Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, really nice guy. Let’s get to know BenjiFlow
When an artist decides on a stage name, it’s a sign of what we can expect to experience through their music and persona. For BenjiFlow, it’s an affirmation of his copious stream of Afro-Cuban sonics and melodic flows, held together by his playful musings on love and life. In essence, the north Londoner wants to deliver sounds his listeners can lose themselves in. “I’m a guy who hopes that everyone can vibe and just be happy through my music,” he confirms. “I make music so that people can feel either loved or uplifted in some sort of way because the world’s too tecky right now.”
Our conversation takes place after Benji’s all night run of making music and a few weeks after the release of his sophomore EP ‘The Thrill’ - a 9-track voyage into the world of a fully realised artist. Benji handles the production himself, knitting together different fabrics of R&B, highlife, bossa nova and neo-soul to form a consistent sound. Over the funky, vintage layers of instrumentation, ‘The Thrill’ details his romantic situations as well as his observations of love through the lens of those around him. “I experienced a lot of everything, especially during the pandemic, so I thought it was a sick thing to talk about,” he says.
“I’m a guy who hopes that everyone can vibe and just be happy through my music”
While his 2020 EP ‘Benergy’ was an introduction to the multitude of sounds he can deliver, ‘The Thrill’ sees him fine tune his ideas. It’s an indication of his evolution into a polished songwriter and producer yet simultaneously allows him to test the waters of an eventual album release. “Making a body of music takes a lot out of you and it was a lot of emotion to make this EP,” he reflects. “I know that we live in a mad fast generation now but I want to let this EP grow, live and still be spoken about in months to come.”
Guest appearances come from Oxlade on the addictive ‘My Bella’ and from Juls on the latest single ‘Ready’. Other intriguing moments include the 2007-era Justin Timberlake vocal and horn melodies in ‘She’s Not In Love’, the airy harmonies of ‘One Of One’ and the euphoric instrumental breakdowns in opener ‘The Thrill’ and closer ‘The Chill’. These unfettered sonics stem from influences ranging from early Stevie Wonder to Earth Wind and Fire. “I listen to a lot of folk music like The Staves and Joni Mitchell, so my harmonies are quite intricate.” Meanwhile his elaborate productions are a nod to Benji B and Judah. “Through quarantine they did lockdown lives on Instagram every week and that literally changed my life.”
Benji’s musical education began early. He remembers being surrounded by gospel and reggae throughout childhood, specifically Kirk Franklin’s records, before his sister introduced him to jazz. On the other end of this spectrum, it was moguls like Kanye West and Pharrell that lit his passion for production. “I wanted to be a producer because I wanted to be like them, and then the writing came later on because I thought I was rubbish,” he says. He went on to study music technology at university but as for hitting the mic, that took some working up to. “I just didn’t consider myself a singer. My whole family sings - they sing sing, you know like the people with the riffs and runs. You either sing or play but because their ability is just in the sky to me, I didn’t see myself that way.” This early decision to focus on production is now what allows him to piece together dynamic sonic worlds for other artists such as Wretch 32, Sipprell, Avelino and Lady Donli, most recently on her nostalgic highlife track ‘Thunderstorm In Surulere’.
Benji is also a multi-instrumentalist having mastered piano, drums, bass, electric and acoustic guitar, and he’s not finished yet. “I want to learn sax or a trumpet because Prince credited himself for 20 or so instruments for one of his projects and I’m like, I've got to get halfway at least. I get obsessed about these things.” With his skills as an artist and producer, what does it take to deliver timeless music? “You have to catch the feeling of what you’re trying to do. There’s Playboi Carti songs that are just as legendary to me as Michael Jackson songs you know, it’s the same boat.”
BenjiFlow is also a part of the free-spirited collective Mini Kingz alongside his peers Oscar #Worldpeace and Ragz Originale who came together to not only elevate the culture through their music but by fostering their community with group events. “We want music to be fun and to eliminate the celebrity persona. There’s nurses and doctors that are just as incredible so let’s go bowling all of us together, even though we dropped a tune yesterday. Mini Kingz wants to take everyone Alton Towers, let’s hire out a whole flipping ice cream parlour, you know. There’s things that we can do with our power so that people can enjoy their lives.”
BenjiFlow’s ‘The Thrill’ is out now. Discover it here.