Benshaman

CURRENT PROJECTS:
Artist in Residency at the French Embassy "No Mans Land" site until 31 January 2010. Benjamin Skepper did 2 performances live on harpsichord and cello with laptop and digital processing at the opening on 25 November 2009 with special guest Eli Walks (laptop).
NO MANS LAND PROJECT VIDEO
realised by video artiste Louise Traon (Paris)
with soundtrack by Benjamin Skepper (improvised violoncello)

NO MAN'S LAND - TOKYO 2009 from louise Traon on Vimeo .

Benjamin Skepper returns from Tokyo to Melbourne for one Live show only with
BENTEN X @ Northcote Social Club
Tuesday 8 December.‏‏
BENSHAMAN'S DEBUT 12" RECORD "eika 詠歌" NOW ON SALE!
3 solo violoncello compositions as performed live at contrapuntal's premiere exhibition in Tokyo on 23 September 2009.
Compositions: Aria Sinai (side A) Marionette (side A) Sori (side B)
2500 yen (ex freight charges)
PURCHASING EIKA -
PLEASE CONTACT
[email protected]
for all sales and distribution inquiries.
CONTRAPUNTAL PREMIERE EXHIBITION
REQUIEM D'UNE MARIONETTE @ JIYUGAKUEN AUDITORIUM TOKYO 23 SEP 2009
contrapuntal premier exhibition
"Requiem d'une Marionnette"
DATE: 23 September 2009
VENUE: Jiyugakuen Myonichikan (Kodo Bulding), meaning the "House of Tomorrow," is the original building complex designed by renowned American architect Frank Lloyd Wright (designer of the Guggenheim Museum New York). The exhibition will be held in the "Kodo" building, which was an old prayer building for girls during the 1920's in Japan and was designed by Arata Endo, who worked with Wright in Japan.
Website reference: http://www.jiyu.jp/index-e.html
ADMISSION: 1500 yen
CURTAIN CALL: 6:00pm, show starts at 6:30pm
in conjunction with benshaman's first LP release titled "eika"
design by Keiji Ito
EXHIBITION OVERVIEW
“contrapuntal” is a symbol of the synergy between couturier Michiko Suzuki (ex designer of Yohji Yamamoto’s Ys red label) and musician/producer Benjamin Skepper. The term contrapuntal refers to the art of combining two or more independent melodies in harmonic fashion. In this connection, the two artists seek to fuse couture and musique into a united artform.
The title of the exhibition, “Requiem d’une marionette”, is contrapuntal’s premier exhibition and Suzuki’s design inspiration for her first collection (2010 Spring/Summer) is drawn from Skepper’s violoncello composition titled “marionette”. Fantastical, whimsical, ephemeral and spell bound, this collection recalls the memory of children free to express imagination and emotion in a limitless world.
“requiem d’une marionette” will also mark the release of Skepper’s first solo violoncello 12” LP titled “eika 詠歌”, the original music of which will be performed live at the exhibition. Skepper will also be performing original compositions on a 16th century Flemish harpsichord crafted by instrument maker Akira Kubota.
A limited number of garments will be available for your exclusive purchase (cash only) on the day of the exhibition, each accompanied by a limited edition copy of “eika 詠歌”.
BIO
Born in 1980 in Melbourne, Australia, Benjamin Skepper commenced classical musical education at age 2.
Hailed a child prodigy, he started touring at 7 years old as a solo pianist and was the youngest self-taught harpsichordist in Australia. Invited to tour New Zealand, with sponsorship from Suzuki Music, he performed a Mozart concerto with full orchestra in 1990. After returning home he commenced lessons in violoncello and toured and performed in orchestras over a decade. Violoncello is now his primary instrument.
After such strong classical foundations, he decided to branch out from solo classical and orchestral playing and moved into composing and improvisation. Since this transformation, he has worked with record labels including Colombia Music Entertainment, Avex Japan, Big Dada and Ninja Tunes. He has appeared on television for iTunes, performed at fashion shows for Yohji Yamamoto, at corporate events for Mercedes Benz and the Fina International Swimming Championships, at Art Galleries including the National Gallery of Australia, at numerous music festivals and live houses, and conducted private performances for the Austrian Archduchess director of T-BA21 Francesca von Habsburg, Nobel Prize winner Dr. Nakamatsu and the Dalai Lama.
Benjamin currently lives in Tokyo and is performing his original works both composed and improvised. He is also collaborating with artists from Japan and overseas.
Benjamin recently self-released his first 12" LP vinyl record titled "eika". This record includes 3 original compositions of solo violoncello works recently performed at the premier exhibition of "contrapuntal" at the Frank Lloyd Wright Building "Jiyugakuen" in Tokyo. Keiji Ito, renowned visual artist, envisioned the cover art for the jacket cover. Eika is a limited edition pressing of 500 copies only. Available as an independent release through contrapuntal.
