Benjamin Stanford (born 11 June 1983), better known by his stage name Dub FX (stylised as Dub Fx or DubFx), is an Australian musician and worldwide street performer.
Dub FX | |
|---|---|
 Dub FX performing at Larimer's Lounge in Denver, CO 6 October 2012 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Benjamin Stanford |
| Born | 11 June 1983 |
| Origin | St Kilda, Melbourne, Australia |
| Genres | Dub, hip hop, dubstep, drum and bass, jungle, Reggae, Ska, Dancehall |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, vocalist, record producer |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, beatbox, loop station, effects pedal, guitar |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Labels | Convoyun.ltd |
| Website | dubfx |
Born in St Kilda, Melbourne, Australia,[1] at the start of his career he was singing in a local alternative rock and rapcore band initially known as Twitch, which would later change its name to N.O.N (Never or Now). In 2004 they released a debut and the only album Exeunt Omnes.[2][3] Soon after he moved to Italy and began a solo career. His trademark is creating rich live music using only his own performance aided by live looping and effects pedals combined with his voice.[4][5] He creates intricate hip hop, reggae, and drum and bass rhythms.[4]
During the COVID-19 pandemic Dub FX moved from Victoria, Australia to Lisbon, Portugal with his wife Sahida, and two daughters Sahara and Kalila.[6]
Associated acts
editStanford used to travel and perform with his former fiancée Shoshana Sadia aka Flower Fairy.[1][7] Dub FX first met her in Manchester, after which she joined him on his travels around the globe to busk for the public. Flower Fairy would usually be seen selling CDs during Dub FX's performances or on stage alongside Stanford when they perform several tracks together. She is also featured singing on tracks from Everythinks a Ripple, "Wandering Love", "Flow", and "Time Will Tell". To his travels also joined his friend and manager CAde, who is on tracks with Stanford like: "No rest for the wicked", "Supernova Pilot", "Easy", "Fresh" and others...
Two songs from Everythinks a Ripple, "Flow", and "Wandering Love", feature a street saxophonist named Mr. Woodnote, who also uses similar looping techniques as Dub FX, using a saxophone.
After his first summer traveling through Europe in 2006, he came home to Melbourne where he shared a flat with Melbourne-based producer Sirius. Stanford showed Sirius this new style from the UK called dubstep. and by 2010 together they released the album titled Dub FX and Sirius – A Crossworlds. Dub FX does not beatbox on this album.[8] [citation needed]
Dub FX is also part of the dubstep act Kila Mega Giga Tera, the other half being Glade Kettle (Distro)(aka Sirius). To date they have released one song on Aquatic Lab Sessions Volume 1, a CD and limited edition vinyl compilation released in 2009. Kila Mega Giga Tera also released an album, which was released in 2010. This album is called A Crossworlds. [citation needed]
Music
editDub FX is completely independent, using only live performance, word of mouth, internet social networking, and a number of easily accessible free samples. Dub FX is also the main founder of the label Convoyunltd, which could be described as a co-op label for Dub FX's own work and that of other artists.[4] To date, artists that have released albums on Convoyunltd are: Flower Fairy, Sirius, Mr. Woodnote, and Dub FX, with additional featured artists on separate songs of each album. Every album released through Convoyunltd has been produced by Dub FX with the exception of Dub FX & Sirius's release, A Crossworlds, a collaboration album released in 2010 which revealed a much darker and instrumental sound.[citation needed]
Dub FX's lyrics address both general world events and contemporary angst, while suggesting individual-based revolution through self-determination and engagement. He also addresses issues of social importance, the most notable example being the song Society's Gates, loosely based on the life of the philosopher Socrates.
Political views and controversy
editThe musician publicly supports protests calling for an end to the "genocide of Palestinians" and attended several protest marches with his family. He shared short videos of this events on social media.[9] When he was asked about the victims of the Re'im music festival massacre in Israel. " [...] or are you okay with killing Israelis, but not okay with killing Palestinians?" he made the following public statement:
"[T]he amount of death destruction and humiliation committed by Israel before October 7th far outweighs what happened on October 7. Hamas was created by Israel and funded by them right up to that attack. They wanted this so they had an excuse to do what they are doing now."[10]
This led to discussions between commenters and some fans expressed their incomprehension, since he had performed in Israel in September 2022. While he got a lot of support for his political views, some expressed their disappointment about his one-sided statements about the victims and announced that they would unfollow him as a result.[11]
Discography
editAlbums
edit| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Live in the Street |
|
| Everythinks a Ripple |
|
| A Crossworlds (with Sirius) |
|
| Everythinks a Rmx |
|
| Theory of Harmony |
|
| Thinking Clear |
|
| Roots |
|
| Branches |
|
| Infinite Reflection |
|
Awards and nominations
editMusic Victoria Awards
editThe Music Victoria Awards are an annual awards night celebrating Victorian music. They commenced in 2006.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Music Victoria Awards of 2020 | Dub FX | Best Reggae or Dance Hall Act | Won | [12][13] |
References
edit- ^ a b Moses, Allan (2010) "Dubbing into Dub FX", The Hindu, 26 November 2010, retrieved 9 April 2012
- ^ "N.O.N". 16 October 2006.
- ^ "N.O.N on Bandcamp". Archived from the original on 30 January 2019.
- ^ a b c Wickrematunge, Raisa "Dub FX in Sri Lanka Archived 27 June 2018 at the Wayback Machine", Sunday Leader, retrieved 9 April 2012
- ^ "London City Guide | Dub_FX review May 08". Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 2 September 2009.
- ^ Popielarcheck, Stephen O'Regan, Rita Ansone, Kate (18 June 2023). "DUB FX o músico de rua que fez sucesso a partir de Lisboa". Mensagem de Lisboa (in European Portuguese). Archived from the original on 5 July 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Banerjee, Debesh (25 November 2010). "Medley Score". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 26 June 2024. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
- ^ "The Philosopher Street Musician | Kortars". kortars.com. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
- ^ Dub FX [@dubfx11]. (January 14, 2024). At the march! [Reel]. Instagram. Retrieved June 05, 2024, from https://www.instagram.com/tv/C2FhsAwtKtk/
- ^ Dub FX [@dubfx11]. (May 28, 2024). stop the genocide already [Reel]. Instagram. Retrieved June 6, 2024, from https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7hSukXtolm
- ^ "DUB FX LIVE | 10.9.2022 | Gagarin TLV". Secret Tel Aviv. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
- ^ "Previous Nominess". Music Victoria. Archived from the original on 19 September 2020. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
- ^ "Previous Winners". Music Victoria. Archived from the original on 31 July 2019. Retrieved 13 August 2020.