Ben Watt

Buzzin Fly, Everything But The Girl, Lazy Dog

2008.05.23 ::: Words by Andrew Reid, Pic by Mark Earthy

Ben Watt is still best-known as half of the duo Everything but the Girl, which first performed together in 1982. That year, EBTG's Tracey Thorn released her solo debut, A Distant Shore, while Watt released his, North Marine Drive, the following year. Watt's LP went to number one on the U.K. indie charts and included a cover of Bob Dylan's "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go." Everything but the Girl's early material was lite-jazz, but their major international breakthrough came in the dance music genre with Todd Terry's 1995 remix of the song "Missing," which originally appeared on the album Amplified Heart. ("Missing" went to number two on Billboard's Hot 100 in 1996.) Everything but the Girl successfully made the transition to the "new jazz" of techno, house, and trip-hop.

That shift can be seen as a rebirth musically and personally. After the completion of the duo's 1992 album, Acoustic, Watt contracted the rare auto-immune system disease Churg-Strauss Syndrome, which nearly killed him. Complaining of chest pains, Watt was hospitalized for eight weeks and in that time lost more than 40 pounds and 85 percent of his small intestine. Recovery took a long time and was never a certainty. Out of his struggle with the deadly disease, Watt wrote a personal memoir, entitled -Patient: The History of a Rare Illness, which was published by Grove Press. Able to look back with humor, Watt wrote of Churg-Strauss Syndrome: "To paraphrase Joseph Heller," Watt wrote, "You know it's something serious when they name it after two guys." -Patient contains his observations about the struggle with the mental as well as physical hurdles of recovery. The book is very much a look at how trauma can force a person to become a new individual.

One of the new additions to Watt's post-illness life was an engagement with technology. He immersed himself in the World Wide Web and even managed the EBTG website. The interest in technology affected the band's music and Watt began to work with sequencers and computers more in his compositions. With the encouragement of friend, producer, and DJ Howie B, Watt began spinning in the world of underground DJs. His boredom with traditional approaches to playing and arranging music, a sense of isolation from an emerging generation of young music fans, and his illness set the stage for the new version of Everything but the Girl. The band had explored soul and bossa nova in the early '80s and began to experiment with downtempo funk, deep house, and jazzy drum 'n' bass. Watt actually remixed a version of "Missing" under the pseudonym Little Joey and fully submerged himself in the U.K. drum 'n' bass scene in 1994. The new techno approach was flushed out on Walking Wounded, their Virgin Records debut. The title-track and "Wrong" both cracked the U.K. Top Ten. Because of Watt's dedication to the club world, the follow-up, Temperamental, was three years in the making and retained much of the same style. Watt has produced and added vocals, piano, and guitar to releases by Chicane, Deep Dish, Adam F., Beth Orton, Roni Size, and Massive Attack, among others.

Watt attributes his ability to stay energized and young at heart to his remix work and DJ side project, Lazy Dog, an ongoing club event that is hosted regularly in London. Watt and DJ Jay Hannan (who also co-hosts Lazy Dog) released a two-disc set which included the UK hit "Tracey in My Room," on Astralwerks in the fall of 2000. The birth of Watt and Thorn's third child kept the duo busy and away from the studio for a time. Watt's remixing eased him back into recording with work for Sade, Sunshine Anderson, and Maxwell.

Conceived by Watt in 2003, and as well-known for its acclaimed artwork, website, radio show and rocking parties as for its regularly revered clubland releases, Buzzin' Fly has become one of the leading tastemaker UK independents focussing primarily on leading-edge underground deep House and Techno (House Music Awards Best Breakthrough Label Winner 2004 / DJ Magazine Best Of British Awards Best Label Runner-Up 2007). Buzzin’ Fly – 5 Golden Years In The Wilderness is a triple pack connection that perfectly sums up the past, present and future of Buzzin’ Fly.

CD1 (subtitled 'Up') is quite simply ten of the hottest floor tracks the label has released. Historically the story begins with Ben Watt's own 'Lone Cat', a tough slice of old-school New York House that was only ever released commercially because a rough test pressing Ben had made for club play was bootlegged and sold like wildfire on both sides of the Atlantic back in 2003. Since then (‘Lone Cat’ has sold over 12,000 on 12 inch), many of the subsequent thirty-five 12 inch releases have become evergreens in DJ boxes around the world. Among them: Darkmountaingroup's bass-grinding classic 'Lose Control', Ame's cataclysmic take on Rodamaal's 'Insomnia', Charles Webster's genre-straddling re-work of Justin Martin's much-loved 'The Sad Piano', Radio Slave's recent strung-out journey through Mademoiselle Caro and Franck Garcia's 'Dead Souls', and Watt's own lyrically rich vocal cuts, 'Pop A Cap In Yo' Ass' (here included in its Radio 1 conquering radio edit) and 'A Stronger Man' featuring Terence Trent D’Arby (aka Sananda Maitreya).

CD 2 (subtitled 'Down') is a different journey. Handpicked by Watt himself it represents the deeper recesses of the imprint's output. Highlights include Unity's affecting and pathos-fuelled gem 'I Love You', John Tejada's fizzing future-retro remix of Jimpster's 'Square Up', Manoo and Francois Aymonier's half-stepping 'A Day In December' and the lyrical and symphonic beauty of Mademoiselle Caro and Franck Garcia's 'Mon Ange', whose debut artist album in February 2008 harvested such an armful of rave reviews for its unique blend of post-punk austerity with deep Berliner beats.

