WOMAD

Mr Benn

From United Kingdom

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, dancefloor 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 has seen Mr Benn release 'Long Time', a fresher than fresh 12" with UK hip hop legend Blak Twang and Blackout JA that has 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 has found favour with the biggest names in alternative beats and bobs and has become the sound of our summer. Those that just can't get enough include heavy hitters such as Mr Scruff, DJ Yoda, Sinden, Steinski, Black Grass, you, me and them. He's got them all covered.

As well as dropping massive beats for heads and feets, obligatory remix work keeps the fires burning and DJs at bay. Effortlessly effective reworkings of Mark Rae's Yes King project and Bastard Jazz's The Magic Fly will keep him bubbling over until the album drops while further showcasing his diverse production talents and techniques. 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 as his priority while the quantity does not suffer.

A regular fixture at the best venues in Bristol, you can catch Benn DJing alongside Massive Attack's Daddy G & Queen Bee at their monthly throw down 'Bristol Hi-Fi', which resides monthly at the Dojo Lounge. 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 Austria, London, Glasgow, The Big Chill Festival, WOMAD Festivals across the world as well as Sunday Best's Bestival have ensured the riddims run far and wide for all you party people.

(Biography supplied by artist management 2008
Photograph by Ben Dowden)

Mr Benn's » Myspace Page