July 5, 2019 |
We all know Thursdays are the new Fridays, especially if you’ve got BBC Radio 1 on blast between 2 and 4am. Tunes by Tyler The Creator and Octavian are intertwined with garage and electro dance – it’s a playlist of bangers courtesy of Benji B. In the radio world, Benji earned respect as the British DJ with a great taste in dance music. But in fashion terms, he is best known as Louis Vuitton’s music director for menswear and Virgil Abloh’s close collaborator. Thanks to his eclectic ear and the chemistry with Abloh, the LV men’s shows have become multimedia concert-like spectacles with an experiential quality at the focus. For a music maniac like Abloh (who also has DJ in his job title), sound is an essential part of the fashion experience, and Benji B is just the right person to pull it all together. The influence of working with LV then overflow into his radio work too, with the two worlds constantly informing each other. Benji plays Octavian’s latest track on BBC, Octavian then walks in the show. And so on. If there’s such a thing as a “fashion DJ” then Benji B is the man.
Just as he recovered from playing tunes in the field of Glastonbury, we caught up with Mister B and asked him 10 hard-hitting questions which will make you want to party with the ear behind LV.
Dino Bonacic: What song can’t you get out of your head right now?
Benji B: Igor’s Theme by Tyler The Creator.
DB: What’s the favourite piece from your wardrobe right now?
BB: A pair of trousers by Undercover. I’m wearing them every day I don’t think I can ever wear a pair of jeans again.
DB: You’re closing a long night of karaoke. Which song do you choose?
BB: Ol’ Dirty Bastard by Brooklyn Zoo. For some reason I know all the words
DB: If you had an album of greatest mixes, what would the name be and where would you host the launch party?
BB: It would be called Need More Monitor and the launch party would be at Plastic People (we’d recreate it for one night only).
DB: Which song do you wish you produced?
BB: Let’s Dance by David Bowie
DB: What’s your party trick?
BB: Telling the same story over and over without realising.
DB: Describe your soundtrack for the Louis Vuitton SS20 menswear show in three words?
BB: Elegant. Cinematic. Atmospheric.
DB: Which song will get even the most stuck-up crowds onto the dancefloor?
BB: Prince’s I Wanna Be Your Lover (Dimitri from Paris edit).
DB: What was the first record you ever bought?
BB: Actually not sure which one it was but I still have all the singles I first bought in a shoebox next door. Might have been Into the Groove by Madonna or something similar.
DB: What’s your wildest Glasto memory?
BB: Going when I was 15 years old, without ever been camping before. I lost all my mates for 48 hours (that was pre-mobile phone), couldn’t find the tent or anything else so watched Tricky’s first ever gig and ended up with a bunch of druids in the stone circle.
