Rise of the Machinist
On his first India tour, Benjamin Damage, speaks about his ‘struggle’ and his passion
Scaling the charts of popularity since his first launch two years ago, Benjamin Damage has been travelling the world, adding thousands to his fan following every day. But, the story behind what looks like quick success, is one of genuine struggle. “I’ve been working on music for a long time but everything didn’t quite click until a few years ago. Ever since I got a studio in Berlin, I’ve felt a lot more comfortable writing and producing,” he says.
While based in Berlin now, Benjamin is originally from Wales. The techno producer is quick to say, “I’m no concert pianist,” as he talks about music during his younger days, when he learned the piano for a few years. And the bridge between the child in front of a piano and the musician today, is his love for machines. “I always liked synths and machines and building up everything in sequencers,” he says.
For his first tour of India, Benjamin Damage comes with the Red Bull Music Academy. Talking about his association with the academy, he says, “I applied to go to the Red Bull Music Academy in New York. They pick around 30 people from a few thousand every year to go for two weeks of lectures, shows and studio time and it’s a really great experience.”
India is a mystery that he is waiting to unravel and the excitement is evident on his social media. “Everyone I talk to, says it’s (India) really crazy, but amazing without going into too much details as to why that is! So I’m not really sure what to expect but, I know it will be a great adventure,” he says. Benjamin’s “haunting melodies, intricate rhythms and vicious bass,” as Beatport defines it, found support with the likes of Jackmaster, Sinden and Seb Chew and received radio play.
In his new EP, which was released on May 23, he works with the old school bass synthesiser TB-303. It is this raw factor that keeps the crowds going to his gigs. And playing with passion is what this artiste looks forward too as well. “I’ve got a hardware live show that I’m working on at the moment. There’s no computer, just all machines and totally live and non-linear. I find it more exciting that way. Also I’m working hard on a new album, a follow up to Heliosphere,” he says.