From the EP "The last summer before our youth" by Walter Benjamin & João Correia. (Mimi Records - http://www.clubotaku.org/mimi/uk/album165.php)


You're dead

Ice Cream and Swinging Lettuce is the result of a collaboration between Walter Benjamin and Baga (Hã!; Jesus, the Misunderstood; Goodbye Toulouse). Both friends wasted a whole week in the summer of 2009 by the beach, writing songs and recording them on a soon to be dead PC very late at night (lo-fi! Yeah!). 

The record was never officially released and it's now available for free download!

Metal Detector

Breathe Well

Walter Benjamin a fazer uma versão do original de Dave Van Ronk.
Gravado de um directo na Vodafone FM. Fotografia por AnaMary Bilbao

HANG ME OH HANG ME (Dave Van Ronk) Ao Vivo na VODAFONE FM

"As if Leonard Cohen had fallen in love with bossa nova whilst revisiting old Beatles songs" (Pedro Miguel Silva, www.ruadebaixo.com). 

"É como se Leonard Cohen se tivesse apaixonado pela bossa nova enquanto revisitava a carreira dos Beatles." (Pedro Miguel Silva, www.ruadebaixo.com)

"A song about aeroplanes, broken hearts and turning Heathrow airport into a tropical site." (Walter Benjamin)

THE IMAGINARY LIFE OF ROSEMARY AND ME - CD

OUT SOON through PATACA DISCOS.

Nuno Lucas - Bass
João Correia - Percussion
João Paulo Feliciano - Hammond Organ
Márcia & Francisca Cortesão - Backing Vocals
Walter Benjamin - Vocals, Piano, Farfisa Organ, Guitar and Percussion.

Produced by Walter Benjamin

Mixed by Luís Nunes with Moritz Kerschbaumer
Mastered by Rafael Toral

Artwork by AnaMary Bilbao

Airports and Broken Hearts

Walter Benjamin is a London-based producer and songwriter born in Lisbon. The Imaginary Life of Rosemary and Me is his new and most personal record, released via Pataca Discos. He had previously released an album (The National Crisis) as well as a few EPs via the now defunct label Merzbau. Mostly home recorded, his discography is anarchic and incoherent, whilst exploring many different musical territories.

The new record was written and recorded between the hot and sunny city of Lisbon and the crazy, busy life of London. The sessions started at Pataca Discos' own beautiful 15A studios and finished in a small, first floor London bedroom, carrying on Walter's own tradition of home recording. Written like a book, the listener travels through its eight honest but ambiguous, short and direct songs. The timeless quality of the arrangements, blending  classic instrumentation with fresh elements ensure room for surprises. References come from different places and eras, assimilated in Benjamin's own universe, in his very unique personal style. We could name people like Dylan, Cohen, Beatles, Beach Boys, Phoenix, LCD Soundsystem, Tom Jobim, Chico Buarque, Red House Painters, Wilco, Yo La Tengo or Beck. But that wouldn't do justice to the countless other influences encountered by the songwriter.

Walter Benjamin's crooner-style, whispered and deep vocals fit perfectly the erotic mood of 'Under Your Dress' while the slow horn lines are dragging like an old Motown record. On 'High Speed Love', the mood is set by an uptempo, unashamedly pop and slightly psychedelic arrangement. 'Airports and Broken Hearts' is an electro-tropical bossa nova love song. 'Mary' is the classic Folk ballad.

Between cigarettes, whisky and beer, a handful of talented musicians add their own fingerprints to Walter's simple, fluid, straightforward, accompaniments on piano keyboards and acoustic guitars. Some of the most talented Portuguese, English and Austrian musicians came together to make the album. His amazing rhythm section: drummer João Correia and bassist; Nuno Lucas (Julie & the Carjackers). Márcia, Francisca Cortesão, and AnaMary Bilbao on backing vocals; Nick Mills and Duncan Brown on horns; João Paulo Feliciano on Hammond organ; Bruno Pernadas on electric guitar; and B Fachada & Jakob Bazora helping with their valuable opinions, comments and technical skills.

Mastering The Imaginary Life of Rosemary and Me was done by the experimental music wizard Rafael Toral who collaborated with Tina and the Top Ten, Pop dell'Arte and Sonic Youth.

Under your dress

Written, Recorded and Produced by Walter Benjamin and Jakob Bazora. 

Jakob Bazora: MC-303 drum programming, monotron synth bass and vocals. 
Walter Benjamin: Guitar and vocals. 
Zachary Woolfson: vocals.

Walter Benjamin | Jakob Bazora | Zachary Woolfson -  Johnny & Lucy

Based on a song written by AnaMary Bilbao. Artwork by AnaMary Bilbao.

Commissioned by Rui Toscano for his Sound Sculptures 1994-2013 exhibition (Culturgest, Lisbon. Starts 8th February 2013) - Bricks are heavy.

Recorded (2nd January 2013) in a church's gym in Lisbon on my dad's old tape recorder using  two microphones and many friends:

AnaMary Bilbao - Roland Jupiter 6 and vocals
Baga - Hohner Pianet, distortion and space echo
António Vasconcelos Dias - drums
Zé Guilherme Vasconcelos Dias - Hohner Organa
Miguel Pereira - maracas
Walter Benjamin - electric guitar and vocals

Vocal overdubs and mixing by Walter Benjamin at The Roman Palace Studios, London.

The complete list of guest artists on Bricks Are Heavy: 

João Paulo Feliciano, Rafael Toral, João Peste, Luís San Payo, Pedro Alvim, Manuel Mota, David Maranha, Ricardo Jacinto, Joana Sá, Carlos Roque, Rui Valério, Luísa Cunha, Julião Sarmento, Noiserv, João Correia, Bruno Pernadas, Ana Brandão, DJ Ride, Pedro Diniz Reis, Helder Luis, Rui Gato, Lawrence Wiener, Márcia, André Pinto, Vasco Araújo, Fernando Fadigas, Augusto Sampaio Sanches, Rodrigo Amado, Tó Trips, Lee Ranaldo e Walter Benjamin.




Walter Benjamin & Friends - The Bright Side

Version of the 1988 single by George Michael, celebrating 25 years of TSF radio.

Drums, bass, synthesiser and vocals by Walter Benjamin.
Additional synthesiser by Jakob Bazora.

Produced and recorded by Walter Benjamin.

One More Try (George Michael Cover)

Walter Benjamin, singer/songwriter currently based in London - not to be confused with German philosopher, Walter Benjamin, who committed suicide on his way to Portugal - was born in Lisbon during the spring falling on the same day as Bob Dylan. Walter released his sophomore album, The National Crisis, (Merzbau) which was then followed by several EP's. 

He's toured throughout Europe, including Zurich where he was invited to play his three chord song, 'The Cannonball', at the Dadaist Centre, Cabaret Voltaire, and has also produced and played with several artists.

Credits include; Jesus, the Misunderstood, Márcia, B Fachada, Julie & the Carjackers, Noiserv, Goodbye Toulouse, You Can't Win Charlie Brown, João Coração, Minta & the Brook Trout, to name a few.

He is currently working on a highly anticipated album with, 'his most wasted friends', which will be released in the coming year.

In the meantime you can check Walter Benjamin's latest collaboration with João Correia (Julie & the Carjackers) available @ http://www.clubotaku.org/mimi/uk/album165.php

Walter Benjamin

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