ベンジャミン　スケッパー　アーティスト　 プロフィールベンジャミンスケッパーはオー ストラリア出身の日系三世である。２５年以 上音楽家として経験を積み、 一歳半から音楽に親しみ、ピアノ、ハープシ コード、ボイス、チェロ、オーケストラ、指 揮者など、多岐にわたるクラシック音楽のト レーニングを受けている。８歳からオースト ラリア国内のツアーを始め、１０歳に国際ピ アノツアーに単独で参加する 。この背景を元に、 現在はフリースタイルで音楽の道を歩み続け 、様々なジャンルで 即興演奏を中心に、演奏者、プロデューサー 、レコーディング、作曲家としても活動して いる。Avex Entertainment (Japan), Colombia Music Entertainment (Japan), Big Dada / Ninja Tunes Record Label (UK), Australian Hip Hop, National Gallery of Australia, Qantas Airways Australia, The Dalai Lama,フィルム、テレビ、展示会 など幅広い世界で音楽のクリエーターとして 活躍している。今年3月Yohji Yamamoto Y’s Red Labelã®ãƒ•ã‚¡ãƒƒã‚·ãƒ§ãƒ³ã‚·ãƒ§ãƒ¼ã§æ¼”å¥ã‚’ã—ã€ï¼•æœˆå ¤§æ©‹ãƒˆãƒªã‚ªã®ã‚²ã‚¹ãƒˆãƒ¡ãƒ³ãƒãƒ¼ã¨ã—て、 朝日テレビに iTunes Japan Brightest Hope 2009 に出演。2009年を機に、チェロのソロアルバム ã‚’åˆãƒªãƒªãƒ¼ã‚¹ã€‚ãƒ©ã‚¤ãƒ–ã€ãƒ¬ã‚³ãƒ¼ãƒ‡ã‚£ãƒ³ã‚°ã€ä½ œæ›²ã€ã‚¢ãƒ¬ãƒ³ã‚¸ã€ãƒ†ãƒ¬ãƒ“出演等、日本の音楽だ¨ エンターテインメント世界に自分のアーティ ストのスキルを生かし、貢献したいと願って いる。
THE PRESENT STORY BOARD and RECENT PERFORMANCES and CREATIVE PROJECTS
iTunes Japan Brightest Hope for 2009 for Asahi Television Network - special guest with "Ohashi Trio".
Autumn / Winter 2009/2010 TOKYO INTERNATIONAL FASHION WEEK collection for Yohji Yamamoto's Ys Red Label as designed by Michiko Suzuki.
..
In conjunction with Sun Design Japan, Benshaman produced and performed live improvised violoncello as part of Yohji Yamamoto's Ys Red Label A/W 09/10 collection, dressed in designer Michiko Suzuki's Ys Red Label couture (accompanying hat crafted by Misa Harada of London). Creative inspiration was drawn from the garments, their movement, texture, color and form. This was influenced by natural elements as the fashion show was held outdoors at Tokyo Olympic Stadium. The musical landscape has been hailed for intertwining seamlessly with Suzuki's couture designs.
UENO YUJI and BENSHAMAN collaborationUeno Yuji, a contemporary Ikebana (the art of traditional Japanese flower arrangement) artist created a performance art installation work at the underground location Meconopsis Tokyo. The collaboration was based on the concept summer solstice and was completely improvised. The performance was filmed by Hisanori Furukawa (camera and lighting artist for the famous Japanese cult film director Akira Kurosawa).
