Ben Weinman
| Ben Weinman | |
|---|---|
 Weinman live at the Gods of Metal festival in 2008 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Benjamin A. Weinman |
| Born | August 8, 1975 |
| Genres | Heavy metal, hardcore punk, experimental rock, progressive rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Guitar, programming, keyboards, piano, bass, drums, vocals |
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Labels | Season of Mist, Party Smasher, Relapse, Epitaph |
| Associated acts | The Dillinger Escape Plan, Giraffe Tongue Orchestra, Kimbra |
Ben Weinman (born August 8, 1975) is an American musician, most notable for being the lead guitarist for the band the Dillinger Escape Plan. He is the founder and sole constant member through the band's career (1997-2017).
Weinman was named one of SPIN Magazine's 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time[1] and one of the 20 Most Influential Metal Guitarists Of The Modern Era by VH1.[2] Weinman was named one of Guitar World Magazine's 50 fastest guitar players of all time alongside guitar players such as Eddie Van Halen and Les Paul.[3] He was named one of Guitar World's Top 25 Cult Guitarists in 2009,[4] and one of the top modern Metal Guitar players by metalsucks.com.[5] Weinman has also been listed on About.com as an example of today's most important musicians under their definition of "guitarist" and was named one Alternative Press Magazine's "10 Favorite Guitar Slingers".[6]
He follows a straight edge[7] and pescetarian[8] lifestyle.
Early life
Weinman grew up in Morris Plains, New Jersey.[9] He attended Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison, New Jersey where he first received a degree in psychology and then in corporate communications, a field in which he worked for some time afterwards.[8]
Career and work in the Dillinger Escape Plan
Weinman, Chris Pennie, Dimitri Minakakis and Adam Doll began the Dillinger Escape Plan in 1997. Thereafter, Weinman gradually shifted his focus on being a full-time musician and eventually quit his corporate job.[8]
Weinman has been involved in the production of all the band's releases since their self-titled debut EP, as well as various other musical works. Weinman has self-managed or has been involved with the management of The Dillinger Escape Plan since the band's inception.
On February 6, 2012, Weinman appeared on the VH1 series Metal Evolution in the final episode on progressive metal[10] where The Dillinger Escape Plan was quoted as being "the world's most dangerous band".
The band's second full-length album, Miss Machine, was the first album released by record label Relapse Records to make the Billboard charts. Weinman's first full-length studio album with The Dillinger Escape Plan, entitled Calculating Infinity, was listed in the book The Top 500 Heavy Metal Albums of All Time by Martin Popoff. Calculating Infinity was also named one of "100 best rock albums of all time" by Kerrang magazine, who presented Weinman with a spirit of independence award.
Known for his outspoken views on the music industry, he has contributed to various publications and spoken at universities and conferences on the subjects of music production and the music business.[11] Weinman's business techniques and philosophies have been discussed, and featured, in publications such as the Huffington Post[12] and Bloomberg Businessweek.[13]
Other projects
Weinman has performed with acts such as Nine Inch Nails and System of a Down.
It has been confirmed in an interview[14] that Weinman is collaborating with New Zealand-born artist Kimbra (perhaps best known for her contributions to the Gotye hit "Somebody That I Used To Know") on the follow-up to her debut album, "Vows". He also collaborated with rapper Wyclef Jean, contributing drums to a song which has not been released yet.[8] Weinman also composed the score for the 2014 film Alien Abduction.
In 2012, Weinman founded the group Giraffe Tongue Orchestra. In 2016, he released the debut album Broken Lines with it.[15]
Influences and guitar technique
Ben Weinman cited John McLaughlin, Robert Fripp, Greg Ginn and Stevie Ray Vaughan as his biggest influences.[16] He also mentioned Marty Friedman of Megadeth as one of the first musicians that led him into investigating more eclectic types of guitar work.[17]
Equipment
At NAMM 2014 ESP announced the release of Weinman's first signature guitar, the BW-1, which is based on the company's PS-1 "Xtone" model. He is also known for frequently playing the ESP H and MH series. Weinman has been seen using a variety of amps in the studio, ranging from a Bogner Uberschall, a Laney GH50L and a Marshall JCM, but he mainly uses Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifiers and a Mark V for live performances.
