Ben Watt
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Ben Watt (born 6 Dec, 1962, London) is half of UK pop-folk-electronica duo Everything But The Girl with a career spanning more than twenty-five years (from acclaimed early 80’s folk-jazz solo recordings on London indie Cherry Red to a global and US Billboard Number 1 - ‘Missing’ - with EBTG in 1995). Since the mid nineties he has risen to international DJ status largely after his and EBTG partner Tracey Thorn's interpretations of electronica in the mid-nineties (‘Walking Wounded’, ‘Protection’ with Massive Attack, ‘Temperamental’).
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[edit] Biography
In 1998 he established the seminal London Deep House Sunday club and compilation series, Lazy Dog, with Jay Hannan. Moving away from EBTG's mainstream eclecticism and into club-oriented dance music production, he also turned out an accompanying string of acclaimed dance floor remixes including 5-star re-rubs for Sade, Sunshine Anderson, Zero 7, Maxwell, Meshell Ndegeocello and Sandy Rivera. Lazy Dog folded at the top after five years of sell-out shows around the world and compilation sales of 100,000.
Unfailing in his energy and enthusiasm for music, in April 2003 Ben launched his own independent record label and club night, Buzzin' Fly - a new benchmark on the club scene with a cluster of revered underground hits and his series of best-selling Buzzin’ Fly mix CDs (Buzzin’ Fly Vols 1, 2 and 3). Committed to new talent the label has already unearthed Justin Martin (Breakthrough DJ nominee at House Music Awards 2004 and 2005), Naples’ minimal giant, Abyss and Portugal’s Darkmountaingroup . The label won Best Breakthrough Label at the House Music Awards 2004.
From 2002-2005 as part-owner-founder of new West London nightclubs Neighbourhood and Cherry Jam, he orchestrated the music policy and image of both venues, helping establish their reputation at the forefront of the capital’s club scene. Under his creative direction Cherry Jam's intimate surroundings hosted packed underground club nights as well as The Libertines' first official debut show, art exhibitions and the long-running spoken word night, Book Slam. At Neighbourhood, Watt brought in big guns like Groove Armada, the Rough Trade Records 25th Anniversary, the inaugural prestigious House Music Awards and a string of international DJs to guest at his own in-house nights until his resignation in June 2005.
Now a central figure on London's club scene he DJs regularly in the capital as well as all over Europe, Australia and North America with regular sell-out shows in many metropolitan cities. 2005 saw him tour extensively on the festival circuit (Good Vibrations, Homelands, Coachella, Ibiza, Lovebox Weekender, Electric Picnic) and he currently fronts Buzzin’ Fly’s two new London residencies – monthly underground Sundays at Plastic People, and quarterly events at The End.
In Sep 2005, Watt received two nominations in the House Music Awards 2005 –Most Innovative Producer, Outstanding A&R – as well as one for Label Of The Year for Buzzin’ Fly.
Apart from a life in music, his graphic and poetic autobiographical book, Patient, (1996) detailing his battle with a rare life-threatening auto-immune disease four years earlier was published to wide acclaim by Penguin (a Sunday Times Book Of The Year, Esquire Non-Fiction Award Finalist). The book was successfully published in the US (Grove-Atlantic) and he memorably toured North America in 1997 doing book readings in the evenings and DJing at night in the same town.
He lives in London with partner Tracey Thorn and their three children.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Singles
- "Cant" (Cherry Red Records) - June 1981
- "Summer Into Winter EP" (Cherry Red Records) with Robert Wyatt - March 1982
- "Some Things Don't Matter" (Cherry Red Records) - February 1983
- "Lone Cat" (Buzzin' Fly / dist. Amato) - April 2003
- "A Stronger Man" with Sananda Maitreya (Buzzin' Fly) - Jan 2004
- "Outspoken - Part 1" (Buzzin' Fly) - Jan 2005
including "Pop A Cap In Yo' Ass" with Estelle and "Attack, Attack, Attack" with Baby Blak
- "Buzzin' Fly Vol 2 EP" (Buzzin' Fly) - This release features "Le Boom" by Justin Martin remixes of "Lone Cat (Holding On)" by Justin Martin, and "Pop A Cap In Yo Ass" by Ben Watt featuring Estelle - April 2005
[edit] Album
- North Marine Drive (Cherry Red Records BRED 40) - February 1983
[edit] Various Artist Albums mixed by Ben Watt
- Lazy Dog (Virgin Records) with Jay Hannan - October 2000
- Lazy Dog Vol 2 (Virgin Records) with Jay Hannan - March 2002
- Buzzin' Fly Vol 1: Replenishing Music For The Modern Soul CD (Buzzin' Fly) - March 2004
- Buzzin' Fly Vol 2: Replenishing Music For The Modern Soul CD (Buzzin' Fly) - April 2005
- Buzzin' Fly Vol 3: CD (Buzzin' Fly) - June 2006
[edit] Books
This was a detailed account of Watt's ordeal with the autoimmune disease, Churg-Strauss syndrome.
