Ben Frost
Born 1980 Melbourne Australia
Lives Reykjavík Iceland
The music of Ben Frost is about contrast; influenced as much by Classical Minimalism as by Punk Rock and Metal, Frost's throbbing guitar-based textures emerge from nothing and slowly coalesce into huge, forbidding forms that often eschew conventional structures in favor of the inevitable unfoldings of vast mechanical systems.
"...The emotional power of Frost's music comes precisely from the stark contrast between extremely basic musical material and the deadly virtual instruments he invents to perform it... This is Arvo Pärt as arranged by Trent Reznor" —Wire Magazine, 2007
On albums like Steel Wound, released on the Room40 label in 2003 (Pitchfork: "An exemplary ambient experience"), Theory of Machines on Bedroom Community in 2007 (Boomkat: "The Future of electronic music...") and 2009's BY THE THROAT (NME: "a hollow, unforgiving, brutal yet utterly beautiful record, full of deep intricacies that won't let you go.") Frost's music is more than a cerebral exercise and has an undeniable visceral presence, felt as much as heard. His compositions are created with an acute awareness of the listener and their comfort thresholds, exploiting every extreme of pitch and volume. His notorious, building-shaking performances at international festivals including Montreal's famed MUTEK combine amplified electronics with the furious thrashing of live guitars. Frost himself has been described as "one of the most interesting and groundbreaking producers in the world today." (Boomkat). His music's intense physicality has filled gallery spaces and driven contemporary dance productions by Chunky Move, the Icelandic Dance Company, and the acclaimed choreographers Erna Ómarsdottír and Wayne McGregor.
Selected Press
Simply awesome... Frost reminds us that minimalism was never just the polished sheen of Reich and Glass, but also the sweat and grime of Michael Gira's Swans... A deeper, darker minimalism- menacing and claustrophobic
-- WIRE Magazine
No equivocation necessary, By the Throat is a sinister album, full of moments that rattle cores... But Frost's work is more than a hall of terrors: These vivid instrumentals, which seem menacing at first, also feel somehow triumphant when heard again--new details becoming more crucial. By the Throat might frighten on the first listen, and it might shock by the 12th. But, somewhere in between, Frost--both a compelling new musical dramaturge and arranger--might just show you the silver lining of all these fears.
-- Pitchfork
A break in the evolutionary ladder, a jump across links in the Darwinian chain, a re-mapping of sonic DNA... Frost has taken modern music off the respirator and sent it once again into the wild unknown.
-- The Silent Ballet
The compositional complexity of Arvo Pärt and the sonic nothingness of Wolf Eyes... Yes, it is that good.
-- Vice Magazine