Discography
The Dillinger Escape Plan
Giraffe Tongue Orchestra
- Broken Lines (2016)
Other collaborations
| Year | Artist or band | Song | Album | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Zach Hill and Benjamin Weinman Experiment[18] | "Untitled" | Available on Ben Weinman's Myspace page[19] | |
| 2009 | Ephel Duath | "Bark Loud" | Through My Dog's Eyes | Contributed programming |
| 2012 | For Sleeping or Jumping[20] | "Beardrops" | Dead Languages | Contributed synth and drum programming |
| 2013 | Ben Weinman and Kim Thayil | "Nanna Banana" | Mansoor, Weinman, & Abasi EP | Part of Guitar World's subscription offer.[21] |
| 2013 | Ben Weinman and Dweezil Zappa | "Vices" | Mansoor, Weinman, & Abasi EP | Part of Guitar World's subscription offer.[21] |
| 2014 | Kimbra | "Sugar Lies" | The Golden Echo | Contributed guitar |
Remixes
| Year | Artist or band | Song | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | The Secret Handshake | "Too Young (Dillinger Escape Plan Remix)" | Summer of '98 |
| 2008 | Thrice | "Digital Sea (Dillinger Remix)" | Come All You Weary |
| 2008 | Lil Wayne | "Mr. Carter (Go Harder Remix)" | |
| 2009 | Candiria | "Paradigm Shift (Ben Weinman Ignite Remix)" | Toying With the Insanities: Volume II |
| 2009 | Bring Me the Horizon | "No Need For Introductions, I've Read About Girls Like You on the Backs of Toilet Doors (Benjamin Weinman)" | Suicide Season: Cut Up! |
| 2010 | Violent Soho | "Jesus Stole My Girlfriend (Dillinger Escape Plan Remix)" | |
| 2010 | Iwrestledabearonce | "Tastes Like Kevin Bacon (The Benjamin Weinman Remix)" | It's All Remixed |
| 2011 | As I Lay Dying | "Wrath Upon Ourselves (Benjamin Weinman Remix)" | Decas |
| 2011 | Whitechapel | "This Is Exile (Ben Weinman remix)" | Recorrupted |
| 2012 | Lacuna Coil | "Trip the Darkness (Ben Weinman remix)" | Underworld Awakening (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) |
References
- ↑ Nothing found for Articles Spins 100 Greatest Guitarists All Time?page=3
- ↑ "20 Most Influential Metal Guitarists Of The Modern Era". VH1.com. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
- ↑ "50 Fastest Guitarists of All Time". Guitar World. Future US, Inc. November 20, 2008. Retrieved June 29, 2009.
- ↑ di Perna, Alan; Gill, Chris; Grow, Kory; Lalaina, Joe; Scapelliti, Christopher (May 26, 2009). "Cult Leaders". Guitar World. Future US, Inc. Archived from the original on May 31, 2009. Retrieved June 29, 2009.
- ↑ "#13: BEN WEINMAN (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN)". MetalSucks.net. May 18, 2011. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
- ↑ "Features - Alternative Press". AltPress.com. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
- ↑ Teitelman, Bram (January 24, 2012). "Exclusive: The Dillinger Escape Plan’s Ben Weinman – "Drugs Are Not Part Of Our Creative Process"". Metal Insider. Retrieved June 7, 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 Hartmann, Graham (September 14, 2016). "The Dillinger Escape Plan's Ben Weinman - Wikipedia: Fact or Fiction?". Loudwire. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
- ↑ Garcia, Alfa. "Morris Plains-based metal rockers The Dillinger Escape Plan will perform in Manhattan", The Record (Bergen County), March 11, 2010. Accessed May 19, 2016. "Wilson and bandmates Greg Puciato, Jeff Tuttle, Billy Rymer and Ben Weinman (founding member and Morris Plains native) spend their performances dodging head stocks, guitars and body parts, at the same time challenging their listeners to participate."
- ↑ playlist.jhtml Archived February 10, 2012, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ Loyola University Film and Music Industry Studies (July 15, 2011). "Arts & Entertainment Industry Forum: Ben Weinman of The Dillinger Escape Plan". Retrieved March 16, 2017 – via YouTube.
- ↑ Ph.D, Michael Friedman (June 10, 2016). "Ben Weinman and the Business of Responsible Creativity". HuffingtonPost.com. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
- ↑ "What a New Jersey Metal Band Knows About Working From Home". March 15, 2013. Retrieved March 16, 2017 – via www.Bloomberg.com.
- ↑ "Kimbra To Collab With The Dillinger Escape Plan Guitarist For New Album - Music Feeds". MusicFeeds.com.au. July 28, 2012. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
- ↑ GIRAFFE TONGUE ORCHESTRA Feat. ALICE IN CHAINS, MASTODON, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN Members: 'Crucifixion' Song, blabbermouth.net, June 19, 2016
- ↑ Massie, Andrew (July 15, 2015). "The Rockpit interviews | BEN WEINMAN | DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN". The Rockpit. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
- ↑ "Ben Weinman Hangs Out With His Idol Marty Friedman in 'Metalhead to Head'" (video). Fuse. www.fm.tv. June 3, 2014. Event occurs at 2:30. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
- ↑ "ZACH HILL". Facebook.com. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
- ↑ "BENJAMIN WEINMAN - Listen and Stream Free Music, Albums, New Releases, Photos, Videos". Myspace.com. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
- ↑ "For Sleeping or Jumping Hook Up With Dillinger Escape Plan Guitarist on ‘Beardrops’ — Song Premiere". NoiseCreep.com. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
- 1 2 "Preview Exclusive New Tracks by Tosin Abasi, Misha Mansoor, Ben Weinman, Kim Thayil and Dweezil Zappa". GuitarWorld.com. August 16, 2013. Retrieved March 16, 2017.