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After a few months of much needed rest and recovery, the FROCKUP mix series returns with the very talented DJ and Producer, B.C. Slumber (Benji). We first came across Benji after hearing his Slumber Assistant: Ambient Arpeggiation for Guided Dreams release on Southern Exposure Records - a calming and reflective LP which allows the listener to find comfort within tones, charms, and melodies to assist meditation in a dream state. This has certainly been played quite a lot over the FROCKUP airwaves and I can confidently say its one of my favourite releases to come out over the past few years.
Apart from production, Benji has been keeping very busy lately, with multiple mixes being released for Skylab Radio, Area 3000's Club meditation series and China Based online Radio Baihui.Live. This brings us to the mix Benji has kindly put together for us. Like all of Benji's work, it is incredibly beautiful and soothing to the listener, taking them on a journey which continues to both inspire and nourish. Crafted from a box of healing tapes that Benji picked up in Queensland for $10, each track is warm and emotive - drawing upon the softer sounds of electronic music to create an hour long introspective exploration.
We are very excited to hear the many more releases Benji has under his sleeve, but until then check out the mix and interview below.
Hi Benji, thanks so much for being a part of the FROCKUP mix series. Howโve you been over the last year with everything going on?
The last year has been a whirlwind, but I must say I have been lucky enough to land on my feet, during the pandemic, I completed a degree, started another one, completed that one, and started teaching one. So yeah, itโs been busy, challenging, relaxing, and worrying all at the same time. The mixture of accomplishment and dread is an interesting dichotomy of feelings.
You mentioned that this mix is a sound collage piece experimenting with ambient and healing tapes you picked up from Queensland. Can you tell us about the direction you took with this mix?
Yeah, this absolute diamond of a person up north sold me a box of vintage meditation tapes for $10 and there are some old school Aussie new-age gems in there, and this mix is a little showcase of some special moments I found whilst recording them from cassette tape to my hard drive.
Last year you released Slumber Assistant: Ambient Arpeggiation for Guided Dreams on Southern Exposure Records. What informed and inspired your process while putting together this record?
First and foremost. Southern Exposure is just such a wonderful label to work with, and honestly, I am so lucky in every sense of the word to be involved with them, and of course HUB 301 who helped me get the record out.
But the record came about by exploring, all of it was recorded at home on some crappy yet wonderful synths and sound modules like the MC-303 Groovebox and the Proteus-01 and just messing with Ableton and tape machines. After about two years of this process, I thought to myself, I have enough good sketches here for an LP, and so I mastered it and self-released without really thinking about it too much.
But people started listening and asking me when it was coming out on record, and here we are.
Your contribution to Area 3000โs โChillout 3000โ seems a perfect companion to โSlumber Assistantโ. How would you describe the meditative aspects of your musical output?
I am honestly just drawn towards softer sounds, I like the feeling of sine waves and pillowy textures in my ears. It calms down my overthinking and often chaotic mind. Weirdly enough, I often use music as a way of accessing the parts of myself that I feel as more feminine or queer, and I like to explore that space in a peaceful and introspective manner.
Are there any local artists or crews youโve been loving lately? Or any parties youโre keen to check out in the coming months?
I am abit of an introvert, so parties are not something I generally reach out for. But I have some friends such as Aldonna and Marli who are always getting it done in the live scene and helping people forget about this chaotic world for a bit. As for locals, the musical output of Prizefight never ceases to baffle my mind, Cong Josie has been killing it, and basically anything that comes out of Analogue Attic Recordings.
Do you have a favourite musical memory from either the booth or the dancefloor?
A couple memories spring to mind, but dropping Paranoia by Dan Pabloโs Animals at the Slumber Assistant launch was huge, we were all just groovin and dancing in HUB301. Mind you it was about 3 hours into a 5 hour vinyl set. The other special moment was when my mate, Heatwave Tommy dropped โAHโ by Bellaire, and my boyfriend and I lost our minds.
Thanks for taking the time to chat with us. But before you go, whatโs next for you?
I am working alot more behind the scenes at the moment and as mixing and mastering engineer. But I have a Split EP coming up with someone mentioned above, Also working on a Trip Hop/Brain Dance style LP think Boards of Canada meets Floating Points. Should be fun.
To Keep up to date with B.C. Slumber, follow Benji on Facebook, Instagram and Soundcloud. Also check out Southern Exposure Records on Facebook, Instagram, Bandcamp and Soundcloud.
Photography by andxyli Words + interview by James Morgan Design by Ivy Rose