Benjamin Cartel’s solo career has earned a new set of wheels thanks to an EP that bridges the gap between the sounds of Wilco’s wry rock & roll and John Lennon’s classic pop.  
Recorded in Brooklyn, LA, Tokyo, and in Gotthenburg, Sweden by Producers Kristoffer Ragnstam and Joel Lundberg. And mixed by Ed Ackerson (The Replacements, The Jayhawks, Motion City Soundtrack, BNLX) at Flowers Studio in Minneapolis.

No One

When his indie-folk band, Kaiser Cartel, took an indefinite break after releasing their second album, Benjamin Cartel decided to move ahead by going back to where he'd started. That meant resurrecting the buzz-worthy solo career he'd kicked off in New York City, back in the early 00's. Benjamin was invited overseas to work with producers Kristoffer Ragnstam and Joel Lundberg in their studio in Gothenburg, a quiet Scandinavian city that helped fire up Cartel's imagination. Inspired by a feeling longing for his friends back home and a surge of excitement for his new songs, he finished the album in 12 days. The result is Gothenburg, a solo album inspired by everything from New York City breakups to Alfred Hitchcock movies. 

by Andrew Leahey

Gothenburg

Boderline

Benjamin Cartel is no stranger to making music that quickly connects with its listeners. That’s something he’s always excelled at, first with the substantial attention and acclaim accorded his duo Kaiser Cartel, and then, with a return to his solo career. To date, the latter has yielded two highly acclaimed efforts, an EP called Money and Love and a full length outing entitled Gothenberg, each of which helped broaden his reputation while underscoring his obvious ambitions.  With the release of Flickering Light, Cartel is realizing that vision like never before. “I’m not trying to overwhelm anybody,” he says. “To me, less is more. At the same time, I live and breathe what I do. There’s nothing like a good catchy melody to convey emotion and inspire my enthusiasm.”

Flickering Light

I'm Not The Man You Think I Am

Tica

Save That Number

Sweet Ride

Summer Flame

Starlight

Coast Town

Down Now

The Jungle Eats Everything

"After earning a buzz as one of New York City’s up-and-coming songwriters, Benjamin Cartel put his solo career on hold in 2004, the year he co-founded the indie folk duo Kaiser Cartel. Now he's playing solo again, showcasing "top notch music, up close and intimate" (Secrets of the City). CMJ happily reports that "after all the rocking and road work he’s put in over the years, he has finally released the first proper Benjamin Cartel solo release, the Money & Love EP, six songs of the straightforward heartfelt songwriter stuff that comes from, well, all that rockin’ and roadwork." On the record, Cartel builds a bridge between old and new, love and loss, to arrive at a rock-solid folk-pop creation (Pitch)."

Benjamin Cartel

Popular tracks