2020 Electrojazz album from Meat Beat Manifesto member Ben Stokes. Ben Stokes is an OG industrial icon from Chicago who has produced videos for Nine Inch Nails, Ministry, Meat Beat, KMFDM and many more.The multimedia project started in 1988 and has three LPs available on Bandcamp. Working out of San Fransisco they did video work on Autoimmune, as well as co writing and producing the new album Man From Mantis. From title track one of Seeing Is Believing I was struck by the blending of EDM sonic imagery and samples to tell a dance floor bardic tale. The track names themselves help lead you on the journey. Seeing is Believing, Seeing, Seen unspool a thread of this unified theme. Ben is known for his video art for some of the biggest names in Industrial, getting a chance to delve into the music of his mind, beyond the visual interpretation of other artists is a glorious new prism. The samples have an amazing 60s instructional video feel ala LA Style. Crispy back beats that unspool a groove, instead of relying on upbeat techno attack.
▶︎ Seeing Is Believing | Dimensional Holofonic Sound (bandcamp.com)
https://www.facebook.com/statikindustrialtv/videos/695879174536825/
Wonderful interview here by our friend Rexx on STATIK TV
Favorite Tracks:
- DJ Jerks – Track 5 which features a video of amazing stop motion action figure style. A slippery slow beat dance groove. I’m not sure where these samples came from, but they really lend a sense of cohesion to emersed you in a Bioshock world of found footage. This track really have the energy to make a dancefloor cook.
- After The Music Has Stopped – I love the slutty muted horn effect and 60’s Barbarella sci fi vibes here. A sexy silver body suit walking bass groove. This is peak cocktail party music.
- Disco System – Riding that cowbell into the sunset and I am here for it. One of the most up tempo tracks that really sizzles that line between electro disco and fusion jazz.
At twenty tracks this album is a true journey. In both musical narrative as well as a nostalgic emotional trigger of my youth in the rave scene of Detroit. An ever pulsing heart, a bounding danger, a cold synthetic dream. I am transported back to those humidity dripping walls in some forgotten warehouse as a conductor behind two turn tables moved his hands to control the tempo and emotion of your night.
| 1. | Seeing Is Believing 03:53 video | |||
| 2. | Seeing 02:51 | |||
| 3. | Seen 05:18 | |||
| 4. | A Fine Record 02:33 | |||
| 5. | DJ Jerks 04:10 video | |||
| 6. | Universal Translator 02:39 | |||
| 7. | Blurry Breaks 06:04 | |||
| 8. | Pursuit 02:03 | |||
| 9. | Seeing Is Believing (Remix) 02:25 | |||
| 10. | After the Music Has Stopped 04:01 | |||
| 11. | Market is Prime 02:59 | |||
| 12. | Visual Audio 04:40 | |||
| 13. | Sound System 03:52 | |||
| 14. | 2020 Vision 03:03 | |||
| 15. | Disco System 03:39 | |||
| 16. | DJ Jerks (Instrumental) 02:38 | |||
| 17. | Computerized Turntable 00:53 | |||
| 18. | Travelogue 02:24 | buy track | ||
| 19. | Flame 00:39 | |||
| 20. | 1980 Vision 02:53 |
Overall this record is a wonderful experience to take in the sonic musings from someone so relevant to the visual aspect of this scene. It can be easy to get boxed in by our own talents and Ben Stokes has shown that Electonic music has always been in his soul. This can be as a visionary for others music, or wielding the sculpture himself.