Biography
Operating under the Ben Marc alias, London musician Neil Charles weaves together jazz, electronic music, classical, soul, folk, and further styles without adhering to conventional boundaries. As a seasoned bassist, Charles has collaborated in performance and on record with Jonny Greenwood, the Sun Ra Arkestra, Zara McFarlane, Mulatu Astatke, and additional artists. Composed in direct response to the murder of George Floyd, his debut Ben Marc release Breathe Suite appeared in 2021. The 2022 full-length Glass Effect merges acoustic instrumentation with beat-driven production and includes appearances from guest vocalists Joshua Idehen (Benin City) and MidnightRoba (Attica Blues).
Charles spent his formative years in Birmingham and Carriacou, beginning classical studies at age ten while also absorbing the guitar approaches of Caribbean street musicians performing soca. He traveled internationally with school orchestras before pursuing classical double bass training at the Trinity College of Music in London. Employment proved elusive for him as a Black musician within classical circles, prompting a several-year hiatus from the instrument. An encounter on a Brixton street with bassist and educator Gary Crosby, co-founder of the Tomorrow's Warriors organization, prompted his return and immersion in the city's jazz community. He performed with Empirical, co-founded Zed-U alongside saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings and drummer Tom Skinner, and joined multiple ensembles led by keyboardist and composer Alexander Hawkins. Extended tours followed with Ethiopian jazz legend Mulatu Astatke, while further credits include contributions to Jonny Greenwood's soundtrack for the film The Master (2012) as well as recordings by Daymé Arocena, Zara McFarlane, and others. Regular attendance at club nights such as The End and Plastic People drew him toward electronic producers including Mount Kimbie, Bonobo, and Machinedrum. Under the Ben Marc name he featured on a 2016 EP issued by Atjazz's label and on Ashley Henry's 2019 album Beautiful Vinyl Hunter. London's Cafe Oto released his solo bass recording Low and Beyond in 2020, and he has performed with the group Pulled by Magnets while also recording alongside Anthony Braxton and Evan Parker.
Breathe Suite, Charles' inaugural Ben Marc project, surfaced on Innovative Leisure in 2021. The EP took form amid the political protests that followed George Floyd's murder in 2020, expanding an existing composition through added strings, harp, a children's choir, lyrics from MidnightRoba (of Attica Blues) and Rarelyalways, and saxophone from Hutchings. His full-length debut Glass Effect arrived in 2022, uniting the artist's acoustic and electronic sources and featuring vocals from MidnightRoba, Joshua Idehen, and Judi Jackson.
Charles spent his formative years in Birmingham and Carriacou, beginning classical studies at age ten while also absorbing the guitar approaches of Caribbean street musicians performing soca. He traveled internationally with school orchestras before pursuing classical double bass training at the Trinity College of Music in London. Employment proved elusive for him as a Black musician within classical circles, prompting a several-year hiatus from the instrument. An encounter on a Brixton street with bassist and educator Gary Crosby, co-founder of the Tomorrow's Warriors organization, prompted his return and immersion in the city's jazz community. He performed with Empirical, co-founded Zed-U alongside saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings and drummer Tom Skinner, and joined multiple ensembles led by keyboardist and composer Alexander Hawkins. Extended tours followed with Ethiopian jazz legend Mulatu Astatke, while further credits include contributions to Jonny Greenwood's soundtrack for the film The Master (2012) as well as recordings by Daymé Arocena, Zara McFarlane, and others. Regular attendance at club nights such as The End and Plastic People drew him toward electronic producers including Mount Kimbie, Bonobo, and Machinedrum. Under the Ben Marc name he featured on a 2016 EP issued by Atjazz's label and on Ashley Henry's 2019 album Beautiful Vinyl Hunter. London's Cafe Oto released his solo bass recording Low and Beyond in 2020, and he has performed with the group Pulled by Magnets while also recording alongside Anthony Braxton and Evan Parker.
Breathe Suite, Charles' inaugural Ben Marc project, surfaced on Innovative Leisure in 2021. The EP took form amid the political protests that followed George Floyd's murder in 2020, expanding an existing composition through added strings, harp, a children's choir, lyrics from MidnightRoba (of Attica Blues) and Rarelyalways, and saxophone from Hutchings. His full-length debut Glass Effect arrived in 2022, uniting the artist's acoustic and electronic sources and featuring vocals from MidnightRoba, Joshua Idehen, and Judi Jackson.
Albums
Singles
