We spent a while chatting during our sound exploration and stumbled upon a narrative for the track and the story became kind of dark. It follows someone who is struggling to deal with problems in their life. Someone who hides behind addictions in an attempt to escape from their daily life. This is unfortunately all too common a reality and something each of us has seen happen to people we knew.
Ben Laxton
THE RELEASE
The UK, Strasbourg-based singer/producer Ben Laxton returns with a new, otherworldly listening experience, after his previous, Bonobo-like gem “Azalea”.
“Flickers” is a mesmerising blend of jazz, beats, and electronica, with melancholic vocals, drums switching between UKG & house, and trippy keys & guitars. It explores the theme of addiction as a means to run away from life’s problems.
The song was created with UK multi-instrumentalist/beatmaker Hemai & French guitarist/producer NSHKO.
Ben elaborates on the process, “Flickers” was the result of a couple of days in the studio with Hemai and NSHKO. With the three of us being producers and instrumentalists everything happened so quickly. We know very clearly what our strong points as producers are so Hemai set about processing drums, NSHKO was on guitars, I was on the Rhodes and vocals and all of us created the fx and textures that put the track into the universe we were looking for.”
THE ARTIST
Ben Laxton
Ben Laxton is a UK-born musician now based in Strasbourg, France, where he has been cultivating his unique sound since 2019. Ben's work is heavily influenced by artists like Bonobo, Jordan Rakei, and Alfa Mist. His music is a blend of chill vibes and intricate arrangements, seamlessly weaving together live acoustic elements and electronic trip-hop production.
- Performed at Sofar Sounds Paris
- Airplay on BBC Introducing & NPR Nashville (WNXP)
- Played gigs at the Molodoi and La Peniche Mechanique in Strasbourg
- Collaborations with artists like Hemai & Axian
