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Benji B

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Benji B
Born
Benjamin Benstead

1978 or 1979 (age 45–46)
London, United Kingdom[1]
Occupations
Years active1998–present
Career
ShowBenji B
StationBBC Radio 1
Time slotWednesday night - Thursday morning 23:00 – 01:00
StyleDJ
CountryUnited Kingdom
Websitedeviationmusic.net

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.

Early life

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Benjamin 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

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Benji 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

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As of 2015, Benji B has a record collection of 15,000 to 20,000 records.[17]

References

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  1. ^ "Financial Times". www.ft.com. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d "DJ Benji B". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 1 September 2018. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  3. ^ a b c "BENJI B". IP By Phoebe Lovatt. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  4. ^ "Benji B". ADE. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ a b "Benji B moves to Radio 1". Music Week. 6 September 2010. Retrieved 4 June 2012.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ Collins, Hattie (14 April 2016). "benji b breaks down the secret of deviation's success". i-D. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  9. ^ "Crate Diggin': Celebrating 10 years of Deviation with Benji B - fabric blog". fabric london. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  10. ^ a b "Benji B on Working With Kanye & Virgil on Music: Listen Now Here". Highsnobiety. 22 October 2019. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  11. ^ Ramli, Sofiana (7 November 2019). "Jessie Ware previews new album with clubby single 'Mirage (Don't Stop)'". NME. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  12. ^ "Benji B". Discogs. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  13. ^ "Benji B Appointed Music Director Of Louis Vuitton - Antonia". www.antonia.it. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  14. ^ Magazine, Wallpaper* (17 January 2020). "Soundtracking fashion with Benji B". Wallpaper*. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  15. ^ "Biennale College Dancers - We Humans are Movement". Venice Art Biennale official website. 5 August 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  16. ^ "'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.
  17. ^ "Crate Diggers: Benji B". The Vinyl Factory. 23 April 2015. Retrieved 21 March 2021.

Further reading

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