"Norwich based Fat Benjamin, aka Andrew Callaby’s electronic creations have often been described as ‘moody’ and ‘ambient’ – and it’s this combination which nicely bridges the gap between Autechre and Lamb. Xtraperriermenthal is different though, showcasing his more experimental (and instrumental – or should I say Instraperriermenthal?) side, but retaining a sci-fi sensibility for bleeps, beats and drones that sound like the fleet of the death star coming into land. It’s war music from another planet! Opener ‘Limited MeanZ’ (The Starship Troopers must be down with the kids, though thankfully I think Callaby is in on the joke) sears with rage and intensity. Melody merges with rhythm and synths thunder, setting the precedent for Martin Sheen’s dark trip down some river of sulphur. Track two ‘chuck’ is perhaps the album’s most accessible, but then clanky and intrusive beats detract from a promising start. A shame but not to be dwelled on, as the most dance-friendly tune, “dubbaYA”, grabs you and booms with the swagger of all good dubstep. Song structure is free and nonchalant, allowing eloquent swirls of sound and the church organs of space to momentarily replace more traditional soundscapes. Elsewhere, recurring electronic hooks fly in and out of airspace. Fat Benjamin certainly ventures into an interesting area with this EP. But while gamers should enjoy the escapist qualities on offer, it’s not for every happy little stoner! Those of you who prefer a human edge to their music should stay well clear and opt for one of Fat Benjamin’s other EPs. But with all of them available on the website for two fifty (or three quid) a pop, who’s complaining?" Beared Magazine Review			"XtraperriermenthaL EP" 1. Limited meanZ (MP3) 2. chuck (MP3) 3. actionflavoR (MP3) 4. dubbaYA (MP3) 5. the grokovotch thimble (MP3) Fat Benjamin has been busying away since 2005 making digital music that stimulates the mind and feet in equal measure. Currently based in Norwich, Fat Benjamin is interested in making dance music that people who don’t like dance music can listen to without tearing their ears off. These dark and light, loud and soft tunes are part of a move by FB to incorporate the human voice into his work and the first little batch was released as ‘the futureRUSTIC ep’. Featuring guest vocals from Toronto based Mikela Jay, London based Kerry-Fleur, as well as Elly Kellner who is currently based in the Netherlands. Moody is a good word and one that fits what FB does pretty perfectly. After ‘the futureRUSTIC EP’ Fat Benjamin returns with a whole new EP and direction. Called ‘XtraperriermenthaL’, the new EP explores dark, mysterious and more experimental sounds. After creating over 30 demo's for his proposed follow-up ‘plastic AMBUSH‘ Fat Benjamin realised that the material he had created fell into two distinct camps. One was a more digital tinged extension of the sound he explored in the previous EP and the other was a more far out sonic landscape that was less conventional in structure and texture. These more experimental instrumental tracks had been born from live jams just as the other tracks had, but seemed darker than he had envisioned for ‘plastic AMBUSH’. Fat Benjamin says “ I wanted to release some new material to give people an idea of where I am going with my music now. It’s been almost 2 years since the futureRUSTIC EP and I felt that XtraperriermenthaL would be a great stepping stone from previous material and introduction to new listeners. This is more of a long form version of what I do. I think it’s important to explore releasing less accessible music rather than just leaving it on the cutting room floor because a track is over 5 minutes in length. I know it won’t be to everyone’s taste but hopefully it will excite some who hear it”. Egress are pleased to support Fat Benjamin and make the 'XtraperriermenthaL' EP available as a completely free download. Just click on the links at the top of page. Look out for future releases and collaborations with Fat Benjamin in the future.		Official Homepage
					© Egress UK Ltd