Young Canadian DJ and producer Benjamin Muñoz has a thing about video game soundtracks and, having spent two years residing on our sunny isle, UK dance music. Combining the two, his ultimate aim is to make underground dance music for an anime world like Cowboy Bebop or Tekkonkinkreet, and the soft jazzy distortion of recent single Melle does just that. About to release an EP on UK label Push & Run, he’s one to keep an eye on.
Easing you gently into the easter weekend, Benjamin has made us a sleepy mix full of ups and downs; jazz and industrial sci-fi sounds. Slip into an altered state and dive deep into dreamland with music from the likes of Kenji Kawai of Ghost In The Shell and Brian Eno. You might think you’ve reached a safe space, but trust us, it won’t last long. What a trip!
What inspires your music?
The desire to bring into the world more of the values that I perceive in certain people, art, sound, places and things around me.
What was the first album you ever bought?
I think the Strokes’ Is this It. It could have been Hilary Duff though tbh.
Do you ever fall asleep to music? If so, what?
I did for years – anything low-key. But then someone told me you shouldn’t fall asleep with headphones on cause the wire can strangle you in your sleep, so that kinda ended that.
What’s the best dream you’ve ever had?
Yeah if I could only remember them…
If you could wake up tomorrow having gained a new ability, what would you choose?
The ability to take fear out of the equation.
What is the ultimate Sunday morning record?
Ohhh not fair! There are so many classics, any Nina Simone, Yusef Lateef’s Morning, Marcos Valle… maybe something lesser known… there’s a really great Montréal artist called Un Blonde. His record ‘Good Will Come to You’ is Sunday morning music if I’ve ever heard it.
What movie do you think your music would best soundtrack?
Tekkonkinkreet, Mind Game or a series like FLCL. I always make tunes with visual art and anime in mind and those are usual go-tos. But part of what makes those anime so good is their incredible sounds tracks. A yet unmade anime in that vein?
Finish the sentence: the music sounds better with…
high quality ADC/DAC 🙂
Credits
Text Frankie Dunn