Biography
An electronic musician connected to Baltimore's Wham City collective that also encompasses Dan Deacon and Future Islands, Benny Boeldt routinely alters his sonic approach from one album to the next. His work has encompassed chiptunes, wistful synth pop anthems, and frantic IDM while retaining an emphasis on bright, expressive melodies and a playful character. Born in Durham, North Carolina, Boeldt studied at East Carolina University in Greenville and attended art classes with future members of Future Islands. He relocated to Baltimore in 2007 alongside that band and began recording as Adventure, sharing stages with other Wham City regulars such as Dan Deacon, OCDJ, and Videohippos. Signing to Carpark Records, the Baltimore label that also houses several Wham City-affiliated acts, he saw Adventure's self-titled debut album issued in 2008. The all-instrumental release presented chiming melodies reminiscent of 8-bit and 16-bit video games yet infused with pop sensibility. In the following year Adventure and Dan Deacon issued a split EP, and Boeldt supplied vocals for Deacon's expansive Bromst. He additionally performed as a member of Deacon's ensemble during the album's supporting tour while presenting solo sets of his Adventure material. Lesser Known, Adventure's 2011 album, consisted of starry-eyed synth pop anthems featuring Boeldt's own vocals, which he promoted by touring with labelmate Toro y Moi. Adventure's third album, Weird Work, appeared in 2013 and represented another shift by omitting vocals in favor of complex, stuttering IDM beats comparable to early-2000s Tigerbeat6 or Warp releases. For his subsequent project Boeldt chose to record under his own name, releasing 8 of Cups in 2016. The short album offered a concentrated dose of colorful melodies, jittery beats, and chopped-up samples drawn from VHS tapes.
Albums
