Benge is the artist name of Ben Edwards (born 1967), a musician and producer based in London, England. The main focus of his work is within the experimental electronic music field.[1]
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He launched the record label Expanding Records as an outlet for his debut album Electro-orgoustic Music in 1995. The label, which focuses on instrumental electronic music, continued to grow and now has a roster of approximately 20 artists from around the world. He also runs a music studio called Play Studios in London which houses a large collection of vintage electronic synthesisers and other recording equipment.[2]
In 2008 Benge released his tenth studio album Twenty Systems, a concept album which featured twenty tracks made on twenty different synthesisers between the years 1968 - 1988 and an accompanying book describing the instruments and the development of the synthesiser in general. The album was called 'a brilliant contribution to the archaeology of electronic music' by Brian Eno.[3]
Benge has been involved in several collaborations over the years. See below for a further discography. He has also been involved in the production of other artists records which were recorded at his London studio. Recent albums by Tunng, Beth Jeans Houghton and Hannah Peel have all been recorded and mixed there with Benge's involvement (alongside Mike Lindsay of Tunng). Benge has also co-produced an album by singer songwriter Serafina Steer, Change is Good.
Benge co-wrote and produced an album with John Foxx (founder of Ultravox!) released in early 2011 under the name John Foxx & The Maths. The album Interplay gained wide critical acclaim.[5] Benge has also performed live with John Foxx and The Maths, including a nine date UK tour, plus festivals in Poland and Belgium. A second album The Shape of Things by John Foxx and the Maths was announced for release prior to the tour in October 2011 and was initially on sale at concerts only.
Benge has also recorded collaborative albums under the following names: Volume (with Richard Lee and Paul Elliott), Tennis (with Douglas Benford), Stendec (with Paul Merritt), Oblong (with Dave Nice and Sid Stronarch), Wrangler (with Phil Winter of Tunng), and Great Guns (with Jean Gabriel Becker).