{"id":7998,"date":"2014-12-09T13:11:24","date_gmt":"2014-12-09T13:11:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/195.21.21.161\/epop\/?p=7998"},"modified":"2019-03-21T15:50:15","modified_gmt":"2019-03-21T15:50:15","slug":"introducing-benjamin-steel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/2014\/12\/introducing-benjamin-steel\/","title":{"rendered":"Introducing:  Benjamin Steel"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/Benjamin-Steel2.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"8002\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/2014\/12\/introducing-benjamin-steel\/benjamin-steel-3\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/Benjamin-Steel2.jpg?fit=928%2C694&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"928,694\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS-1D Mark III&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1410280462&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;85&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;100&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.008&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Benjamin Steel\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/Benjamin-Steel2.jpg?fit=640%2C479&amp;ssl=1\" class=\" size-full wp-image-8002 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/Benjamin-Steel2.jpg?resize=640%2C479&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Benjamin Steel\" width=\"640\" height=\"479\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Classically trained Benjamin Steel was first introduced to music by his grandmother at age 7. He landed his first record deal at age 15. He then went on to front &#8220;Visitors&#8221; a band championed by BBC 6 Music as One To Watch.<\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<!-- Random Ad stuff --><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\n     style=\"display:block\"\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-2076862002005673\"\n     data-ad-slot=\"3107208401\"\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins><\/p>\n<p><script>\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">From there he joined &#8220;Howe Steel&#8221;, an EDM based collaboration, which saw Benjamin make a name for himself on the DJ scene and remixing for luminaries that included Rihanna.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">More recently, Benjamin has been focusing on his initial goal of becoming a solo artist and has spent time in Milan and the US, working with some big names, such as Timbaland, and Jim Beanz.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The result of which is a new album &#8220;The Record&#8221; due for release in 2015. Lead single &#8220;Stormchaser&#8221; is set to be released on January 12th.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">We were lucky enough to catch up with Benjamin for a chat:<\/p>\n<p><strong>We love your look and sound in &#8220;Stormchaser&#8221;!! It&#8217;s VERY 80s influenced &#8211; what was the idea behind that?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">I love 80s music, I really love Michael Jackson although I do prefer HIStory pt. 2 &#8211; 1995. I love 80s music; Prince, Pet Shop Boys, The Smiths. I am heavily influenced by the 80s. I had a friend who is a lot older than me, he was my old tour manager in Visitors. I spent hours listening to his music. I love &#8216;Don&#8217;t You Want Me&#8217; by Human League and Paul Oakey with Giorgio Moroder on &#8216;Together In Electric Dreams&#8217;.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The 80s as a whole was a more optimistic time. Everything was larger than life. The shows were three dimensional. It was not just four guys on stage playing their new album-there were pyrotechnics. It was all so theatrical. But did I go out specifically to write an 80s records? No, but I do listen to a lot of 80s. In fact in the studio, the engineer and I always listen to this one station that just plays 80s music with huge singalong choruses. Belinda Carlisle and early Madonna stuff. Quality pop songs.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Smiths &#8211; &#8216;There Is A Light That Never Goes Out&#8217;. Even more so on the indie side of things it shows that the 80s was a great place to be musically.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Of course there was also Jackson with &#8216;Bad&#8217; and &#8216;Thriller&#8217; just heading it all up. &#8216;Human Nature&#8217; is just such a great song. I know the story behind it and he was pissed off. I quite like depressing music. &#8216;Man In The Mirror&#8217;, &#8216;Beat It&#8217; &#8211; he was just doing a whole new thing which was exciting.<\/p>\n<p>I don&#8217;t think I set out to write 80s music but I have been inspired by it subconciously.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Talk us through the song. What&#8217;s the story?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">That track is basically the moment where I realise the girl I was with for a long time was not who I thought she was. It was written the moment after I had found out what her life had become after she had left me. Seeing shots of her soon after we broke up going out, dressing very slutty and getting with a lot of guys. Just becoming a person I did not know at all. It was far more than a break up, it was like losing a part of me, &#8216;Stormchaser&#8217; deals with how I felt when I realised she was not who I thought she was.<\/p>\n<p><strong>You&#8217;re known as a DJ, and yet you&#8217;ve turned your back on that success, to focus on being a solo artist. What made you take that road?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">You have moments in life that you realise that it is now or never. I just had that moment. Visitors was coming to an end. I was doing lots of DJing, which was a huge financial incenive but I just thought that if I don&#8217;t make a record now, it will be too late. I had to do something for me rather than to please the bank manager. It shouldn&#8217;t be about staying afloat. What I did in Howe-Steel was amazing. It is always amazing to make a room full of people feel a certain way, whether DJing or performing but I just thought to myself that I am standing here playing other people&#8217;s records when I want to be playing mine. However I wouldn&#8217;t rule out Howe-Steel getting back together.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How did you come to co-produce with &#8220;Fixer&#8221;?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">By accident. I basically demoed &#8216;Stormchaser&#8217; in Berlin and had finished off writing the albums. While doing those demos I met Fixer through someone I met in a music shop in Berlin. I was talking about wanting to collaborate with someone and they were like there is this Dutch guy who lives here and you have to meet him. I met him and initially I thought he looked like the kind of guy who could produce a really cool record, so we did &#8216;Stormchaser&#8217;. It was the test as to if it would work.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What is your favourite musical instrument?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Piano. I just feel really comfortable with it. I really love writing on acoustic guitar but the piano is such a versatile writing tool. I just feel like I can hear something in my head and I can go straight to it on the piano. You can really get a feel for a song with just the piano and a vocal. It is an extension of me.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Would you see yourself going back to writing for others?<br \/>\n<\/strong><br \/>\nI wouldn&#8217;t rule it out. I&#8217;m writing for other artists at the moment. I love to be busy, I am a workaholic. My worst nightmare is not having things to do. When I am not going Benjamin Steel stuff I am still doing things for other artists. When things heat up I will have less time to do it, but I have many other songs that would suit many other artists.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What&#8217;s your advice for anyone wanting to get into the music industry?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Be very careful. Watch out for the sharks &#8211; they bite! Know what you want. Be determined. Don&#8217;t let anyone say you can&#8217;t do anything.You can do anything if you just believe and are detemined.<\/p>\n<p><strong>You went to Milan to hone your craft &#8211; do you feel the atmosphere there produced an album you couldn&#8217;t have come up with in Britain?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Yes, I do feel the atmosphere created a recording environment I would not have had elsewhere for the main reason that the studio was free. We would have been clockwatching in Britain and if you are clockwathing you aren&#8217;t quality controlling. That is what is most important.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What does the future hold for Benjamin Steel?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>3 #1 albums, 2 world tours, a greatest hits and a few more world tours&#8230;<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/GWQg3pNtAxQ?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-GB&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.benjaminsteelofficial.com\/en\/\">BenjaminSteelOfficial.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Classically trained Benjamin Steel was first introduced to music by his grandmother at age 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Benjamin Race Brings Pitch Perfect 80s Sound With Inspiring New Single, &#8216;Memories&#8217;, Featuring Donna Odain","author":"Lisa Hafey","date":"19\/01\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"UK soul producer, Benjamin Race, in his new single, 'Memories', he perfectly captures the RnB vibe of the 1980s - the sound is note for note something you'd expect to hear during the glory days of MTV and Solid Gold.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Music&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Music","link":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/category\/music\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Benjamin-Race-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Benjamin-Race-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, 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Releases&quot;","block_context":{"text":"New Releases","link":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/category\/music\/new-releases\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Runaway.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Runaway.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Runaway.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Runaway.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Runaway.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 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