Ben Delay – Something Special

By starrymag | May 6, 2020

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

 

A) That’s quite difficult to describe as I produce a lot of different stuff within several genres. Regarding my new release “Something Special” on Starred Records I’d like to say it’s sexy bassline house.

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

 

A) The KLF are my absolute superheroes! Of course, I have to name Daft Punk, Depeche Mode, Moby but I also like Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bob Marley, The Police…

 

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

 

A) The bassline – people love sexy basslines!

 

Q) How did you come to work with Jerome Robins on the remix for “Something Special?”

 

A) A few years ago I did a remix for Jerome’s single “Dirty Beats” with DJ PP & MC Flipside. We agreed to a remix-swap. When I finished “Something Special” I thought he is the perfect choice for remixing and he did a great job on this one.

 

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

 

A) I always start with melodies and beats. I never have any lyrics in my mind when starting a track – but of course you can be sure that the track gets darker when you’re in a bad mood or happier when your life is going in the right direction.

 

Q) How much of hand do you have in the production of your music?

 

A) Every track that ever got released under my “Ben Delay” alias is a hundred percent my production. From the beginning I always wanted to be the guy who knows how to work with analog hardware and/or DAW’s and I’m proud of that. There is no ghost producer needed – only the lyrics and vocals get done by other artists who can do this way better than me – trust me, you never wanna hear my voice on a track! [winks]

 

Q) What can fans expect from a live Ben Delay performance?

 

A) Good music! I’m not the entertainer guy throwing cakes at the audience, but you can be sure that I always give my best to please the crowd with my music selection and that I love this job from the bottom of my heart. It’s a privileg to be a DJ and to be playing/producing music for a living having people singing your own songs. This always gives me goosebumps all over – even after all this years.

 

Q) Will there be an EP or full album coming in the near future?

 

A) There will be a lot of new single tracks in the near future. I just finished my new studio after a three months house renovation and just can’t wait to get locked in there for the next months to just produce music and doing nothing else. I always wanted to release a new album but in the times of streaming it makes no sense anymore as most people only play/buy the first tracks of an album, so it’s better to release singles to keep the focus always on exactly that one song.

 

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?

 

A) Small clubs for about two to three hundred people are the best places, in my opinion, as you have a direct connection to the people and it’s more intimate to play there. It’s also cool to play on festivals in front of ten thousand, but it’s a totally different way of playing.

 

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

 

A) Depeche Mode

 

Q) What album/band are you currently listening to and why do you dig them?

 

A) Fear Talk from a totally underrated band from cologne called Xul Zolar. Their sound is a mixture of good old indie pop influences like Simple Minds or Talking Heads, but with an individual touch. Hopefully, they’ll breakthrough asap!

 

Also the new Milk & Sugar album Ibiza Symphonica – dance classics played by the Munich Symphonic Orchestra produced by my buddies Steven & Mike. Great!

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

 

A) To be honest, I was never a good friend of all that social media stuff. It’s just getting too much. It feels like there is a new platform each week were you have to be on to be up to date. But how can you manage all these platforms and feed them with interesting stuff? It takes too much time. I need my time to work on new music and to be on the road to play. Also, I got a small daughter who I want to spend as much time with as possible. Most artists have an extra social media team to feed their timeline/stories. I focus on Instagram and Facebook and try to give the people some interesting insights to my studio. On the other hand, I know it’s a great way to interact with fans and I answer every question/message personally asap and I’m happy to be in direct contact with my fans. We didn’t have this opportunity to contact our musical heroes back in the days…

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

 

A) THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! Your support gives my the opportunity and privilege to do what I love the most! Thank you for playing, enjoying and dancing to my music! This means the world to me!