WORDS Alana Ryan
Ross Fortune, the Dublin based musician who works under the moniker Benny Smiles, is sitting on a garden bench selling himself short. Fortune may have made his name through his collaboration on the comedic hit NCAD Girl (sample lyric: ”The afterparty is in Andrew’s Lane… Oh my god, the music is so amazing. There’ll be jizz and crunkstep, UK garage toolbox, grime, retro future cyberwave and a new minimalist techno from Berlin. It’s so minimal it’s actually silent… it’s so coooool..”) but there’s far more to his debut EP than just wry observations set to a catchy tune. Classically trained and with a Music BA to boot, Benny Smiles’s sound is multi-faceted. Citing an eclectic array of influences ranging from Aphex Twin to The Band to Smashing Pumpkins, debut EP Sunshine/ Moonlight is the product of that ”weird, obsessive, male trait that makes it OK to sit locked up in your room for ten/ twelve/ fifteen hours a day and forget to eat”. Upon hearing it once you’ll be glad Fortune felt food was so overrated.
I’M THIS GOOFY FUCKER WHO ENJOYS HAVING A LAUGH
Sunday Morning is full of the joys of life. Exuberant and playful, it opens with a strong beat which is then complemented by a melodic interlude as the song progresses. Sunshine, with its upbeat tempo is sure to get you dancing, and my favourite track Not So Far is a pertinent example of how creative the Wicklow man is. Inspired by a final year Ethnomusicology class, it seamlessly weaves original recordings of slaves in the deep south over the highly unusual arrangement of a 10 beat per bar chilled, soft melody. ‘Moonlight’ is a delicate piece which highlights a dexterous use of percussion aligned to a solid rhythmic structure. It also features the vocals of Ham Sandwich’s Niamh Farrell, who as Fortune notes has a ‘stunning voice’. As a musician he’s generous in his praise of his peers, and stresses the importance of supporting one another on the Irish scene – ”there is tons of great stuff happening at the moment…so many people are doing stuff to such a high standard”.
You can tell he’s also brimming with ideas and passionate about their realisation. As the conversation turns to one of his heroes, Aphex Twin (”it’s always Aphex Twin at the bottom of it..such a huge inspiration for so many years”), a discussion on the art of the live show arises. Fortune is determined to add a touch of the theatrical to his own sets in the future, admitting that until now ‘I’ve had all sorts of mad ideas that I haven’t really had the confidence to pull off…but there’s all sorts of stuff I want to work into it”.
Despite the fact the EP was only launched last month, Benny Smiles is clearly in high demand; he’s already played the Picnic and secured a spot at the Hard Working Class Heroes Festival. Yet, never one to rest on his laurels, Fortune has reunited with Ballz Deep for a follow up to NCAD Girl – ‘Old ladies who I wanta shift’. The track is an ode to the likes of Carol Vorderman, Meryl Streep as well as our very own Miriam O’Callaghan, and Fortune assures me it will be another ”pop sensation”. Do give it a listen – but don’t forget to check out Sunshine/Moonlight for the real goodies.
