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Benjamino
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Eora/Sydney-based producer, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Benjamino treats each song like a dish prepared by hand, layering vintage textures with modern soul until they blur into something intimate, sensual and expansive. His debut album ‘Cucino’, out Friday 21st November, is an intricate, groove-driven collection where alt-R&B, funk and indie soul are cooked down into something that pops with flavour.
‘Cucino’ is a concept album built around the rhythm and ritual of cooking. Taking its name from the Italian word for “I cook”, the record unfolds like a menu, moving through the courses of a meal. It opens with the light and playful 'Antipasto', moves through the richness of 'Primo' and 'Secondo', and ends with a sweet finale under 'Dolce'. Each section offers a distinct flavour and mood, mirroring how music, like food, can shift to suit the time of day or the feeling in the room.
Across ‘Cucino’, Benjamino folds together the precision of a studio craftsman with the instinct of a live performer. The result is a sound that feels both familiar and fresh, laced with vintage textures and anchored by rhythm. Keys, bass and guitar intertwine with warm synths and grooves that shimmer with movement, while his vocals glide between soulful falsetto and conversational ease. There’s a looseness to the record that keeps it human, a sense of spontaneity beneath the polish that invites each track to breathe.
Elegantly executed disco bursts with confidence, meeting meditative synths that bloom into shimmering jazz. Lively keys and buoyant basslines carry the charm of 1970s anthems, while piano-led ballads draw the dynamics inward for moments of introspection. Funk grooves and subtle percussion keep everything in motion with flashes of pop flair tying the record together into a vivid, immersive world of sound.
Benjamino leans into the freedom of modern artistry, releasing music in an era where fluidity between genres is celebrated rather than constrained. His love for diverse sounds underpins the album’s range, moving between styles with a self-described “poly-Jamorous” spirit. By framing the record within the concept of a meal, he was able to bring cohesion to its many flavours, allowing each track to complement the next like courses in a shared feast.
Reflecting on the process, Benjamino states:
“The idea for attaching a concept to the album was born out of the sheer magnitude of the task. Writing, producing and mixing all of this myself was both fun and daunting, so having a structure in place with the 'Italian Menu' idea helped to compartmentalise everything."
Whether it's for the dance floor or cooking dinner with a glass of wine in the hand, Benjamino is serving up a rich and soulful debut. 'Cucino’ is out Friday, November 21.
