FEATURED ARTIST
Ben Alexander
Stavanger, Norway
BACKGROUND
Ben Alexander is a Norwegian electro pop artist, music producer, and composer. He is known to have an experimental style that transcends the traditional boundaries of electronic music. Growing up in various countries and diverse environments, he acquired a deep fascination for multicultural rhythms, electronic and cinematic music - something he reflects in his songs. Over the years, Ben has incorporated a string of collaborations with Norwegian and international artists and is actively in pursuit of the delicate point where genuine music innovation meets catchy hitmaking. He, therefore, enjoys collaborating with people of various backgrounds and artistic styles - to produce a unique and memorable sound. Ben Alexander sent us his latest track entitled 'Run Away' and we wanted to show you what we thought! So, let's get to it!
REVIEW
'Run Away' is a catchy and rhythmic electronic pop song that is perfect for both the club scene and pop radio. The song has a high tempo with a heavy bass line that is topped by Ben Alexander's light vocals. Inspired by Tame Impala, Royksopp and Rufus du Sol, 'Run Away' has a commercial potential that is worth seeing.
Opening with water sounding droplets we're soon met with a funky bass synth in a whirl of wonder. An electronic pop song with hints of signature house basslines. A haunting but moving reverbed vocal chop hints at the tone of the song before bringing in 80s inspired synths to break the track down in between the panning of bass. The 808s and kicks lift the mellowness of the track into a space that gets you dancing. The vocals are mixed well with classic EDM effects. Midpoint into the track we're left to the imagination of the instruments to take us away from the lyrics. When the lyrics reintroduce themselves they're not repetitive or boring, they're great! Even the most hopeless dancers will be able to catch the rhythm of this production. It gives you an unstoppable vibe mixed with haunting vocals, a mix not to be sniffed at. All of the components hold their place correctly in the mix. None of the elements get lost or unseen including the vocals. This is one of the cleaning mixes I've heard in a while. The lyrics touch on themes of toxicity, being tired of a known place and the overall theme of running away. This is a track for dancers and reflectors with a similarity about it. If you're a fan of The Weeknd, this is probably an artist for you! I for one can't wait to watch this artist as he grows! Definitely a track for the clubs so get it onto your weekend playlists, DJ set lists and all other upbeat related playlists. Let's get Ben Alexander his 10k!
INTERVIEW
Q: What would be your ultimate achievement for your latest single?
A: To be completely honest - an ultimate goal of mine is to reach 100 000 streams on this track. For me, as an independent artist, that would be incredibly cool. Whether that happens or not, I am still so incredibly grateful for every single one of you out there who are streaming, sharing, and playlisting the song. Just knowing that so many people vibe with the song is a great achievement for me. It means so much.
Q: Is there a particular vision that you had when putting the
song together?
A: Yes. I wrote the lyrics before I started working on the production of the track. Therefore, I had a strong sense of what message I wanted to convey with this song. Production-wise, I wanted it to be a bit more club-friendly. A more simple beat and melody that would make it easy for the listener to groove with the song. I would consider the base to be a bit retro in its design. The same goes for the lead synth in the song. Therefore, I wanted that touch of 80 nostalgia while still maintaining relevance to the commercial club scene. I think achieved that.
Q: If you could define music in one short sentence (no cheating) what would you say?
A: Music connects us as it transcends the limits of culture, language, and race while still
affecting us all physically, emotionally, and spiritually, keeping us united in its power.
Q: When did you first realize that you had the potential to be an artist? Is there a memory
that has stuck in your mind as the turning point for you?
A: I would say it started the day my interest in music began - which was as a young kid.
Once I had managed to learn how to write and make music, I felt a sense of purpose that I
hadn’t felt with anything else. This feeling hit me when I was around 12 years old. I had just
made my first song. It wasn’t much to brag about but it opened up the door to creativity and
creation for me, something that would define the years to come.
Q: How would you define your sound?
A: Cinematic and energetic. At times mystical and melancholic. It all depends on the mood I’m in when creating the song I guess.
Q: Cubase, Protools, or neither?
A: Out of those two - Cubase.
This might be a tricky one but Studio vs Live - Which do you prefer and why?
My “comfort zone” is definitely the studio. It's peaceful, quiet, and calming. It gives me
space to actually sit down and create something on my own terms. It represents the “creating” part of the music and, therefore, I find it most exciting. However, standing on stage and feeling the energy and the love from the crowd is simply divine. Connecting with people who genuinely support and love my music is a true blessing. I enjoy showing people what I have to offer them but every live performance requires rehearsals and tight schedules- something that, at certain times, makes it more stressful than the meditative hours in the studio.
Q: How do you collaborate with vocalists and other artists?
A: Usually, I produce a beat/instrumental and create an idea of how the melody and lyrics
should be. Then the artist comes in and either writes new lyrics and new vocal melodies, or
we come up with something together. This requires trust and, therefore, I usually work with
artists I know deliver nothing but the best. I have also worked with artists that are brilliant
producers themselves and will often give valuable input to the production. It all depends on
whom I work with, I guess. It’s all very flexible.
Q: If you had the opportunity to work with one of your favorite musical artists, who would you most like to collaborate with and why?
A: So many I would love to work with but if I had to choose three: Royksopp, Kanye West,
and Hans Zimmer. A quite diverse selection there but all three of them represent their own
segment that I’m greatly influenced by in my own music.
Q: What are your future plans? What can we look forward to for the rest of 2022?
A: Definitely doing more live shows. Covid did a lot of damage to the live music scene but
now that things are starting to improve - I will be doing more performances for sure. I am
also releasing a lot of new music with many interesting people this year. So just make sure
to follow me on my socials to stay updated :-)
Q: Where can we find the track? Links to socials and distribution handles
A: ‘Run Away’ is available wherever you stream your music online. Spotify, Apple Music,
Deezer, Tidal, SoundCloud, YouTube, etc.
‘Run Away’ streaming + Ben Alexander socials link: https://linktr.ee/iambenalexander