| Ben Frost | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Origin | Box Hill, Victoria, Australia |
| Genres | Experimental music, electronica, industrial, noise, postminimalism |
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Labels | Room40,Architecture Label,Bedroom Community |
Ben Frost (born 1980 in Melbourne Australia, now based in Reykjavík, Iceland) is a musician, composer and producer. Frost is probably most widely recognized for his experimental music drawing widely on influences of minimalism, post-punk, black metal and noise best demonstrated on the 2007 release "Theory of Machines" and 2009's "BY THE THROAT"
Frost's compositional catalogue includes Music for Sad Children (2001, independently produced and released), the ambient guitar exploration Steel Wound (2003, and reissued in 2007), Room40), described by Pitchfork Media as "an exemplary ambient experience",[1] and the widely critically acclaimed LP 'Theory of Machines' on the Icelandic record label Bedroom Community, an album which earned Frost massive critical acclaim and it could be said, cemented his place as an artist on the global stage.
"This is the album which is to cement his name as one of the most interesting and groundbreaking producers in the world today... Theory of Machines is the future of electronic music." Boomkat
"Simply awesome... Frost reminds us that minimalism was never just the polished sheen of Reich and Glass, but also the sweat and grime of Michael Gira's Swans... A deeper, darker minimalism- menacing and claustrophobic... This is Arvo Pärt as arranged by Trent Reznor... Magnificent" The Wire Magazine
"...The compositional complexity of Arvo Pärt and the sonic nothingness of Wolf Eyes...Yes, it is that good." Vice Magazine
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Early work by Frost included the independently released ambient electronic Ep Music for Sad Children (2000) and "Steel Wound" which was one of the first releases of the now established and widely acclaimed Room40 record label. Early collaborations were with fellow Australian artists such as David Bridie and rock band Something for Kate.
In addition to his acclaimed solo work Frost is an avid collaborator who works across a variety of media including film, contemporary dance and theatre. Acclaimed artists such as Wayne McGregor/Random Dance, Tim Hecker, Amiina, American Composer Nico Muhly and Björk. He is the closest collaborator of Icelandic Producer/Engineer/Composer Valgeir Sigurðsson with whom Frost shares Sigurðsson's recording facility Greenhouse Studios Reykjavik Iceland. Frost has contributed various programming and performance work to Sigurðsson's productions and it is within Greenhouse that the majority of Frost's work is produced, often in collaboration of Sigurðsson. And in 2005 Sigurðsson, Frost and Nico Muhly formed the independent record label Bedroom Community as an outlet for a series of internationally recognized releases including Frost's Theory of Machines and BY THE THROAT.
In 2010 Ben Frost was hand selected as a protége by artist and musician Brian Eno as part of the Rolex Mentor and Protége initiative
Ben Frost is also a composer for film. Most recently for Sleeping Beauty the directorial debut of Julia Leigh. The film was selected for the main competition at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.
Frost is also a member of Cicada, a contemporary arts collective that produces large scale audio visual installations and performances that focus on the intersection between biology and technology- a relationship perhaps best demonstrated in the Audio/Video installation piece MOB, an exploration of the human crowd, that utilized schooling fish and processed choral recordings.
Frost is occasionally confused with fellow Australian visual artist Ben Frost. Both are of similar age and have actually previously collaborated on projects together.
After a single original visit in 2002 culminating in collaborations with Valgeir Sigurðsson and a remix commission from Björk, In early 2005 Frost relocated to and has since become a permanent resident of Reykjavík, Iceland. Since 2005 he has collaborated with various local artists and musicians including The Icelandic Dance Company, meanwhile using Iceland as a base from which to work, travel and perform throughout the US and Europe. A strong opponent of the industrialization of Iceland and vocal critic on various local issues such as the non-development of public transportation, Frost has occasionally written for the Reykjavík newspaper Grapevine, and lent his catalogue to environmental movements such as Náttúra.
As a performer Frost has performed extensively throughout Europe, the US and Australia. His live performances are guitar oriented, utilizing real-time signal processing and several high powered Guitar and Bass Amplifiers such as the Ampeg SVT and often contain moments of extreme volume with a particular emphasis on the sub-bass aspects of his work. In a live setting this makes for extremely physical performances that can verge on infrasonic.
"...with processed guitar, stacks of amps, feedback and a command of the stage - the guy knows how to present his music in a visually arresting way. Two old-school cassette recorders sat miked at each end of his performance rig, matched by two stacks of amps and speakers off in back and two the sides. Ben attacks his material physically, working the rig with his whole body." -Regarding Ben Frost's performance at Mutek 2008 in Montreal Canada noisepages.com
Frost regularly performed live between 2002-2005 as School of Emotional Engineering -A live band formed to perform work from the Ben Frost album of the same name. S.E:E was composed of four to five performers, focusing less on the computer oriented compositions of his current work and more on a sound influenced by post rock.
Between 2003-2004 Frost performed regularly as a member of the now defunct Sydney-based band The Husbands alongside fellow experimental artists Oren Ambarchi and Scott Horscroft. The Husbands was a 9-12 piece band consisting mostly of guitarists, largely inspired by the work of Glenn Branca and Rhys Chatham. The Husbands few, but notorious live performances culminated in a live collaboration with ex-Can (band) vocalist Damo Suzuki. The Husbands, along with Horscroft's acclaimed 2003 Lp 8 Guitars provided the main influence for Frost's 2007 piece Music For 6 Guitars which has been performed at a handful of mostly European festivals.
Guillermo Escudero. "Interview with Ben Frost". Loop Magazine. http://www.loop.cl/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=26. Retrieved September 19, 2006.
Cyclic Defrost Sebastian Chan. "Interview with Ben Frost". Cyclic Defrost Magazine. http://www.cyclicdefrost.com/article.php?article=250. Retrieved December 23, 2006.
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