It's been more than a minute since we last heard from London-based producer Ben Khan. His last substantial project was 2015's 1000 EP, a 4-track collection of electro-tinged funk packed with tightly-coiled, kinetic energy.
Since then, things have been a little quiet, but don't think for a second that he's been sitting back and relaxing because, as it turns out, he's been hard at work on his as-yet-untitled debut album. Ahead of the album's release this summer on Dirty Hit, Khan is today sharing the video for the as-yet-untitled album's second single—following his self-directed, dystopian "2000 Angels" video—called "Do It Right".
Both singles build on his history of taut, electro-licked funk, but those intervening years have seen his sound noticeably grow and progress. It's also clear Ben's overall artistic vision has progressed a lot—all you have to do is watch the videos for "Do It Right" and "2000 Angels" to see an artist in touch with every facet of his art.
Why did you decide to release your debut album now?
The timing feels right. It's been a while since I've released music so I've had space to make something I care about. It's important to me that I like the music I'm releasing, and not being directed by other forces.
Did you find your approach to the album was different to making a single or an EP?
I guess I tried to delve into the stuff I was making more. I lived with most of the material for a while, to make sure it didn't fade. That way I know that I care about everything I'm putting out. I collected sounds of places I care about and tried to let them find a way into some of the songs. I was reading a few books at once and would come into the studio with different energy each day, collections of Rumi poetry, Khalil Gibran and the holographic universe as a few examples. Some days I used a projector into the studio and would play movies; Holy Mountain got played a lot.
You've spoken about the pressure of releasing music taking the joy out of it. How did you overcome that?
Early on, I had a bit of hype and I guess I decided to get off the train because I could feel it going in a direction where I wasn't the leader of myself. Now it's in my hands, I'm feeling more comfortable. I think it's about trying to achieve personal sovereignty.
How did you get to work with the legendary Flood?
My manager linked us up and we did two weeks together, on two tracks I had. We got along really well; he elevated my mindset and my ears. It's a privilege to work with someone like that. He gave me the confidence to complete what I had been working on. Plus, he's a funny dude and we messed around lots and didn't take ourselves too seriously. Doing that can be draining.
You directed the video for "Do It Right". Was that the first video you've directed?
The "Do It Right" video, I guess, was a co direction with a friend Salim. I had a loose idea and I wanted to just make it a collaged / scrapbooked feel. It's similar to how I used to bootleg my old cut videos from earlier EPs. The first I directed was the "2000 Angels" video. I learned a lot in that process—I have a deeper respect for people behind the cameras now. Shout out to everyone who helped on that.
What inspired the dystopian feel of the video?
I wouldn't call this video dystopian. That sci-fi feel might be seen in some other stuff I've done, like the "2000 Angels" video. Sci-fi is quite a big influence on me; it's one of my favourite genres. It's creatively adventurous and technologically informed. When it is done right it can almost be clairvoyant. Lots of sci-fi stories feel dystopian because it's a natural human instinct to feel a sense of doom. Our own mortality is encoded in us; we act out fantasies of death in our own minds, and relate that to society and not ourselves. That feeling/sense, it comes out a lot in stories and art. "Do It Right" doesn't have that sense of doom for me. It's all about wandering.
