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Ahead of its hotly anticipated arrival on 20th November, Ben Gomori dissects the inspirations and processes behind his debut LP’s standout tracks
Ben Gomori is set to release his highly anticipated debut album, ‘Collapsing Time’, on November 20th, marking a new chapter in his evolution as an artist.
Known for his vintage Balearic-inspired sound, all-round music industry grafter Gomori blends his dancefloor foundations with a deep love for pop, synthpop, and songwriting on this stunning LP. Through 11 diverse heartfelt tracks, he reflects a range of influences, ranging from 80s synthpop to peak-time house.
In his own words, Ben takes us through some of the highlights on the album:
Inside Melody feat. Daisybelle
“Inspired by my love of all things Balearic and the Balearic London party and label I launched this year with my friends Ariane V, Gaucho and Sarahtonin, this is a balmy little chugger that felt like the perfect way to properly kick off the album. The title was inspired by Aged In Harmony’s ‘You’re A Melody’. I like the idea that we all have a sort of natural internal rhythm or melody that sums us up and propels us. My friend Daisybelle augmented my vocal with her breathy Hispanic tones, and the jazzy electric guitar from Michael Kiwanuka’s guitarist Michael Jablonka gelled the whole thing together.”
‘Fo’ Sho’ feat. Carly Foxx
“I’ve had desires to write songs for a while and my relationship breakup during the making of this album gave me the push that I needed to find some lyrical inspiration. This is the first song I’ve ever written and I was surprised by how easily it came together, and it’s made me want to do more. Musically it’s inspired by ’80s boogie and Latin freestyle, like ‘Jellybean’ Benitez who produced so many of Madonna’s classics of the era. I wanted some sultry Bananarama-esque vocals to bring my lyrics to life and Carly Foxx did a great job—the brief I gave her was “sexy indifference” haha. I’ve buried my own vocals deep in the mix, also the first time I’ve sung on a record.”
‘La La Land’ feat. Michelle Nova
“Another of my earliest songwriting efforts, this was very much inspired by that ‘Smalltown Boy’ melancholic ’80s synth pop sound. I got the Roland Cloud subscription to make this album and it’s been great having all those classic drum and synth sounds at hand which helped to give this what I hope is quite an authentic sound. I originally used Grimes AI for the vocal demo, and then Carly Foxx introduced me to Michelle Nova who does a sort of hyperpop thing. She was exactly what I was looking for.”
‘1500 Pictures Of You’
“This one is about the digital footprint of our lives and relationships, and how we’re supposed to deal with the absolute deluge of content we create — particularly in the context of losing someone, either through a relationship breakup for through them passing. Musically it’s the first track I’ve finished that I started on my MPC Live 2, which I love but which has taken me a long time to get to grips with. I’ve tried to resist the trend of rising BPMs on the whole—I did enough of that in my hard house, trance and hardcore upbringing—but wanted this one to feel cathartic, hopeful and euphoric and it needed some speed to help make that feeling. I think a little inspired by Jon Hopkins, who I have worked with on my Pitchblack Playback album listening sessions in the dark around the world for several years now.”
Ben Gomori’s monumental debut album, ‘Collapsing Time’, is set for release on November 20th via his own label, Monologues Records. Be sure to check out the above singles, and pre-order the LP if you’re feeling it.
About Ben Gomori:
As a producer, Ben Gomori has spent the last 15 years producing club tracks and expertly crafted club edits, gaining support from everyone from Gilles Peterson to Disclosure and played everywhere from Womb in Tokyo to Space and Pikes in Ibiza to fabric in London and Glastonbury.
Both as Ben Gomori and as G.Markus, Ben’s released music on respected labels including Soul Clap, Club Bad, True Romance, Something Happening Somewhere, Exploited and Roots for Bloom. Alongside his Monologues Records imprint, he also runs the labels G-Edits and Sterns Edits, where he drops a variation of delicious dancefloor-focussed edits of well-known hits. Not done there, Ben runs the party and label Balearic London, which is home to his more low-slung hedonistic Balearic-style beats, reminiscent of dreamy Ibiza evenings.
Alongside all of this, Ben organises the popular events series, Pitchback Playback. These are immersive listening parties endorsed by big names like Rick Rubin, Max Richter and Jay Kay of Jamiroquai. Each event is an immersive listening session in complete darkness, enhancing the experience of both classic and contemporary albums on high-quality sound systems. By eliminating visual distractions, attendees can focus purely on the music, noticing new details and intensifying the experience. For these events, Ben has worked with artists like Jon Hopkins, Trentemøller, Daniel Avery, Christine & The Queens, MGMT, Flume, Moderat and Jungle to premiere their albums ahead of release. Events have taken place in cities including London, New York, LA, Mexico City, Paris and Berlin. (Find out more HERE)
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