“Ben Neill is using a schizophrenic trumpet to create art music for the people.” Wired
Review of XIX at Etnafest Italy
Ben Neill Interview on Small World Podcast
new blog
river to river festival
Ben is the curator of the River to River Festival at World Financial Center this summer. This series of 5 free concerts focuses on leading artists in the field of electronic music, including Ulrich Schnauss, Fennesz/Sakamoto, FourTet and Steve Reid, Nicolas Collins, Dorit Chrysler, Kode 9, Dubwar and Johann Johannsson. See full schedule here
guest of cindy sherman
Ben Neill has composed music for the film Guest of Cindy Sherman, directed by Paul H-O and Tom Donahue. The film premieres on the Tribeca Film Festival on April 27. Click here for screening times and details
upcoming shows
April 5 – Proctor’s Theater, Schenectady, NY with LEMUR
April 10 -Issue Project Room, Brooklyn, NY with LEMUR
May 31 – Monkeytown, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
July 19 – The Stone, New York, NY
new mutantrumpet
Ben has designed a new version of his unique electro-acoustic instrument, the mutantrumpet. Working with engineers and designers in New York and Amsterdam, Neill has greatly updated the electronic capabilities of his instrument. The mutantrumpet has been evolving since the mid-1980’s when Neill originally worked with synthesizer pioneer Robert Moog to design its first electronic interface. In 1992 Neill made the instrument fully computer interactive through a residency at the Steim studios in Amsterdam, a research and development lab for new instruments. The new mutantrumpet uses technologies from Steim as well as a new ergonomic design which now includes 8 continuous MIDI controllers and 8 momentary MIDI controllers in addition to the acoustic note and volume control from the instrument’s natural sound. The instrument connects directly to the computer via USB.
XIX
XIX is a band featuring vocalistMimi Goese.
Ambient electronics sampled from classical music are combined with Mimi’s hauntingly beautiful voice and the futuristic sounds of Neill’s mutantrumpet. Bassist John Conte and drummer Jim Mussen add deep live grooves to the mix of electronica, trip hop and classical sounds.
XIX on MySpace
The group is currently working with multimedia company Ridge Theater on a music theater piece titled Persephone which will premiere in 2009.
911-911 by mel chin
Ben Neill has composed music for a new film by visual artist Mel Chin titled 911-911. This dark and intensely compelling new work weaves together the events of September 11, 2001 with the Chilean military coup of President Salvador Allende that occurred on the same day twenty-eight years prior. It is a tale of two cities, a tragedy of two times, a story of love and hope wrecked by overt and covert manipulation of power.