LISTEN: ALGORITHMIA
Brooklyn-based animator, producer, and self-described “gnome rocker” Ben Wigler, who makes experimental, riff-driven, art-rock under the moniker BenBen, has unveiled his solo debut EP Algorithmia via GiftShop Records. The seven tracks of Algorithmia are an exploration of our digital dystopia, our addiction to our electronic devices, and our constant need for external validation in the form of likes and follows. The EP begins with the tongue-in-cheek “Artist’s Prayer,” as he solemnly sings, “I am an artist and I want to be seen/Bearing my soul on Instagram/I am a singer and I want to be streamed/Trusting my soul to an algorithm.”
The title track is a progressive grunge rock tune that explores how artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly making our choices for us as listeners. Its accompanying video, directed by experimental artist Nate Dorr using AI generative art-making techniques, has made the rounds in the international festival circuit this year, winning Most Original Music Video at the Grand Rapids Film Festival, Best Experimental Video at the Prague Music Video Awards, Best Music Video at the 7th Music Film Festival, and nominated for Best Music Video in Glasgow’s HB Film Festival.
WATCH: “ALGORITHMIA”
“Every Day Is The Same” (or “E.D.I.T.S.”), which features artist Dima Drjuchin, was the second single from the EP. The song's mind-melting video was animated by Drjuchin, best known for painting the revered album art for Father John Misty's Fear Fun and collaborations with Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne. The song has an unforgettable zombie-like hook and anesthetized vibe that mimics the dopamine-havoc of internet addiction.
WATCH: “EVERY DAY IS THE SAME (ft. DIMA DRJUCHIN)”
The EP’s latest single, a bop in disguise called “Addicted To My Phone,” is about internet addiction and our unnatural attachments to our devices. While the song is lyrically simple, the theme cuts deeply. The song’s unsettling, mind-blowing stop motion video is meant to make us uncomfortable, as the imagery swirls and repeats, its disturbing truth that we are losing ourselves is on full display. Today, he released a new stop motion video, created in conjunction with Omer Gal, for EP track “Fortunate Man.” The song takes a different direction than the others on Algorithmia, turning its gaze from technology to the dubiously comfortable and happily-fed people who use it.
WATCH: “ADDICTED TO MY PHONE”
WATCH: “FORTUNATE MAN”
Best known for his unforgettable high-tenor voice, dense clouds of harmonies, and maximalist production, BenBen’s aesthetic could be described as if Soundgarden and Radiohead collaborated earnestly with Michael Jackson on a deeply heartfelt concept album about My Little Pony.
His first band, Arizona, was a mid-00s underground indie darling, touring with artists as diverse as Band of Horses and The Indigo Girls. With his last band, New Beard, BenBen worked with legendary Swedish psychedelic-rock genius Gustav Ejstes of Dungen. After contributing vocals to a number of her albums, he also co-wrote the single “Garden Dove” with indie-folk goddess Samantha Crain for her beloved 2020 album A Small Death.
After a hiatus spent learning documentary filmmaking and traditional frame-by-frame animation techniques, BenBen is back with a series of freshly-crafted releases that are dense with beautiful arrangements, infectious melodies, and a golden heartbeat of unusually sincere magic. In addition to this new material, he collaborated with award-winning filmmaker Samantha Aldana as a composer for a series of short films and has forged relationships with other artists and filmmakers co-creating videos that are already storming the festival circuit. BenBen is also the producer and bass player for up-and-coming indie pop phenom Questa Music, whose first single “Feedin” hit the masses with a recent placement on M. Night Shyamalan’s Apple TV hit “Servant.”
As a shy, kind-of anxious, extroverted introvert, BenBen seeks to create art that feels like a personalized invitation to a welcoming otherworld - an indie rock wonderland for sensitive souls who seek beauty in the small, overlooked things and places…or anyone who still enjoys taking the time to sit down, close their eyes, and dwell in a world of pure imagination (for a little while).
ALGORITHMIA EP TRACK LIST
ARTIST’S PRAYER
ALGORITHMIA
EVERY DAY IS THE SAME
FORTUNATE MAN
PAUL VERHOEVEN
E.D.I.T.S (QUARANTINE DREAM)
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