Benja

A prismatic tour, a lo-fi mist, an open experiment: Benja blends bedroom-infused indiepop with the soulful production of R&B. Like the best of eclectic visions, the Toronto-based guitarist pulls from a variety of sourcebooks.

Benja started in an indie band before studying jazz guitar; a synthesis which, like gauze, is transparent enough to locate but blurry enough to escape singular definition. “My love for jazz led me to want to understand other Black American music: gospel, blues, soul, the thread between them,” he says. “Also, my father is from Ghana, so I’m interested in different styles of West African music. And punk influences, rock, pop, indie. All of it.”

Benja has always been pulled towards community, and that has never been more apparent than on his latest single “Brainfreeze”, which pulls together friends and collaborators across North American. Produced by Benja, River Tiber and Braden Sauder (The Kount, Luna Li), featuring Michl on vocals, “Brainfreeze” sees Benja at the top of his powers, operating in his ideal environment, no pressure, with friends. Benja thinks of music the way he thinks about tending to a garden, making sure there is enough food, warmth, and love for the songs to grow organically.

Benja’s dexterity takes many forms: he’s backed up Nemahsis, Jonah Yano and Odd Future’s Hodgy, all while releasing an impressive run of singles throughout the year. With a new EP in the works, the guitarist and up-and-coming producer is operating on a number of magnetic frequencies.