Benten X Live @ Gertrudes Contemporary Art Gallery, Melbourne, Australia (2007) featuring Benshaman and Xanya Mamunya (electronic harp)
Filmed and edited by Anne Scott-Wilson of Melbourne Australia
PERFORMANCE CHRONICLE
MUSIC • Super Deluxe 3G Sessions (Tokyo 2009) • Claska (Tokyo 2008) • FINA International Swimming Championships with David Walters (Melbourne 2007) • Meredith Music Festival, Rainbow Serpent Festival, Folk Rhythm and Life Festival (Victoria 2006) • Environ Sessions with Uberlingua (Melbourne 2003-2004) • International Music tour as guest solo performer at Suzuki Music Conference (New Zealand 1990)
ART GALLERIES AND INSTITUTIONS • L'Institut Franco-Japonais de Tokyo (French Institute Tokyo) Lucille Reyboz Photographic Exhibition (Tokyo 2010) • National Gallery of Australia Indigenous Triennial of Art (Canberra 2007) • National Gallery of Australia 25th Anniversary Celebration (Canberra 2007) • Gertrudes Contemporary Art Space (Melbourne 2007)
EXHIBITIONS • “No Mans Land” French Embassy studio installation (Tokyo 2009) • “contrapuntal” salon installation at PLSMIS Art Gallery (Tokyo 2009) • “contrapuntal” exhibition “requiem d’une marionette” at Frank Lloyd Wright’s “House of Tomorrow” (Tokyo 2009)
FASHION • Tokyo International Fashion Week Yohji Yamamoto’s Ys Red Label Fashion Show S/S 2009/2010 (Tokyo 2009)
TELEVISION • iTunes Japan “versus” with “The Ohashi Trio” TBS Television Network (Tokyo 2009) • “New Faces” Channel 9 Television Network (Melbourne 1990) • Vision Australia’s “Carols By Candelight” (Melbourne 1989-1991)
CORPORATE EVENTS • Australian Greens Federal Political Party Campaign Launch (2007) • Government of Victoria Australia Department of Environment and Sustainability Conference (2007) • National Gallery of Victoria Corporate Event (1997) • Mercedez Benz Corporate Event (1997) • Anti-Cancer Council of Victoria Corporate Event (1996)
PRIVATE PERFORMANCES AND PATRONS • Archduchess of Austria and TB-A 21 Director, Francesca von Hapsburg (Tokyo 2009) • Nobel Prize winner Dr. Nakamatsu (Tokyo 2009) • Gyuto Monks of Tibet (Melbourne 2007) • Welcome Ceremony for His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet (Melbourne 1995) • Sir Ballieu Myer (Melbourne 1990)
• Benshaman has also played at most Australian festivals and venues of note with various Australian rock and hip-hop bands.
Benshaman 's musical taste is eclectic and his ability to play in a number of different musical styles has allowed him to record and collaborate with "world music", jazz, hip-hop, trip hop, dub, reggae, gypsy, rock, african, punk, psychedelic trance, ambient artists and collectives. He has also composed and performed with choreographers, dancers, artists, film directors, photographers, screenwriters, ikebana and sado artists (the Japanese art of flower arrangement and tea ceremony).
Benshaman through his arts creation "Benten" has also curated many music based events around Australia, and is currently extending his creative vision in Tokyo, Japan.
FEATURE COLLABORATIVE ENSEMBLES/ PERFORMANCE WORKS
BENTEN X (Australia)
BENTEN Xによる即興演奏は美の輪郭、敏感さ、曖昧だ•ãã‚Œã«æ´—練を紡ぎだします。自然に流れる゠³ãƒ³ãƒ†ãƒ³ãƒãƒ©ãƒªä½œæ›²ã¯è¦³å®¢ã¨å…±ã«éŸ³ã®æ—…を導だã€ã‚´ã‚·ãƒƒã‚¯å»ºç¯‰ã€ä¸æ€è­°ã®å›½ã‚るいは奥深だ„æ„Ÿæƒ…çš„ãªä½“é¨“ã«èª˜ã„å‡ºã™ã€‚ã‚¯ãƒ©ã‚·ãƒƒã‚¯ã‚’åŸºç¤ Žã¨ã™ã‚‹ãƒã‚§ãƒ­ã®Benjamin Skepperとエレクトリック　ハープのXanya Mamunyaは理論そして演奏の経験で培った、彼゠‰ã®å¤šæ§˜ãªè¦ªå¯†ä¸”つ生きている音楽のリレー゠·ãƒ§ãƒ³ã‚·ãƒƒãƒ—により描きだされる。シンプル〠ã¾ã£ã™ãã§å¤§ããªç›¸ä¹—効果をもたらし、Bente n Xの音の語りは音楽の本来持つ遍在的な力に゠ˆã£ã¦äººé–“の生命、そのパワーを目覚めさせ゠‹ã€‚
The improvisations imparted by Benten X elicit images of beauty, subtlety, ambiguity and refinement. Free flowing contemporary compositions invite audiences on a shared journey, weaving through gothic architectures, enchanted landscapes and elicit profound inner emotional encounters. Classically trained, Benjamin Skepper on violoncello and Xanya Mamunya on electric harp, draw from a well of theoretical and performance experience to communicate their diverse and intimate living musical relationship. Simple, honest, and intensely synergetic, Benten X conversations invoke appreciation of the omnipresent power of music to transform human experience.
Collaborative Project with internationally renowned visual artist John Aslanidis (based in Melbourne and exhibiting in Australia and Internationally) - composition in unity with Aslanidis' body of visual artwork.
PAST WORKS
MiSO (independent 2005-2007)
MiSO is a Melbourne based trip-hop band, which toured extensively throughout Australia, playing at most live houses and festivals of note, including The Big Day Out, The Falls Festival, Pyramid Rock Festival, Meredith Music Festival, The Festival Of Folk Rhythm and Life, Rainbow Serpent Festival, St Kilda Festival, High Vibes Festival and The Tasmanian Forest Festival.
