Four selections from the upcoming release-
Permission to download granted for non-commercial use.
Check out some of Ben's other releases as well...
Showing posts with label New Releases. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New Releases. Show all posts
Friday, April 20, 2012
Monday, April 12, 2010
Musical Metaphysics- Ben New's Collapsed Light
Music Reviews - by Art Sabot At Last! The long anticipated release of Collapsed Light became a reality of sorts in April.
The new CD features 15 songs which offer quite a bit of variety, everything from swampy to cosmic with just about everything in between. The CD opens with a 15/8 Mahavishnu inspired theme called Cactus Juice, that explodes into a southern swing sort of groove which celebrates celebration itself. The second offering is called EVERYBODY NEEDS A LITTLE MAGIC,
it is an ode to Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band. A heartfelt thanks for Don Van Vliet's uncompromising musical visions. The swamp guitar stylings recreate the mood of the good capt. in the verses, and refer to some of his work lyrically as well.
"Dr. Dark and me" for instance, refers to the song Dr Dark found on Lick My Decals Off.
The magic is of course the Magic Band.
Make a shamanistic gleeful noise! Alchemy! Music!
ALIEN SUN, the next number on the album,
asks the musical question "what if you woke up in an alternate universe"?
One in which you found yourself in a Sergio Leone film shoot
whose location was possibly in an unknown galaxy?
One in which you were the same but everything around you changed?
Tuco: "Hurrah! Hurrah for the Confederacy! HURRAH!
Down with General Grant!
Hurrah for General... What's his name? Lee! LEE! Ha ha.
God is with us because he hates the Yanks too. HURRAH!"
Blondie: [spits]" God is not on our side because he hates idiots also".
The 4th tune, TO GO ON, draws some inspiration, guitar wise, from Pete Townshend's work.
In general, the album is a collection of songs that share two traits,
one is they were done in the same time period of roughly all of 2009.
The other is a duality of some kind. Quantum Physics and the artistic spirit.
Possessing opposing qualities in some sense.
Light and dark. Yin and Yang, Joy and Melancholia.
Contrast is the 1st law of art as they say. And Ben is an artist who paints with musical colors both subtle and vivid.
MATEWAN is a song dedicated to Coal Miners everywhere, and the tireless efforts of the organizers who fight for fairness. It is simply about one of the seminal conflicts in American labor's struggle against economic tyranny.
Listen for the Appalachian dulcimer!
The musicianship throughout is superb as is the production. The material is artsy without really being noticeably so. If I had to make a reference, I'd say Peter Gabriel meets Depeche Mode with more focus on guitar work than either of them. Overall this is certainly one of the best releases of the year. Highly recommended.
Other standout songs include "The Somnambulist", a funk oriented piece about sleepwalking through life and "Osiris Awakes" which features ancient Egyptian funerary texts as a texture as well as the vocal talents of EVRiM .Visit The Ben New Files for more information.
Or buy the CD today (you won't regret it!) at CD Baby.
Go to the Ilike site for full listens to over half the songs and grab 3 FREE downloads!Become a fan on Facebook. There will be giveaways and exclusive music downloads.
Get Collapsed Light at Amazon.com
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
New Music - Paper Boys...The Movie
Paper Boys
The Movie
The Movie
All photography (Except Mr. New's Head Shot) is courtesy of Aware Productions who holds all copyrights New Music from the film "Paper Boys" directed by Bryan E. Hall features a soundtrack composed by Benjamin New. Some of the music has been offered as free mp3 downloads for a limited time.
Composer Benjamin New
Father and son Musicians Ben New And Ben New at work on the soundtrack for Paper Boys the movie.
"Working with Bryan (director Bryan E. Hall) was a blast, he had a very good idea of what he wanted and great communication skills to convey these ideas. On top of that the film is superbly shot and has a fantastic screenplay. The ensemble cast is top notch and I particularly liked the humorous undertones sometimes sardonic, sometimes quite subtle. As with most independent films, this is obviously a labor of love. A unique vision of coming of age complete with social ills, a healthy dose of irrepressible human spirit, and the triumph of enduring friendships."
- Benjamin New, composer-musician
Poster
Here are links to some of the music where indeed you can listen for free, download some for free, purchase the soundtrack, or individual tracks. The film will be premiering in Atlanta. The date of the world premier will be Saturday, June 20th, 7:30pm in Atlanta at the beautiful Plaza Theater on Ponce De Leon! So if you can attend by all means please do! If not look for the film in your area in the coming months.
Ben New (son) contributed drums
and "handsonic synthesis" to the music Ben New (composer) wrote for the film.
and "handsonic synthesis" to the music Ben New (composer) wrote for the film.
Two of the more cinematic pieces are "Sean and Leah's Theme" and the "Bicycle Symphony" which is composed entirely of analog tape loops created with guitar, a method favored by Robert Fripp of King Crimson, he had referred to it as "Frippertronix". Essentially 2 reel to reel decks with one acting as the recorder and another as the playback which combines an incoming source with sound being played back creating a layering effect. Also used by Terry Riley in his composition "In C".
3. Sean and Leah's Theme-Benjamin New
The soundtrack also features great tunes by
Jamie Radford, Dear Savannah,
and The Mighty Parrot Band.
Purchase tickets for the premiere and learn more at the director's blog.
The Movie's Myspace page is excellent, I highly recommend a visit.
The collection of stills and behind the scenes photos are simply not to be missed.
Independent film is really the life blood of cinema. Hat's off to the producers, director, cast and crew!
And lets all support the work by attending screenings!
See you at the movies!
All stills from the film and photos of the music production are courtesy of Aware Productions.
All stills from the film and photos of the music production are courtesy of Aware Productions.
Submitted by the editor
Director Bryan E. Hall, Benjamin C. New, And Benjamin E. New
At the composer's studio in Cape May N.J.
At the composer's studio in Cape May N.J.
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