PLAYLIST: Benji's Influences (Patreon)

Hey everyone! As part of our Ne Obluminati music club we are putting a new playlist out each month!

After last month showcasing a playlist filled with some of Martino's many influences as a musician, this month we asked the same of Benji. In addition he has written a bit about each artist chosen and why they have been an important part of his journey as an artist.

Message from Benji:

"Hey guys, here s a little Playlist with important songs from important musicians that have shaped me musically since I was a tiny weeny boy, and keep doing so to this day now that i'm an old man. There's of course many more tracks that i could have added but this is a good representation of what i enjoy & I hope you enjoy checking them out."

You can listen to this playlist via the below link via SPOTIFY 

LISTEN HERE:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4P9IhqnfEpipt9KPvZyJ5U?si=009883eaac0a4aff

Stevie Ray Vaughan - Texas Flood. Live at El Mocambo

My first guitar hero and still a very important one to this day. The legendary Stevie Ray Vaughan, high-octane white man blues from Texas. Incredible guitar playing and attitude, of course i didn't know back then he was a raging alcoholic cocaine fueled dude which explains a lot, this whole "live at El Mocambo" is amazing nonetheless and a true piece of blues/rock history.

Django Reinhardt - I'll see you in my dreams

The greatest improvisation of all time? I certainly think so.Unmatched magic by the crippled gypsy, the true essence of free-spirited music. No superlatives will do it justice. Just listen to it and imagine that a 29 yo man with 3 working fingers who wouldn't write his own name came up with this magic playing a Selmer style guitar (incredibly hard instruments to play) in one take.

Death - Perennial Quest.

The whole Symbolic album really. If you know me you know this is the album i'll take to my grave. The true spirit of metal is in there, everything. It's a classic for millions of metalhead and i will never NOT play Death riffs at soundcheck / linecheck, this is how i spot who the real ones are in the crowd.

Emperor - Ye Entranceperium

I actually discovered Emperor with their last album Prometheus which i loved but when checking out their earlier material and discovered Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk i lost my goddamn mind. Still the most sophisticated songwriting in metal i've heard. Incredibly catchy, insane riffing and singing from Dad, energetic definitely no click and no edit on drums, Bach level orchestration, a true gem.

Symphony X - The Odyssey

First serious love for songs that never seems to finish. Highly underrated band whose name always inspires respect but never seem to have made it big for some obscure business reasons I assume, the drummer runs a food truck when he's not on Symphony X duties. Michael Romeo was the first serious shredder i ever saw live at maybe 14yo and he left an everlasting impression on me, it's also the only concert that my dad drove me to that he actually enjoyed.

Children Of Bodom - Downfall

Well i guess you gotta be 15yo at some point of your life right? Like many kids my generation C.O.B came at the right time with their mix of finnish melodies, neo-classical solos and pure heavy metal riffs. 

In Flames - Satellites and Astronauts

I picked that song but really it was the whole Clayman album that did it for me. Everything clicked there, down-tuned guitars, the best metal production i had heard ever, the songwriting, melodic riffs, catchy solos, the proggy vibe. My favorite In Flames album and a milestone in the Scandinavian scene.

Gesaffelstein - Pursuit

That song made me realise you didn't need a metal band to create evil music. French electro madness at its finest, insane production, mechanical highly danceable beats but always with a dark aesthetic. Although i never tried to create electronic music myself this is definitely the goal if i ever was to.

1349 - Sculptor of Flesh

This is as black metal as i get. My favorite drum sound, it feels like you're sitting inside the snare drum,  black'n'roll riffing and voice from the beyond, the magic recipe to successfully invoke Satan, whenever i'm at a party i do my best to hijack the sound system and blast that song at some point, if you invite me to your party, just know that.

Angelo Debarre - Indiscrétions

French gypsy madness. One of the best guitar players out there and his half-romanian band writing great new age eastern europe style music. Timeless melodies and incredible playing from everyone, as genuine and generous as music gets.

Deathspell Omega - The Fires of Frustration

Actually THIS is how black metal as i get. Well this is what you get when nihilistic frenchies take magic mushrooms and write music. Truly progressive music, fierce, anonymous, 0 BS from these guys just the way it should be. They sure made some questionable alliances but it's just part of their creative process, to create friction amongst band members to deliver sonic chaos, genius, and deranged, but still genius.

Decapitated - A Poem about an old prisoner

Polish death metal FTW. A highly influenceable song and album for me. I just love it when the planets align and everything is there to create something that goes beyond the individuals that make the band, never to be replicated again. It's a bit scary to think that this may have happened with NeO already, but it's also beautiful.