Benedict Taylor (musician)

Benedict Taylor
Background information
Born Kendal, United Kingdom
Genres Improvisation, new music, avant garde, experimental music, film composition
Occupation(s) Musician: violist, violinist, composer
Instruments Viola Violin
Years active 2000–present

Benedict Taylor is a British avant-garde violist, violinist and composer.

Life

He was born in Kendal near the English Lake District and is the son of the Kendal based author Caroline Moir. He studied violin in the Royal Northern College of Music (2000–2018) with Roger Bigley – Lindsay Quartet, Thomas Riebl, Steve Berry (improvisation), Chris Rowland (chamber music). From 2008–2010, he then read ethnomusicology at Goldsmiths, University of London. He has been married to Indian actress Radhika Apte since 2012.[1]

Career

Taylor is a leading figure within contemporary composition, modern string performance & improvised music in the British & European new music world. The central focus of his work is in new composition for live performance, film, theatre, contemporary dance, art installation & electro-acoustic composition. In performance, he predominantly works within improvisation, new composition & 20th/21st century music. In 2018 he signed to London based music publisher & composer agency Manners McDade.

Within his performance work there is a focus on solo performance as a creative and investigative process. In 2013 he initiated an ongoing commission series & solo label Subverten (For Viola Solo), aimed at investigating conventional & unconventional elements in solo viola perfoemance. The first works premiered in autumn 2013 and continue several times each year.[2]

He works with a number of music organisations and ensembles including; clapTON Ensemble, re:sound, London Improvisers Orchestra,[3] Berlin Improvisers Orchestra, Project Instrumental, Tokyo Improvisers Orchestra, Kammer Klang Players, Squib-Box,[4] ARCO,[5] London Sinfonietta Collective, Regular Music II.[6]

Notable festival, venue and radio appearances include; Tete a Tete Opera Festival, Aldeburgh Festival, Cantiere Internazionale d'Arte – Montepulciano, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, Fete de la Musique Berlin, Manchester International Festival, Manchester Jazz Festival, Cheltenham Festival, BBC Radio 3, Resonance FM, Radio Libertaire/Epsilonia (Paris).[7]

Through his work he is also involved with several higher education institutions, giving lectures and seminars at the Royal College of Music, City University London and Goldsmiths, University of London, Royal Holloway College & York University amongst others.

A large part of his composition is in film and theater scoring, writing soundtracks for many works including;

The Hungry, Ghoul (Netflix & Blumhouse 2018), Fireworks & Djinns of Eidgah (Dir. Richard Twyman) – Royal Court Theatre,[8] The Bright Day (Mohit Takalkar), Maunraag (Vaibhav Abnave), Waves of Power (Rajesh Thind & National Maritime Museum 2011),[9] Citizen Soldiers (Rajesh Thind), Presage (Maria Guerberof 2010), That Girl in Yellow Boots,[10] (director Anurag Kashyap),[11] Harud (Aamir Bashir),[12] Ship of Theseus (dir. Anand Gandhi 2012), with ongoing screenings, garnering awards and critical acclaim at film festivals including Berlinale, Venice, London, Toronto, Shanghai, Mumbai & Rotterdam, London Film Critics Circle.[13][14][15]

He is the founder & artistic director of CRAM, a music collective & independent record label (CRAM Records), which produces and promotes improvisation and new composition through both recorded and live mediums. The group is notable for working across geographical, cultural, media & artistic boundaries.

He is active within the London session music community having worked in performance & recording settings with artists including; Jimmy Page, Basement Jaxx, Madness, Aphex Twin, Belle and Sebastian, Serafina Steer, Jarvis Cocker, You Me At Six, Donovan, Micah P. Hinson, Foals, Cherry Ghost.

