(Jesse) Ed: I’m hesitant to use the word pioneer but I can’t find a more relevant character amalgamation to replace it with. Beni Single is one of the men to thank for the mid 00’s electro resurgence in this country. Along with his brother Dan Single and his 4 other Bang Ganging pals he paved the way for where it is today, at the forefront of electronic music. He was half responsible for 05/06’s biggest underground dance floor hit “The Acid Never Lies.” Which he followed up with arguably 2006’s biggest club hit the electro-house crossover “La Musique.”
Two years later and Beni is still making fake tan run from to Paris to Tokyo, this time as his solo gig; “Beni.” He’s signed to Kitsune, he’s got a single out “My Love Sees You” which is on high rotation nation wide on Triple J and he has just embarked on a world tour. Kindly enough he accepted our offer to tap down his travels. Here’s chapter 1. Enjoy!
Welcome to Part #1 of Bonjour Beni:
Week one!!!!!!
Day one
Hong Kong,
I arrive in Hong Kong to see a man smaller than me (which in Australia is rare but Asia I’m glad to say the opposite), holding a sign saying ‘mr benjamin’
It’s a smouldering 35 degrees outside as we walk to the car,
I arrive at the hotel and its all good I call my friend David wills who lives in Hong Kong he says lets got to a David lynch exhibition then I have to go to some work drink that your more that welcome to come to, to me that all sounds good, I love David lynch and it’s a collaboration he did with the show designer Christian loubertan, for you haven’t been to Hong Kong you could be very much forgiven for thinking your in Paddington or Woollahra at some parts, 80 westerners and 20 Chinese lining up in this small gallery to get a glimpse of Christian loubertan, they are serving dumplings the size of a $2 coin and champagne..
My friend takes me out for a traditional Chinese diner one of the things have been looking forward to the most!
We then go to these ‘work drinks’
He didn’t tell me it was motherfucking October fest in Hong Kong and two of the biggest banking firms had hired the whole rooftop of a hotel in kowloon with Chinese in traditional German clothing serving kegs of beer a terrible German band, (no wonder they lost the war) and full of bankers drinking away the recession from kegs poured into each other mouths, clashing beer mugs until they smash and just screaming like a bunch of kids from Cranbrook on schoolies. this is some fucked up shit!!!
‘I gotta run’ I say to dave ‘im coming with you!!’ he says, we run and I call the promoter and he tells us to come to this private bar in central hong kong, we get there and its this amazing private bar with what ever we want on the house we drink hang out and all the German festivities are forgotten except the fact ill actually be there in less that 6 days.
Day 2
The next day I walk around Hong Kong eating amazing food and a little shopping then I get back to my hotel to get my shit sorted for the show tonight im going through my bag I get my first cd case but I cant find the second one, the one with all
the new shit in it. I tear my whole fucking bag apart, my hotel room looks like Richard priors apartment when he cant find his crack pipe,
Then I remember my girlfriend re packed my bag she said it was too heavy, freaking the fuck out, I call her I’m like ‘baby where the fuck are you go home now and see if my cd wallet is there, its either that or customs took it, she runs home it’s there on my fucking bedroom floor, im so sorry she says!! Bless her,
‘Ill post it to you’ ok where Hong Kong now, Tokyo tomorrow, Osaka the day after that or Milan the day after Berlin or Paris so on and so on, you get the picture. I’m not seeing that perfectly categorised wallet of dance hits for 4 weeks! There goes the big Chinese banquet planned for the night the next 4-5 hours are spent burning cd’s and drinking tsing toa in my hotel room, a big thankyou to Lisa from volar and dj ””’ who went and bought my cd’s drinks and a midnight dinner feast!
I finally get to the club 15 before my set and I see my friend Sean who also lives in Hong Kong and finally meet his beautiful wife they look so happy they just had a beautiful baby boy congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So the set, the club volar fits about 300-400 people and it’s rammed! I start behind a big screen which when you play your first track it elevates so the crowd can see you, hahhahhahahhahahaa! Again 80% westerners 20% Chinese, then these models start dancing on the stage in front of me, to see these models trying to dance all sexy and shit to zzt worm is pretty funny but mostly painful like masturbating with a cheese grater. Woo!
