My name is Ben Cowen. I currently release music under the aliases 'Mr Evian' and 'dampskull' (at time of reading this I have now rebranded as Normal Ben, this article is quite old), and am in my final weeks of studying a BSc in Music and Sound Design at London South Bank University.
I have been making music since the age of 13, initially playing classical piano and entering the production world at 16. I began by my first production ventures making Lo-Fi Hip Hop, at first calling myself bogdan (named after the somewhat irritating but characteristically unexplored carwash boss in Breaking Bad), before deciding to pursue an education in Music and Sound. Since 2018, I have been producing and engineering music projects, mainly my own, and the results have featured an eclectic variety of genres and my eventual embarking on the journey of songwriting, as a means of expansion from mere producer or beatmaker status.
I took a year out of my studies in 2019 during which time I volunteered as a recording engineer and studio assistant at a Youth Centre in Ladbroke Grove called Kids On The Green (KOTG). This was an important experience for me as it was my first real experience of community in music, and gave me a massive confidence boost in my abilities as an engineer. It was and continues to be a real pleasure seeing young artists flourish under KOTG's support and guidance, myself being one of them.
Since formally enrolling at London South Bank University, under the guidance of the seasoned lecturers and staff, I have been able to explore in depth the subtleties and nuances of sound design, particularly in the digital/electronic domain. Texture and Timbre are of paramount importance to me, and hugely inform my work as a musician and engineer. My goal is to be able to create immersive and compelling musical soundscapes; a sonic environment in which to house my ideas, thoughts, and innermost feelings.
My current music project, 'dampskull', aims to do just this. Through digital deconstructions of the pop formula, this project draws influence from ambient electronica, alternative synth rock, and UK Hip Hop, coupled with impassioned and intimate vocal productions to create music that nostalgically reflects on the boundless emotion that exists far below the surface, such as loneliness, unrequited love, and the inner turmoil of growing up in the city. This can all be found in the debut body of work I produced under the dampskull project, called 'WAIT FOR ME'.
This body of work was conceived over a period of roughly 18 months, culminating towards the final 2 months in a series of sessions with newfound collaborators such as noHTML and LukaH Delusional, both of whom I met at LSBU.
The project was officially launched on the 16th of February 2022 at the Notting Hill Arts Club, featuring support from music duo Sonic Daze, an emergent Brit School convergence of singer Rosie Trentham and producer and rapper Archie Elliot, the latter of whom I met during my time with KOTG. Additional support was provided from West London rapper and songwriter Lukey Storey, which featured performances from his recently released debut album 'WEIRDO'.
The night was a resounding success. Sonic Daze set the tone with catchy dance anthems, followed by Luke's witty yet vulnerable UK Hip Hop lyricism, followed by my set. As it was my first time performing my music I was understandably nervous, yet once I got into it, I became lost in the music and the crowd, which was filled with friends and family.
Since this project launch I have been hibernating in the countryside, frantically working to my degree deadlines, and recouping my creative energy, focused on my next body of work. I have written a number of tracks since being here, and continue to experiment with my production with the goal of achieving a sense of authentic expression. A goal that I have been pursuing my whole life, one which will likely continue for a very long time.
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