“Just be ready to take off most of your layers!”: This is Benji B’s ultimate party guide
DJ and broadcaster Benji B has performed at some of the world’s most celebrated party venues and musically directed fashion shows for Louis Vuitton and Burberry. Here, the musical maverick lists the club, party and underground event everyone should experience once in their life.
DJ Benji B’s influence over modern sound is undeniable. Benji – also known as Benjamin Benstead – first took over the airwaves as a presenter for Kiss FM in the 90s, before becoming one of the pioneering voices and sound tastemakers behind the launch of BBC Radio 1Xtra. He made the move to BBC Radio 1 in 2010, where he remains a leading broadcaster.
Since then, the DJ’s sharp ear has been recruited by the likes of Celine, Phoebe Philo and Virgil Abloh; Abloh invited B to be the musical director for his Louis Vuitton shows. This paved the way for B’s foray into fashion, with Burberry and Celine also inviting the DJ to musically direct the sounds of their shows. He’s played some of the world’s leading festivals, such as Glastonbury and Coachella, and worked with musical pioneers such as Tyler, The Creator and FKA Twigs.
So, it’s safe to say Benji B knows a thing or two about music, and the best ways to enjoy it. As we continue to bask in this never-ending sun-soaked summer, we asked the acclaimed DJ where we should be partying.
From special events held at the world’s most beloved festivals to the NYC club made for true music heads, Benji B lets us in on the spaces he thinks you should be partying in below.…
COURTESY OF DEVIATION
PARTY – Deviation
“No surprises, I’m going to pick my party, Deviation. It’s a club night I founded with Judah Afriyie, and I’m proud to say that this year will be our 19th birthday. It’s the club night that I would want to go to, and that’s how we should create anything that we imagine into reality. I simply wanted to create the club night that I felt was missing from London, and the club night that I wanted to attend, in terms of music, environment, sound system, and programming. We did it monthly for 10 years without missing a single edition, and then, after the 10th year, it became quarterly as and when we found new venues we liked. It began in London on Commercial Street at a tiny club called Gramophone. It then went on to have homes in London at XOYO and Concrete, in New York at Output, in Berlin at Horst, and in Paris at La Machine. Of course, Deviation also has a presence once a year at Notting Hill Carnival, which is free for everyone. Deviation is the product of a lot of love and energy that’s gone into a promotion that reflects our musical taste and our curation of DJs that we feel everyone should hear from all around the world. It’s also a reflection of what I play on the radio, and, of course, an opportunity for me to have a residency as a DJ in my hometown. I recommend that you visit Deviation at least once at one of our club nights somewhere in the world, and at least once at our Notting Hill Carnival sound system.”
@deviationmusic
Deviation is the club night that I would want to go to, and that’s how we should create anything that we imagine into reality.
BENJI B
COURTESY OF PUBLIC RECORDS NYC
CLUB – Public Records
“The club I’m going to pick is Public Records in Brooklyn. I have a residency there currently, playing quarterly. Across those four shows, I cycle through the club’s four spaces. There’s the Sound Room, which we consider the main room. There’s the Atrium, which has more of a house party feel. There’s the Nursery, also known as the Garden, which is outdoors, operates in the summer months, and offers a beautiful daytime-to-evening experience. Then there’s the Vinyl Room upstairs, known as Upstairs, which is a vinyl-only selectors’ room. I play in all four rooms throughout the year. I couldn’t tell you which is my favourite because they’re all amazing, and they all have incredible sound systems. They’re created by Devon Turnbull, a.k.a. OJAS Sound. The DJ booth in each room is second to none. It makes you play differently. It makes you select differently. It really is a music head’s place – somewhere dedicated to sound and music. For that reason, I recommend that everyone visit at least once.”
@publicrecordsnyc
Public Records is a music head’s place – somewhere dedicated to sound and music. For that reason, I recommend that everyone visit at least once.
BENJI B
COURTESY OF GLASTONBURY
UNDERGROUND EVENT – NYC Downlow
“For this one, I’m going to pick an event that some people feel is the best club in the world, and it only happens four days a year. That is NYC Downlow, which is held annually at Glastonbury Festival in the UK. Inside an area called Block9, you’ll find the now folkloric and legendary NYC Downlow. I don’t even know how to explain what makes this club so special, other than to say that, for those of us too young to have visited, it’s probably the closest we’ll get to Paradise Garage. There are speaker stacks perfectly positioned in each corner of the room. There’s a DJ that you can barely see, tucked away off to the side. If you really make the effort, you can spot them. People face in all different directions, not just towards the booth. It’s founded on what made disco, house, garage, and dance music what it is. I think the fact that it’s a temporary space makes it amazing, but it’s really the attention to detail. And, of course, the curation. We have to shout out Gideön for an incredible lineup of some of the best DJs, from Mood II Swing from America through to Midland from the UK. If you want to get lost in the music, make sure you go to NYC Downlow at least once in your life. It’s in a far southeast corner of Glastonbury Festival in the middle of a field in Somerset, but I guarantee it’s worth the trip. Just be ready to take off most of your layers.”
@thenycdownlow
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