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Ben Osborn is a British singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist based between Berlin, Germany and Bristol, UK. Fast Awake is Ben’s debut single.
Fast Awake has been informed by the music of the many cities where Ben has lived over the years. This includes an echo of the elegiac beauty of Thom Yorke’s solo work which references Ben’s childhood in Oxford; a dubby trip-hop ambience familiar to fans of the Bristol scene, where Ben has composed for the award-winning Fellswoop Theatre Company with French director Bertrand Lesca since 2010; and a driving kick drum which evokes the classic techno synonymous with Berlin, where Ben is now partly based. Fast Awake is a sophisticatedly woven mix of prepared piano, stuttering percussion and processed strings which blend seamlessly to create a unique and beguiling sound world.
Ben Osborn is the latest artist to join the Nonostar roster, which has also seen the release of Alex Stolze’s acclaimed solo albums Mankind Animal and Outermost Edge as well as Solo Collective Part One, the highly praised debut release from the modern classical trio of Alex Stolze with cellist Anne Müller and pianist/producer Sebastian Reynolds. Other Nonostar releases include the Mahajanaka EP by Sebastian Reynolds and the Aracus EP by German producer Qrauer.
lyrics
the storm woke me up
it kicked at my window
twisted over the ocean
howled like a mosquito
it said "everything's changing
so why can't you change?"
it said "everything's strange here
& you are a stranger
fast awake in the wind & the rain"
so call for a doctor
say i've swallowed a storm
& it swirls in my stomach
& my edges are torn
it says "everything's changing
so why can't you change?"
it says "everything's strange here
& you are a stranger
fast awake in the wind & the rain"
all this white noise tears the leaves from the trees
leaves them naked cowering on bent knees
waves like mountains are flinging rocks up the beach
i was turned to silver by the force of the sea
tangled flotsam strewn among the debris
air pulled from my lungs by the wind i can't breathe
i can't breathe i can't breathe i can't
& everything's strange here
& i am a stranger
fast awake in the wind & the rain.
credits
released November 23, 2018
written by Ben Osborn, produced by Alex Stolze
an old EP of rowan's but still my favourite. a brilliantly energetic acoustic musician, who also played harp on several of my songs, this recording ably showcases his skills as arranger & lyricist. Ben Osborn
Thin Lear's sophisticated rock music is tempered with soaring chamber pop accents and an undeniable gift for melody. Bandcamp New & Notable Jul 30, 2020
Recorded in “a remote ruined building” in East Germany, the latest from Alex Stolze delivers skeletal songs with haunting melodies. Bandcamp New & Notable Dec 14, 2020
Canadian singer-songwriter Aidan Knight makes indie folk-rock that's sophisticated, but never loses its sense of genuine intimacy. Bandcamp New & Notable Jun 30, 2020