Today marks the release of Collapsing Time, Ben Gomori’s first album.
Ben is a London-based DJ, producer, label owner and promoter with an uncanny ability to unearth gems from across continents and genres. As a DJ and producer, he is known for his fusions of house, disco, Balearic, electro, afro, acid, garage and more.
Collapsing Time brings each of these flavours to the fore; the album showcases the variety of his influences as well as his production skills in each. It’s one you will want to put straight back on for a second listen. I had the opportunity to ask Ben a few questions about the release.
[HME] You’ve released scores of EPs and singles and remixes under your name and aliases, so what led you to create your first full album?
[BG] Mainly I wanted to challenge myself and explore different styles that I felt I didn’t quite have the outlet for, and to start repositioning myself as someone with ambitions outside of the pure dancefloor space I have been trying to cater for since I started producing. I wanted to try something more substantial, work with some vocalists and musicians, try my hand at songwriting and slow things down a bit as the pressure of feeling like you “should” try and churn out dancefloor material constantly was becoming a bit draining for me. I’ve really enjoyed putting more thought and attention into every element.
You worked with a lot of great featuring artists on the album including Rui Da Silva and Carly Foxx – which was your standout collaboration?
They all brought exactly what I was looking for to the table so I’m really happy with all of them – particularly because I haven’t really collaborated with anyone since I learned to produce for myself. I think the most special moment was probably getting the guitar parts back for ‘Fire (Revisited)’ from Glenn Sharp and for ‘Inside Melody’ from Michael Jablonka. I’ve worked with vocalists before but never with musicians recording bespoke parts based around my music. It’s kind of like the feeling when someone does a great remix of one of your tracks.
You’ve recently started up Balearic-themed nights along with Ariane V, Gaucho and Sarahtonin and those sounds clearly influence a few tracks on the album. What’s behind your connection to Balearic sounds?
I just always loved what I heard of those sounds growing up. My brother borrowed Cafe Del Mar ‘Volumen Dos’ mixed by José Padilla off someone, I bought Cafe Mambo Ibiza 24/7 CD, then there was a Padilla covermount tape on MUZIK Magazine which was my bible as a teenager, so it was more the chillout side of things that I learned about first. I loved it – it was always presented as the flipside to the dancefloor stuff. I learned about the Balearic beat ethos back then – the eclectic, freeform style of DJing that Alfredo, Leo Mas and others cultivated in Ibiza in the ’80s – and I loved the concept of making people dance to anything, not just ‘dance’ music. In recent years I’ve delved much more into that world, the history, and that approach to DJing. So much music from the ’80s and ’90s particularly from that world has been a big inspiration for me. It’s just some of the best dance and electronic music ever, I think. The perfect combination of organic instrumentation and influences and electronic production.
So, it’s your last set ever: where is it? Who’s opening for you? And what track are you closing with?
Let’s go with the Theatre De La Mer in Sète as it’s a truly epic venue – an amphitheatre facing out to the sea – where Worldwide Festival is held and where I’ve had many an epic night. Playing before me – I’d love to have heard Larry Levan so let’s go with him, even though I’d be setting myself up for the biggest fail of all-time! Who cares though, right? It’s the end of the world.
I’d close my set with the Mad Mike Remix of DJ Rolando’s Jaguar – epic string build, fittingly apocalyptic somehow.
HARRY'S MUSICAL EMPORIUM 