LISTEN: Ben Fester Debut EP On Paper-Cuts
The Sydney-siders debut EP is an excursion into breakbeat, and left-field house…
Ben Fester wears many different hats in his everyday life. DJ, event curator, father to a cute doggo - the list goes on. But today, Ben Fester puts on a different hat entirely - one entitled ‘producer’; and boy oh boy, what a hat it is. The strong kind, you know, like a fedora, or this thing. I could go on with the hat analogy, but I have many opinions on the topic, so I’ll spare you the monologue.
Lending his talents to the renowned local label Paper-Cuts, Ben’s forthcoming EP ‘Lock Box’ sits proudly alongside an all-star cast of peers, including Furious Frank, Low Flung, Hybrid Man and Rings Around Saturn. And although his biography stipulates you’ll ‘probably never hear’ any of his productions, this debut EP of his is a powerhouse introduction into what will surely be an ongoing stream of 10/10 releases.
Anyone who’s a fan of Ben Fester will know his sonic roots lie within funk, soul, and groove-heavy house, laden with worldly percussion. Look no further than his 2015 Boiler Room for reference of his prowess behind the decks. Although you can hear these foundations throughout ‘Lock Box’, the four track project is a digital take on these genres, playing with texture, mood, time, and space.
The title track ‘Parachute’ is an excursion into ambient, breakbeat, and left-field house. After listening to the track three times in a row, the only two words I wrote down in my iPhone notes are ‘aquatic paradise’… so do with that information what you will. Sitting at a comfortable 117 bpm, the track as a whole feels like a warm hug from an old friend. A sub-heavy bassline and a guttural kick drum keep you rooted to the dance floor, in case the floating pads and glittering bells have you feeling like you might just float away. It’s the closest you’ll feel to being calm at the club.
‘103 Alarm’ kicks things up a notch, in a tantalizing way. With a kick drum that only comes in halfway through the song, ominous vocals and a heavy jungle bassline solidify the track’s status as a late-night peak time belter. ‘Juts’ (sic) beautifully wraps up glitched-out pad samples and organic drums for a final product that feels comfortable and effortless. It dares you not to pull a stank face. Go on, try it.
And finally, the piece de resistance. The cherry on top. My fucking favorite track to come out so far this year: ‘Play-Doh’. If not for the reference to my childhood play-time putty of choice, then for the absolutely exquisite array of instrumentation and 10/10 mood. Vinyl scratches and choppy percussive cuts lean into a slouchy west coast hip-hop sensibility, whilst undulating chords float above the distorted punchy bassline. This is the kind of track you drop in your set when you feel the crowd waning and you want to turn heads. Hats off to you Benjamin, I am hooked.
Lock Box feels simultaneously laser-sharp, and loosey-goosey. Incorporating elements of laid back and 110% turbo energy, there’s a certain je ne sais quoi to the project as a whole that makes it suitable for working from home or late-night antics listening. As always, Ben Fester reduces even the most rigid bodies on the dance floor into bass-face demons, and I for one am here for it. Save the date, the full EP drops on the 28th of May - you can pre-order it here.