Discography

Solo

  • Solstice (Nachtstück Records) Benedict Taylor solo viola
  • Caged Guerrillas (Subverten) - score and album for viola & distorted viola. Composed & recorded solo viola by Benedict Taylor
  • A Purposeless Play (Subverten) Benedict Taylor solo viola
  • Pugilism (Subverten) Benedict Taylor solo viola
  • Transit Check (CRAM) – Benedict Taylor, Solo Viola[16]
  • Alluere (Subverten) Benedict Taylor, Solo Viola[17]
  • Striations (Subverten) – Benedict Taylor, Solo Viola[18]

Collaborations

  • Songs From Brightly-Lit Rooms (Squib Box) Tom Jackson & Benedict Taylor
  • Hidden Bomba (Linear Obsessional) Chris Cundy & Benedict Taylor
  • Four Quartets (Confront Recordings) Benedict Taylor, Tom Jackson, Keith Tippett, Ashley John Long[19]
  • Alexandertwatz in Berlin (Sardine Butty) Benedict Taylor & Stephen Crowe
  • Hunt at the Brook (FMR) Benedict Taylor, Daniel Thompson & Tom Jackson
  • Stow | Phasing (Raw Tonk) Benedict Taylor & Anton Mobin[20]
  • Gubbins - Benedict Taylor & Adam de la Cour
  • Burn Before Listening - The Rejected Recordings of Benny Court & Benny Taylor (Squib Box)
  • Songs from Badly-Lit Rooms (Squib Box) – Tom Jackson & Benedict Taylor[21]
  • Dark Voices (CRAM) – Lawrence Upton & Benedict Taylor[22]
  • Guests on Tape – Anton Mobin & Benedict Taylor[23]
  • Une Nuit De Bruit (Sombre Soniks) – Benedict Taylor, Anton Mobin, Adio Lawal-West, Andrew Page, P23,Tim Drage[24]
  • Compost (CRAM) – Daniel Thompson, Alex Ward, Benedict Taylor[25]
  • The Long Half Day (Slightly Off Kilter) – Carousel Collective & Thomas Mindhouse[26]
  • Last Wayne Days (Squib Box) – Neil Luck, Fiona Bevan & Arco[27]
  • Lio, Leo, Leon (Emanem) – London Improvisers Orchestra[28]
  • Singing Marram III & IV (Subverten) – Benedict Taylor Solo Viola. Graphic scores Lawrence Upton[29]

Composition

Solo

  • The Hungry (Bornila Chatterjee. Film London 2017)
  • Caged Guerrillas - for soloist or small ensemble. Score & album premiere Phantom Gallery Chicago 2017
  • Guerrillas 2016 - for soloist or small ensemble. Premiere - Nonclassical October 2016
  • Oysters (Pratyusha Gupta 2016)
  • Mr Incredible (Camilla Whitehall. Dir - Sarah Meadows)
  • Where Do Little Birds Go (Camilla Whitehall. Dir - Sarah Meadows)
  • YOU (Mark Wilson. Dir - Sarah Meadows) Duck Down Theatre Company
  • Fireworks (Dalia Taha. Dir - Richard Twyman) Royal Court Theatre
  • The Djinns of Eidgah (Abishek Majumdar. Dir - Richard Twyman) Royal Court Theatre[30][31]
  • The Bright Day (Mohit Takalkar)[32]
  • Maunraag (Vaibhav Abnave)[33]
  • Waves of Power (Rajesh Thind)
  • Citizen Soldiers (Rajesh Thind)
  • Our Stories: Living and Coping with Schizophrenia in India

Collaborations

  • Ghoul (Patrick Graham) - Netflix/Blumhouse. Music Benedict Taylor & Naren Chandavarkar
  • Balekempa 'The Bangle Seller'(Ere Gowda. Music Benedict Taylor & Naren Chandavarkar
  • Newton (film) (Amit Masurkar). Music Benedict Taylor & Naren Chandavarkar
  • Gurgaon (Shanker Raman). Music – Benedict Taylor & Naren Chandavarkar
  • Killa (Avinash Arun). Music – Benedict Taylor & Naren Chandavarkar
  • The Ship of Theseus (Anand Gandhi). Music – Benedict Taylor & Naren Chandavarkar
  • Harud (Aamir Bashir). Music – Benedict Taylor, Naren Chandavarkar, Suhaas Abuja
  • That Girl in Yellow Boots (Anurag Kashyap). Music – Benedict Taylor, Naren Chandavarkar & Suhaas Ahuja
  • Butoh (Maria Guerberof). Music – Benedict Taylor & Alison Blunt
  • The Dead Can Dance (Typewriters Collective). Music – Benedict Taylor & Alison Blunt

