The mysterious Ben Khan is our One To Watch.
Ben Khan’s Drive (Part I) is another reason why I love Twitter and Soundcloud. Some beautiful people on the first social network put me up on this record, hosted on the latter, and you know a song is good when it boasts over 100k plays. Ben Khan’s enigmatic approach to music reigns true: a Soundcloud with one song; a YouTube with one video; a Facebook page with one post; Twitter account following no one. Bearing uncanny resemblance to the musical myth that is Jai Paul, the hype around Mr. Khan is growing quickly. Drive (Part I) is addictive, almost trance-like. The repetitive electronic synths remind me slightly of J. Cole’s Power Trip, if it were to be remixed by Jai Paul… or Ben Khan, I guess. An airy, lazy vocal rides the powerful production, without ever taking any of the spotlight. It’s been a while since I’ve heard a record which was allowed to breathe, vocally. The pauses coupled by short, rhythmic BVs really add another depth. I’m excited to see what he does next.
Stream “Drive (Part I)” below.