)
Take It Back/The Jump - Mr Benn ft. Souls Liberation (Leisure Recordings)
Trubble - Mr Benn ft. Blackout JA (Leisure Recordings)
The Jump (Martin Brew remix)/Trubble (Jugoe remix) - Mr Benn (Leisure recordings)
Long Time - Mr Benn ft. Blak Twang & Blackout J.A. (Square One Sound)
REMIXES:
Haus Am Wald - Tuff Love (Leisure Recordings)
A Lot To Say - Leisure Allstars ft. The Good People (Leisure Recordings)
Rock This World - YES KING (YES KING)
Two Planets - The Magic Fly (Bastard Jazz)
Watch We - Horace Andy (Choice Cuts)
we've got one for freestyle & tru-thoughts lovers in Bristol... SAT 28th NOV @ Lab, Bristol
WabiSabi presents... LACK OF AFRO - album launch party!! (DJ set) FLEVANS feat Sarah Scott - DJ & live PA SWEET LAREDO - full live smoked-out jazz & soul band plus support from WabiSabi DJs and Tim Spencer (MoshiMoshi)
£5 adv. tickets - FREE if you have an afro (wigs allowed)!!!
Hello mate, love what you do... i've bought many of your releases and they always work on the dance floor.
we've got one for freestyle & tru-thoughts lovers in Bristol... SAT 28th NOV @ Lab, Bristol
WabiSabi presents... LACK OF AFRO - album launch party!! (DJ set) FLEVANS feat Sarah Scott - DJ & live PA SWEET LAREDO - full live smoked-out jazz & soul band plus support from WabiSabi DJs and Tim Spencer (MoshiMoshi)
£5 adv. tickets - FREE if you have an afro (wigs allowed)!!!
Hey Monsieur Ben, "Let me entertain you" New special with Jennie bellestar Mathias on my player. Come hear, dance and let me a com. in three words please. Original rude girl and boy special stuff inna UK/French collab.
just came by to let you know, there is a new Feature Funk series from Manmade. Featuring Basementfreaks, Slynk, Funkanomics and Manmade (CMC&.Silenta Edit).
good to hear :) got a heavy remix he's done for new max romeo track, can't send out just yet but will make sure you're on the list when I do... you playing this Norman Rd street party later? Shall be passing through.
On 11 & 12/09/09 the Krakrock-crew launches 'Club Soda'. With a lot of good vibes and a very strong line-up, a collection of excellent DJ’s and international, border crossing VJ’s will bring you a fresh mix of drum’n’bass, electro, house and ragga/dancehall!. This wicked club-festival is taking place at the community center of Avelgem, on the border of East- and West-Flanders and Hainaut.
Have a great party with D.I.M. (Boys Noize Rec.), Radioclit, DJ Cut Killer, South Rakkas Crew, Shy FX feat Stamina MC, Rakkalicious, Wontime, La Fille d'O, ...
