TLOBF Loves… Benjamin Blower

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Benjamin Blower is part of the Zang Collective, a group of musicians based in Birmingham, self-producing, and releasing their own material under the Zang Productions label. The key members of Zang record as The University of the King, a band that can be best described (although they defy any category) as philosophical hip-hoppers, fusing beats and verbally intricate rap into a fusion of musical styles. Their 2006 album Zang Hibidy is a hip hop epic on the philosophy of unconditional love, a journey into the mind of a trio of foetuses, trapped in the womb pondering the world outside and the experience of life before and after birth.

As a solo artist, Benjamin Blower previously recorded under the moniker Beloved, but returns this year with a new album under his own name. Away from The University of the King his music is darker and deeper, his debut album Raining Glass and Tears a voyage into faith, sexuality and the futility of modern pursuits. Musically it is dense, using smashing glass as an alternative to conventional rhythms and a passionate vocal delivery that leaves you breathless. It’s how Plan B would sound had he gone to Sunday School, Benjamin Blower arming himself with a Bible rather than a spliff, but whilst his lyrics delve deep into his Christian faith he never preaches.

What he does instead is describe the world as he sees it, adding his own view and belief in God to explain his opinions. With his new album, Babylon is Dead, he explores how divorced man is from God, free from value and identity, slaves to consumerism. Whether you agree with his views or not his lyrics make interestingly listening, particularly when they are combined with music and a vocal delivery of huge intensity. Although the sound is more laid back than his debut, it still packs a mighty sonic punch. Babylon Is Dead is due for reason on Zang later this year, but as an introduction to his new material a five track EP is available to download, free of charge, from his website. Whatever your views on his beliefs, Benjamin Blower is one of 2008’s more interesting up and coming artists.

Links
Benjamin Blower [official site] [myspace]