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The London-based musician, born Neil Charles, chose his stage name as a reflection of his dual identity: “Ben,” the nickname given to him in the jazz collective Tomorrow’s Warriors, and “Marc,” from his Birmingham upbringing steeped in hip-hop, reggae, and soul. During the pandemic, while volunteering with the NHS, he began shaping 'Who Cares Wins’ as a project that could hold all those sides of himself. “I ended up thinking, ‘Well, it’s a genre — it’s just me,’” he explains. Raised between Birmingham and the Caribbean island of Carriacou, Marc grew up immersed in diverse musical traditions that made him a natural nomad and a versatile player. Whether on bass, guitar, keys, or cello, he became a trusted collaborator in jazz, soul, and electronic circles. He has played with the Sun Ra Arkestra, toured the world with Astatke, and co-founded the experimental trio Zed-U with Shabaka Hutchings and Tom Skinner — a project that later linked him with Jonny Greenwood and Yorke’s band The Smile.
Marc’s 2022 debut 'Glass Effect' distilled his influences into a madcap, J Dilla-inspired fusion that Pitchfork praised as “evocative and full of integrity.” But he sees it as just a beginning. For 'Who Dares Wins,' Marc set up his own studio, surrounding himself with synths, drums, strings, and guitars, and embracing a freer, more mature sound. “I’ve just grown as a producer and artist,” he says.
The album title riffs on the British Special Air Service motto "Who Dares Wins,” twisting it into something cheeky and rebellious. That spirit guides the music, where grooves, samples, and wide-ranging collaborations combine into a sound that feels both restless and rooted. Kay Young, Khazali, Wahid, and Speech each bring distinct textures, while tracks like “The Blues” and “Cheddar Man” highlight Marc’s playful, exploratory production.
Though conceived as a single body of work, 'Who Cares Wins' will be rolled out in three stages — two four-track EPs arriving in October and November, followed by the full 14-track LP in December. This staggered release mirrors Marc’s layered approach to music-making, allowing each chapter of the album to shine before it comes together as a whole. Despite its contemporary energy, one of the album’s quirkiest inspirations comes from the ’70s detective show Columbo, whose adventurous jazz scores fascinated Marc as much as the character’s swagger. For him, that sense of experimentation is at the heart of music. As Astatke once reminded him, “It’s for the people.”
That philosophy defines 'Who Cares Wins': genre-bending, collaborative, and deeply human. “It’s about bringing people together,” Marc says. “I’m just trying to bridge the gap.”
Read more about it up on CLASH: https://www.clashmusic.com/news/ben-marc-launches-new-album-who-cares-wins/
Charlie Vettuno is a dynamic Dance/Hip-Hop/R&B/Pop duo blending influences from producers like Timbaland, The Neptunes & Kaytranada as well as produced for the likes of Ari Lennox & Raphael Saadiq. They return with a new EP ripe for the dancefloor & summertime speakers!
"an afrodisiac-filled, G-Funk house amalgam ... a talk-rap club banger" - CLASH MAGAZINE
"an architect of recollection" Exclaim!
"warm, wistful, and quaint all at once" HYPEBEAST
"'contemplative and comforting" NPR
"His voice lilts with every syllable, making the imagery feel crushing and poignant" Pitchfork
Montreal artist and songwriter Jonah Yano announces his new album Jonah Yano & The Heavy Loop due October 4th. Coinciding with the album news, he shares two new songs, the previously-unheard “Romance ESL,” as well as releasing his momentous album closer “The Heavy Loop." Both songs, and his new album as a whole, signal an experimental new chapter in Yano’s creative trajectory and his first time working hand-in-hand with his band, Christopher Edmonson, Benjamin Maclean, Leighton Harrell, Felix Fox-Pappas and Raiden Louie. Together, they’ve crafted a collaborative album with Jonah at the helm, that melds free sound, rock, R&B and jazz traditions into a panoramic view of the experience of making an album.
Yano is a soulful, genre-agnostic talent, always shifting the unstable ground his songs rest on, revising it, making it anew. Having emigrated to Vancouver from Hiroshima at the age of four, much of Yano’s approach to music is influenced by his own fractured identity as a member of the Japanese-Canadian diaspora, as well as his larger interest in memory, family histories, and the nuances of interpersonal relationships. The result is a soundtrack that defies easy genre categorization and captures the grey area in which we can find the most fruitful experiences life has to teach us while also highlighting Jonah’s expert musical compositional skills. Yano’s band – composed of Raiden Louie (Drums), Chris Edmondson (Saxophone, Clarinet, Synthesizer), Benja (Guitar), Leighton Harrell (Bass) and Felix Fox-Pappas (Piano, Rhodes) -- first came together to record his 2023 single "concentrate" with Clairo. Now, Yano sits front and center playing the role of conductor as he guides the gentle haze of his musical soundscape into a new ever-evolving world with a steady hand.
Jonah Yano has made songwriting contributions to fellow Canadians Charlotte Day Wilson’s Cyan Blue and Mustafa’s forthcoming album Dunya. In 2023, Jonah released his sophomore album portrait of a dog, co-produced alongside BADBADNOTGOOD and received critical acclaim from outlets like RANGE, Pitchfork, and Exclaim!. He was twice-nominated for the SOCAN Songwriting Prize, drawing the attention of Gilles Peterson, Benji B and the late Virgil Abloh. He’s played the Montreal International jazz Festival, the EFG London Jazz Festival and toured Japan for ten solo shows in 2023. Earlier this year, he released the little italy demos, a three-song collaborative tape with his neighbor in Montreal, Le Ren.
On Closer, rising electronic luminary and classically trained pianist Maria Chiara Argirò presents a journey of self-exploration, and a manifestation of her profound connection with music. Her new single “Floating” is meant to be listened to with your eyes closed. Maria tells, “While writing ‘Floating’, I was deeply thinking about a mind exploration of the reality/unreality of things, life/subconscious/conscious, the quiet moments vs the noise moments and the dreams vs reality. Floating, blurry images that become reality or mix with the imagination and vice-versa. Lyrically, it’s like a mantra and we end up floating (in the dreams or reality?)”
Rooted in an indescribable feeling that compelled her to create, the album transcends boundaries and tranverses the spectrum of electronic music with unparalleled depth and clarity. On the album, Maria says:
“It is about a feeling, a dreamlike feeling in motion, a feeling that we cannot describe, a dream I’m sort of walking through. Emotions/dreams/feelings that sometimes you can just imagine, a dreamlike world where we walk through to get to the core of ourselves a bit more, even if things are completely undefined and blurry. While working on the music there was this strong feeling - at times blurry and at times more defined - of getting, with every single note, closer and closer to the person I want to be. Free. Curious and consequently Aware, Connected and Closer to the people I love. There is so much noise in this world, I think being direct, gentle, light, open and connected is the key.”