Ben Mono, aka Paul Beller, hails from Munich, Germany. 29-year-old Ben is here touring Australia in support of the 2005 Amnesty International Freedom Festival. Ben has released four 12-inches on Compost Records and also a full artist album. He has also released various 12-inches on Compost, and Spinning Wheel  under the monikers Force & Paul and Space Clique, and has also written soundtracks for films in Germany. ITM’s evilchris2 caught up with Ben to get the lowdown on his history and upcoming tour.

You originally studied bass at Munich’s Conservatorium of Music; how has this academic background exerted an influence upon the sort of music you are working on these days?

The funny thing is that i am really trying to make my music as less academical and as spontaneous as possible. But sure, the most important thing ive learned during my studies was the ability to really listen and to analyse what ist really is that i am listening to. Harmonicwise as soundwise.

I understand that you’ve been involved in composing music for film soundtracks, including the collaborations with Gary Marlowe ‘Framed’ and ‘Styx.’ What exactly did these projects involve and what sorts of priorities / considerations did you have when creating music to accompany this imagery?

The soundtrack-approach is a totally different one compared to my album material. While with my own music I always try to build up vibes and suspense myself, a soundtrack shows up an extremely different approach when it comes to arrangement and overall dynamics. The funny thing is that i can really learn a lot from the way movies are being edited and arranged dramaticwise as storywise and can use this experience when working on my music.

You’ve stated in the past that you’re a great fan of the ‘open source’ nature of the internet as a way of exchanging ideas / technology, and that your ‘daily work of updating is based on the internet’ – do you still find this is as / more true these days?

Yes, I even must say the longer I am using the global dataflow the more i become dependent on it. I actually see it as a given fact that while the world wide web really harm artists CD sales, nowadays as a logical side effect it also helps heeps broaden promotion opportunities and spreading my name. So it’s a blessing you won’t miss and a curse at the same time.

You’re also someone who loves to travel; how do you find this experience of travelling introduces you to new influences and affects the sorts of musical avenues that you end up exploring?

Ive finally reached that point where i seem to adjust better to my new environment… and also i find it much easier to transfer new fresh impressions into my music. But most of all it’s the crowd that is really different in every country.
So my DJing in so many different places really affects the way i am arranging and producing my songs.
 
You’ve commented that as an artist, you don’t differentiate between the work of musicians and DJs, being instead focussed on ‘what sounds new’ – I was curious to find out more about the ways in which this approach informs your creative process?

I think being a DJ or musician is sort of a similar situation on stage. It’s kind of  a communication-process between me, my music and the crowd. It really surprises me from time to time how strong the audience can influence the way i am DJing.
And I am actually really bad, if there is no feedback coming from the opposite part of the dj booth.

So even if I just play records, there is definitely a million ways to do that and to convince people of your taste or not. So i am struggling with the same problems as musicians do from time to time.

You’re also stated that you don’t like music ‘which is too complex for the sake of complexity’; how does this tie into your preferred use of expressive vocal parts?

Vocals really hold a tune together in my eyes. The best example for that i think is R’n’B. You just need a beat and you put some strong vocals on top. There you go, nothing else is needed and you have your number one hit. That’s sort of my recipe I try to stick to for my next album.  Because also I very often tend to overproduce my music a little.

Have you commenced work on a follow-up to your last album, 2003’s ‘Dual’ at this stage? How do the newer tracks you’ve been working on compare to this release / can you detect any stylistic progressions / developments?

Yes, as I mentioned before it will be more of a hip hop thing. There will be mostly rappers being involved in this album like Capitol A, Soul Sanchez, Main Flow and others. But i am really trying to get away from all these classic hiphop clichees, and use some more advanced electronic sounds instead. Actually a new genre is born – I call it “Bit-Hop”.

What sorts of things can Australian audiences expect at your upcoming shows as part of Amnesty International’s Freedom Festival 05? How would you describe your DJ sets for those who haven’t seen you in action before?

That will change from night to night according to the crowd, the vibes and my warmup DJ. Very often a resident really gives his best playing his favorites tunes.
So it is sort of a challenge bringing the tempo a little bit down again by playing downtempo stuff and starting a second round of some uplifting house-disco-electro-whatsoever tunes.

Will this be your first visit to Australia? What sorts of things / local artists are you particularly keen to check out whilst you’re here?

Yes, it’s my first time being here and I just recently hung out with deepchild.
Seems that we are sort of on the same wavelength. Also Kid Kenobi´s management approached me asking for a coop. Would love to work with him in the studio – lets see if that’s gonna workout.

What sorts of musical plans do you have now, up til the end of ‘05?

I will actually be on tour all over Asia, covering Singapore, Bangkok, Hongkong, Shanghai, Beijing and Tokyo. Just in time for being back to Germany around December 15th and leaving to play in Mexico on New Years Eve. After that the final treatment on my new album has top priority. So that i can bring it out around April 2006.

Ben Mono is currently touring the country playing the Freedom Festival alongside Ursula Rucker and many more. Remaining dates include:

Fri Sep 30 – Brisbane, The Globe (BUY TICKETS)
Thu Oct 6 – Melbourne, Honkytonks
Fri Oct 7 – Perth, Rosemount Hotel
Sat Oct 8 – Adelaide, Crown & Sceptre (BUY TICKETS)
Sun Oct 9 – Sydney, The Studio