Awards

  • Royal Philharmonic Society – Sir John Barbirolli Award (solo viola)
  • Lynn Foundation Scholarship (solo viola)
  • Westmorland Music Society Grant (solo viola)
  • Crystal Bear, Berlinale 2014 (Killa)
  • International Jury Special Mention, Berlinale 2014 (Killa)
  • Transylvania Trophy (Best Film) TIFF (Ship of Theseus)
  • Jury Special Mention BFI London Film Festival (Ship of Theseus)
  • London Film Critics Circle selection: Centenary Celebration – 15 life changing films (Ship of Theseus)
  • Grand Jury Award – New York SAIFF (The Bright Day)

References

  1. ↑ "Knot knock - Pune Mirror". Retrieved 2016-08-03.
  2. ↑ "Nonclassical October - REVIEW - The Cusp Magazine". 21 October 2016. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  3. ↑ "LONDON IMPROVISERS ORCHESTRA psi 11.04 discography". Emanemdisc.com. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  4. ↑ "Last Wane Days". Squib-box.com. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  5. ↑ "Neil Luck Composer- about". Neilluck.com. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  6. ↑ "projects". Regularmusicii.com. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  7. ↑ "Epsilonia: Epsilonia Squadra Lumaca With Benedict Taylor, D'Incise, Aviad Finkelbert/Alma Ben-Yoseph, Nadja". Epsilonia-radio.blogspot.in. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  8. ↑ "Cast Announced for The Djinns of Eidgah_at the Royal Court Theatre at The Royal Court Theatre". Royalcourttheatre.com. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  9. ↑ "Traders: the legacy of the East India Company on Vimeo". Vimeo.com. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
  10. ↑ "Full cast and crew for That Girl in Yellow Boots (2010)". IMDb.com. Retrieved 11 August 2013.
  11. ↑ "That Girl in Yellow Boots, a film by Anurag Kashyap | Home". Thatgirlinyellowboots.com. 23 August 2010. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
  12. ↑ "Welcome to Aamir Bashir Film Harud". Harudthefilm.com. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
  13. ↑ "TIFF Romania Review: Ship of Theseus (2012)". Next Projection. 14 June 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  14. ↑ "Review: That Girl In Yellow Boots is edgy – Rediff.com Movies". Rediff.com. 2 September 2011. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
  15. ↑ Webb, Charles. "That Girl in Yellow Boots Review". Twitchfilm.com. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
  16. ↑ "Transit Check | Cram". Cramrecords.bandcamp.com. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  17. ↑ "Alluere by Benedict Taylor on Apple Music". Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  18. ↑ "STRIATIONS | Benedict Taylor Viola". Subverten.bandcamp.com. 6 November 2013. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  19. ↑ "Confront Recordings". Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  20. ↑ "Stow - Phasing, by Benedict Taylor & Anton Mobin". Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  21. ↑ "Songs from Badly-Lit Rooms | squib-box". Squib-box.bandcamp.com. 3 January 2013. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  22. ↑ "Dark Voices | Cram". Cramrecords.bandcamp.com. 21 October 2013. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  23. ↑ "Guests on Tape | Anton Mobin". Antonmobin.bandcamp.com. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  24. ↑ "Une Nuit De Bruit | Sombre Soniks". Sombresoniks.bandcamp.com. 13 July 2013. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  25. ↑ "Compost | Cram". Cramrecords.bandcamp.com. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  26. ↑ Khimasia, Paul (15 November 2013). "The Slightly Off Kilter Label: Carousel Collective/Thomas Mindhouse – The Long Half Day documentation on USB – coming soon!". Slightlyoffkilterlabel.blogspot.co.uk. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  27. ↑ "Last Wane Days". squib-box. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  28. ↑ "London Improvisers Orchestra – Lio Leo Leon (CD, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  29. ↑ "Singing Marram (Photo, Synthesis) | Benedict Taylor Viola". Subverten.bandcamp.com. 1 December 2013. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  30. ↑ "The Djinns of Eidgah - Royal Court". Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  31. ↑ "Review: The Djinns of Eidgah, Royal Court". Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  32. ↑ "The Bright Day". 22 October 2015. Retrieved 6 March 2017 – via IMDb.
  33. ↑ "Maunraag". 19 October 2013. Retrieved 6 March 2017 – via IMDb.
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