Benji B
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Benji B is an influential underground DJ. He presents a radio show called Deviation on BBC 1Xtra every Thursday night from midnight, and has developed a reputation as a skilled DJ, musical tastemaker and award-winning radio producer and presenter. He is known to many as the “Deejay’s DJ".
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[edit] Musical approach
His radio shows and DJ sets blend tunes from various genres of underground soul music – broken beats, hip-hop, house, garage, jazz, soul or Detroit techno. A musician from the age of seven, Benji played saxophone for 14 years. He achieved all of the eight musical grades by the time he was 16, playing on stage at various clubs around London. He was a player and then a teacher of the “Gamelan” (The Balinese and Javanese music of Indonesia) for 10 years at the South Bank Centre in London.
[edit] Worldwide
Aged 16, Benji B started a radio programme with collaborator Gilles Peterson called Worldwide, and produced the live show for Kiss FM for two years. He was then employed by Somethin’ Else productions, where he set up an international syndication for the programme, broadcast at first in Finland and France, eventually providing the two hour weekly show to seventeen countries worldwide.
It was in this period that Benji B developed his trademark hard disk editing and production sound. He began to approach his post-production of the international show as if he were making one long two hour track. Eventually he was asked to re-mix, re-arrange and re-edit tunes for record labels and artists around the globe, including the likes of King Britt and Carl Craig.
[edit] Move to Radio 1
Benji continued to work with Gilles Peterson when the show moved from Kiss FM to BBC Radio 1, and Benji became the youngest ever producer to be making shows for the national station.[1] The show developed a unique sound as a result of the sonic approach Benji B had applied in the studio, and along with its groundbreaking documentaries, mixes, interviews and features, the show won the prestigious Gold Sony Radio Academy Award in 1999.
In 2000 Benji travelled to Nigeria to make a radio documentary about the late Fela Kuti, in 2001 to New York to make a programme about rap and street poets, and in his time behind the scenes has interviewed many influential artists, including the likes of Chuck D, Herbie Hancock, Pete Rock, Pharoah Sanders, Pharoah Monche, Tito Puente, Erykah Badu, Femi Kuti, Roy Ayers, and more. He also initiated and created series of unplugged-style unique recordings at the BBC’s legendary Maida Vale studios, producing the likes of Bilal, Musiq Soulchild, Jill Scott and India Arie.
[edit] Djing on 1Xtra
When the BBC's digital new black music radio station BBC 1Xtra launched in August 2002, Benji was asked to present his own show, which is broadcast every Thursday from midnight for two hours. Since its launch, the programme has developed an international following. In March 2003 Benji broadcast live from the Miami Winter Music Conference alongside special guest Jazzy Jeff.