So the set, the club volar fits about 300-400 people and it’s rammed! I start behind a big screen which when you play your first track it elevates so the crowd can see you, hahhahhahahhahahaa! Again 80% westerners 20% Chinese, then these models start dancing on the stage in front of me, to see these models trying to dance all sexy and shit to zzt worm is pretty funny but mostly painful like masturbating with a cheese grater. Woo!
I finish at 4am my flight to Tokyo is 8.30am, and I’m getting picked up at 6am
Needless to say no sleep for me. I go back to hotel mainline some pure red bull, pack my bag and go to the airport im sitting in the lounge literally slapping myself in the face so I don’t fall asleep and miss my flight, I make it get on the plane next thing I know I land in Tokyo!!!!!!!
I get on the bus next thing I remember I wake up at the hotel, I go get some ramen! Back to hotel for a 1 hour nap before we go out for dinner and drinks, I set my alarm on my iphone for 8pm, fucking iphones piece if shit decides to die on me. I get a bang on the door at 12.20am, I sleep through 10 phone calls on my hotel phone and about 10 minutes and door knocking, im on in 40 minutes!!!!!!!!!!
I shower grab my shit and me and my Japanese friend run to the club!!! I make it and they put my set back 20 minutes so I can chill in this crazy back room and have some drinks meet some kids and hang, I meet the promoter Paul and all is good!
MISSING PICTURE
Tokyo is amazing everybody is so sweet and accommodating, the set was great!!!! The secret remix of my love sees you goes down amazing!
I was feeling a lot better after a couple of drinks and djing!
I go eat more ramen then sleep!!!!!!!!!!!!
Day 3:
Walking around Tokyo eating (the most amazing gyoza bar in harajuku)
Gyoza bar harajuku (All this for about $800)
Shopping; there is a line outside comme de garcon and h&m for at least 300 metres! Im walking around for about 8 hours!!! I’m fucked I go to traditional yakatori bar for dinner then sleep.
Tower Records, Shibuya.
Harajuku.
Day 4
Osaka!!!!!!!!!!
I’m on the bullet train to Osaka now, I’m going to get some sleep tonight should be crazy Osaka is my favourite city in the world and I get to see my boys Juse an Kazz.
I get picked up from the train station by Chuck and Taki Hori, we go to my hotel ‘hotel trusty.’
Check in get some work done for a couple of hours then my friend Juse comes and picks me up we go for a walk around Osaka, go to sound check, then meet up wit the rest of our crew and go get traditional Osaka dinner osiem. Amazing!!!
Kazz!
I was a little bit freaking, so we go to a bar drink tequila and red bull? I know! Weird! that’s what they drink and play pool for a couple of hours, we go back to the club 15 minutes before I start and thanks god its completely filled up and it’s a Monday night!!! I love everything about Osaka the city the food the people, the parties. This particular club has a private room up stairs with a Jacuzzi and balcony over looking the dance floor 3 stories below!
The set was great the kids there are crazy the try to pull you off the stage there crying there screaming it’s mental I play 1.5 hours and it was mad fun the next 2 hours are spent watching Juses set signing hands, jackets, t shirts hats, arms, even lipstick taking photos then I gotta’ go back to the hotel its 5 am and I gotta be up at 8am to go to the airport………..
Dj juse! Best in Osaka! Beni style.
Osaka kids!!
Temporary tattoos!
I make the flight, I’m walking down the aisle of the plane and this fat ugly motherfucker tells me to take of my hood!! He’s just a passenger what the fuck I think, speaking on valium and zanex isn’t easy at the best of times especially after 2 hours sleep, ‘what zeeeee fuuuuck yu say maaaaan, izzz coooold, zeee hood kips me zarm……………..
See you in a week, I feel like perez Hilton in who magazine, next week featuring Milan, Berlin, Headman, Presets, Paris, Riton, Van She and Horse Meat Disco and the ever amazing Glen Goetze
Ill upload some videos to youtube when I get some time!!!!
Peace beni!!!!!!!!
