Benni

New Orleans resident Ben McCullough, performing as Benny Divine, contributed vocals and instruments to multiple garage, psych, and punk outfits such as Gary Wrong Group, Missing Monuments, Natural Child, and Wizzard Sleeve. Under the solo alias Bênní he abandons guitars entirely for atmospheric synthesizers whose textures evoke Vangelis and Moroder soundtracks together with the cosmic new age approach of Iasos. Memphis garage rock institution Goner Records issued both of his albums, the 2017 release I & II and the 2018 follow-up The Return.

Bênní first appeared live in New Orleans during April 2016. He maintained a steady schedule of shows that placed him alongside Quintron & Miss Pussycat and Shannon & the Clams, and a cassette emerged before the year closed. After performing at SXSW and opening for Hans-Joachim Roedelius in 2017, Goner Records put out his debut LP I & II, which was followed the next year by The Return.