MiSO performed alongside artists including Bjork (Iceland), Kid Koala (Canada), Pitch Black (New Zealand), Kora (New Zealand), Sola Rosa (New Zealand), The Spheres (Australia), Blue King Brown (Australia), The Red Eyes (Australia), Curse ov Dialect (Australia). MiSO also released 2 independently produced albums in Australia.
Australian National Indigenous Art Triennial 2007
Collaboration with contemporary Aboriginal Performance Artist Christian Bumbarra Thompson, Benshaman composed the musical structure for a performance art work "Bright Fires" - The performance was also a collaboration with Thompson's Father and was performed in Bidjara dialect with violoncello orchestration.
Bright Fires was also featured at Getrudes Contemporary Art Spaces (Melbourne 2007) as part of Philip Brophy - VOX | STUDIO 12: Christian Thompson exhibtion, and at the National Gallery of Australia's 25th Anniversary gala exhibition.
http://nga.gov.au/Exhibition/NIAT07/Default.cfm?MnuID=5
Australian Artists and Collectives: founding member of Melbourne trip-hop band MISO (disbanded 2007), Sunwrae Ensemble (Rae Howell), Psyharmonics Record Label (Australia), Dakini (Submerge), Rainbow Serpent Festival, Jade Tyas Tunggal (choreographer/contemporary dancer Australia), Samantha Star, Madeline Turevicz, The Wintership Trio, 45 Downstairs Theatre and Gallery, Tony Woods (Artist, Super 8 Filmmaker, Video/MDV Sound Artist), Curse ov Dialect(Australian hip hop gurus), Brendan Palmer (3RRR and Zonar founder), Uberlingua Collective, Mikey Chan (Candice Monique).
THIEF (Ajay Mcfadden aka gsan).
Composed and recorded 3 tracks on first EP by Thief, "Fallen", "Got Me" and "Ella and Lulu"
Japanese Artists: The Ohashi Trio (Asahi Television and iTunes 2009 Brightest Hope - Live television performance), Kujun (Anore Japan), Ryu Konno (Super Deluxe Tokyo), Ueno Yuji (Contemporary Ikebana Artist).
Hideyo Blackmoon (Tokyo/Ibiza)
Recording on debut album by Hideyo Blackmoon, "Sunshine La La La", due for release 22 July 2009.
"General Head Mountain" (released by 松尾レコーズ Japan with support from Katsuhiro Inoue of Colombia Music Entertainment Japan)-
String Arrangement and violoncello recording on track no 6 "Ashi Ato"
http://www.generalheadmountain.com/
French Artists: David Walters (signed with !Yabasta! Record Label (Phillipe Cohen Solal - the Gotan Project) - www.davidwalters.fr
American Artists: Chief Boima Tucker
British Artists: Speech Debelle - session work collaboration with Australian based UK producer Wayne Lotek for "Speech Debelle - Speech Therapy" album (Big Dada/Ninja Tunes Record Label) released globally on 1 June 2009 ...
Check it out @ http://www.speechdebelle.com/
COMPOSITION WORKS
"Boodjarri Business", a documentary commenting on post natal depression in the Noongah Aboriginal Community in Western Australia in collaboration with Serena Ryan of RYAN House Film Productions and The Government of Western Australia. The film was launched nationally in Australia in June 2007, was the winner of "Best Short Film Mandurah Short Film Competition Australia (2007)" and was showcased on Foxtel Television during 2007.
LIVE LINK TO SHORT FILM HERE : http://www.kemh.health.wa.gov.au/health_professionals/WA_per inatal_mental_health_unit/video.php
ABC TV and Qantas Inflight - Composition of background music for "First Tuesday Bookclub" - www.abc.net.au/tv/firsttuesday/
45 Downstairs - Live Theatre Composition for the play "The Cherry Orchard" by Anton Chekov - www.fortyfivedownstairs.com
VCA Postgraduate School of Dance - Sound composition for avant-garde contemporary dance chorepograher Jade Dewi Tyas Tunggal
Benten Productions
Under the name "Benten Productions", Benshaman also curated numerous music based events around Australia expressing his love for a wide range of sonic landscapes. Featuring live musicians, and DJ's in musical genres including Hip-hop, Trip hop, Gypsy Jazz, Eastern European Balkan Gypsy, Drum n Bass, Ambient, Folkloric and Silk Road, Classical, Electronic, Improvisational and Experimental.
Benjamin Skepper with Eli walks @ PLSMIS November 11 2009
3G Sessions - Benjamin Skepper Live with Kujun (Poodles) and Ryu Konno 16 February 2009.
http://www.super-deluxe.com/2009/2/16/