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, 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, Serocee, Top Cat, Tenor Fly, MC Zulu and more - are currently being whipped into shape in the studio and are destined for his debut album, due to drop early 2011.

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.

Biography supplied by artist management 2011
Photograph by Ben Dowden

Mr Benn

Mr Benn intro ...

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