Benjamin Benstead, known professionally as Benji B, is a British DJ, radio presenter, and record producer. A longtime BBC Radio producer and presenter, he has presented a weekly show on BBC Radio 1 since 2010 that highlights an eclectic mix of hip-hop, R&B, and electronica. In 2018, he was appointed music director of Louis Vuitton by Virgil Abloh, having previously consulted for Kanye West and fashion brands like Celine.
Benji B | |
|---|---|
| Born | Benjamin Benstead 1978 or 1979 (age 45–46) |
| Occupations | |
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Career | |
| Show | Benji B |
| Station | BBC Radio 1 |
| Time slot | Wednesday night - Thursday morning 23:00 – 01:00 |
| Style | DJ |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Website | deviationmusic |
Early life
editBenjamin Benstead was born in London to a composer and former dance teacher.[2] He was raised between North London and South London, and attended the Hendon School until he was sixteen. He completed his A-Levels while working at Kiss FM on the weekends.[3] As a child, he played saxophone and was in a gamelan ensemble, before becoming interested in DJ culture through pirate radio.[2]
Career
editBenji B began his professional career in 1995 when, at age sixteen, he began producing Gilles Peterson's WorldWide radio program on Kiss FM and later worked as a producer under Jez Nelson;[3] he moved to BBC Radio 1 with WorldWide in 1998. He joined BBC Radio 1xtra as a presenter when the station launched in 2002.[4][5] In September 2010, Benji B began presenting on Radio 1, taking over the 1am–3am slot Wednesday nights / Thursday mornings previously inhabited by Mary Anne Hobbs;[6] later, his show Deviation[7] began simulcasting to 1xtra and the BBC Asian Network. He also previously presented a weekly radio show called of the same name on Couleur 3, a national Swiss radio station.[6]
In 2007, he founded the London club night Deviation.[8][9] Deviation began a hiatus in 2017-2018.[2]
Since the early 2010s, he has collaborated with American rapper Kanye West. He is credited as an additional producer on the track "On Sight" from Yeezus and as co-producer on the track "Fade" from The Life of Pablo. In 2019, he helped produce the inaugural Sunday Service performance at Coachella.[10] Benji B is a credited producer on a handful of tracks by other artists including Jessie Ware.[11][12]
Benji B has a well-documented history of working with fashion brands and designers.[10] He began curating music for Savile Row runway shows before working as the music director of Céline under Phoebe Philo from 2015 to Spring 2018.[2][5] In Summer 2018, he was named the music director of Louis Vuitton by longtime friend Virgil Abloh.[13][14] Over the years, he has also worked with brands including Gieves & Hawkes, Supreme, Stussy, and Poiret.[3]
In December 2020, Benji joined a band of British jazz musicians to play on the Bitches Brew-inspired, self-titled album London Brew, which is set for release on 31 March 2023 by Concord Jazz.
In August 2024, Benji performed in "We Humans are Movement" dance spectacle as a music director and a DJ with Wayne McGregor Company and a selection of young dancers at Biennale Danza during Venice Art Biennale.[15] The show received a standing ovation. [16]
Personal life
editAs of 2015, Benji B has a record collection of 15,000 to 20,000 records.[17]
References
edit- ^ "Financial Times". www.ft.com. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
- ^ a b c d "DJ Benji B". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 1 September 2018. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
- ^ a b c "BENJI B". IP By Phoebe Lovatt. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
- ^ "Benji B". ADE. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
- ^ a b Soar, Sophie (12 November 2018). "How I Became... Music Director for Louis Vuitton Menswear". The Business of Fashion. Archived from the original on 17 January 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
- ^ a b "Benji B moves to Radio 1". Music Week. 6 September 2010. Retrieved 4 June 2012.
- ^ C, Scott (2006). "Devious deviant". Montreal Mirror. 22 (15). Communications Gratte-Ciel Ltée. Archived from the original on 16 January 2011. Retrieved 11 August 2010.
- ^ Collins, Hattie (14 April 2016). "benji b breaks down the secret of deviation's success". i-D. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
- ^ "Crate Diggin': Celebrating 10 years of Deviation with Benji B - fabric blog". fabric london. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
- ^ a b "Benji B on Working With Kanye & Virgil on Music: Listen Now Here". Highsnobiety. 22 October 2019. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
- ^ Ramli, Sofiana (7 November 2019). "Jessie Ware previews new album with clubby single 'Mirage (Don't Stop)'". NME. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
- ^ "Benji B". Discogs. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
- ^ "Benji B Appointed Music Director Of Louis Vuitton - Antonia". www.antonia.it. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
- ^ Magazine, Wallpaper* (17 January 2020). "Soundtracking fashion with Benji B". Wallpaper*. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
- ^ "Biennale College Dancers - We Humans are Movement". Venice Art Biennale official website. 5 August 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ^ "'We Humans Are Movement' Di Wayne Mcgregor - Biennale Danza 2024, Lido (VE) 2.8.2024 (Curtain Call)". YouTube. 5 August 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ^ "Crate Diggers: Benji B". The Vinyl Factory. 23 April 2015. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
Further reading
edit- Moult, Lisa (26 October 2006), "Interview with Benji B: Conducted at 2.30pm, 11 August 2004, at the Offices of the British Council, London", The Effect of Management and Policy Change on the Diversity of Output Broadcast By BBC Radio One and BBC 1xtra Between 2000–2004, University of the Witwatersrand, p. 126, retrieved 11 August 2010