CD3 (subtitled 'Forward') is a clutch of brand new recently-signed tracks pointing ahead. Gavin Herlihy's 'Give Me A Funf' is eruptive latino machine music for all occasions (ask anyone at the Panorama Bar recently). Florian Schirmacher (Perlon / Cadenza) teams up with Engin Oeztuerk as Here Today to deliver 'Good News', a beautiful life-affirming sunset essential to close proceedings. And for a label that prides itself on helping new first-time producers (Justin Martin, Darkmountaingroup, Manoo and Francois A and Abyss all got their breaks on Buzzin' Fly) there is more from 2007 St Petersburg discovery BarBQ, plus emerging Hamburg innovator, Martin Stimming, and London's gifted Spencer Parker.

Happy Birthday. Buzz buzz.

Nocturnal: Your career has been nothing short of legendary... Everything But The Girl, Lazy Dog, and now Buzzin Fly. How would you sum up your musical journey to this point?
Ben: I hardly think 'legendary' is the right word. 'Busy' is probably more appropriate. 'Self-absorbed' leaps to mind. How would I sum it up? A lot of effort to really try and say what I mean.

Nocturnal: You have one of the globe's most discernable styles. How do you vision your dance floor and sound? Where do you draw your inspiration from?
Ben: Again, you fan me with undue praise, but if I try for anything I aim for the point where the emotional filter sweeps from pathos and melancholy into volatility and euphoria.

Nocturnal: Of course you struggled and documented (Patient - Penguin, 1996) your battle with a rare life-threatening auto-immune disease (Churg-Strauss syndrome). How did that experience shape both you personally and musically?
Ben: It was a huge life-changing experience. I developed a greater appreciation for humility (although I don't always manage to express it.) I realized that every road has a bend and a fork. I realized how much you need your own strength and inner drive and sense of self-worth to survive everything life throws at you. I got a greater understanding of the view from ground level. But in the end perhaps it merely sharpened the slightly dysfunctional need I have always had to perpetually express myself in self-absorbed activities.

Nocturnal: Your significant other, Tracy Thorn, has one of the most recognizable and gorgeous voices in the world and has recently been turning out some amazing new house tunes. Is the ground work being laid for an EBTG return? How much influence do you have in Tracy's independant material?
Ben: Firstly, although we have been partners for 26 years, I should stress that we are not married. EBTG is parked in the garage of pop for the time being. Up on blocks. But every vintage car has its day, so perhaps one day, with fine weather, you might see us out. But when? Who knows? With Tracey's recent album I merely flagged up some collaborators she might enjoy... Ewan Pearson for example. They are two English Literature boffins with a love of electronic pop and a bit of kitsch. A good match.

Nocturnal: Of course your own productions have been met with crictial and commerical success. What's your process in creating new music? Are you strictly software or does hardware still play an integral role in your compositions?
Ben: I resent the arms race of music software. I get intimidated by upgrades and plug-ins. I just manage to master something, then something else comes along. I have just gone back to sampling raw audio clips and simple sequencing and midi-driven hardware. I feel more at home. But the best thing I bought recently was a grand piano. I sit and play jazz standards in the evening after the kids are in bed. Perfect.

Nocturnal: As an accomplished producer are there any valuable tips you could pass on to someone starting out making music?
Ben: Always pretend you haven't started, and that you are just fooling around.

Nocturnal: What new releases from you are forthcoming?
Ben: I have just begun recording a couple of club tracks - the first for a couple of years - that i hope to release in autumn. There is also my long-standing unfinished spoken word project which sits in the corner of the room looking forlornly at me saying: 'Will this ever be finished?'

Nocturnal: Speaking of new releases, your latest mix CD celebrates the 5th birthday of your influential Buzzin Fly imprint. Tell us about it?
Ben: One part floor-killers, one part reflective late-night backroom tunes, and one part brand new tracks. A simple distillation of the Buzzin' Fly ethos that hopefully knits together as one.

Nocturnal: Is the mix an accurate reflection of what people would see in your club sets?
Ben: Yes, in that it reflects a good cross section of the moods I play, if not the actual precise content.

Nocturnal: Disc 3 is described as "Forward". What exclusives or upfront material is on it?
Ben: New tracks from Stimming, Spencer Parker, Barbq, Here Today, Gavin Herlihy and more.

Nocturnal: What's forthcoming on the label?
Ben: I never plan very far ahead and try and leave it to the last minute. My label manager, Marianne, gets very stressed.

Nocturnal: Lastly here are some quick shots:
Nocturnal: What's more likely... vinyl making a comeback or a non-trance DJ being rated #1 in the DJ Mag poll?
Ben: Neither. Vinyl will survive as a boutique format. Non-trance DJs should not aspire to such pointless heights.
Nocturnal: Favourite travel destination for vacation?
Ben: My back garden on a warm summer's day.
Nocturnal: Favourite travel destination for performing?
Ben: The Australian summer festival circuit, Berlin nightclubs, Space Terrace in Ibiza...
Nocturnal: Favourite thing to do when returning from a long tour?
Ben: Sit on the sofa with a marmite sandwich and a cup of hot sweet tea.
Nocturnal: Most indispensable item you travel with?
Ben: Macbook Pro.
Nocturnal: Most indispensable piece of studio kit?
Ben: Maselec MEA-2.
Nocturnal: Most emotional song for you of all time?
Ben: The Skye Boat Song.
Nocturnal: Single greatest moment from your DJ performance career?
Ben: Working out what the slipmats were for.

::: Related Links

::: www.buzzinfly.com

::: www.myspace.com/benwatt

::: www.lazydogclub.com

::: www.ebtg.com

::: 2008.03.27 » WMC 2008 | Buzzin Fly @ Shine Photos