Michel Banabila

Dutch composer and sound artist Michel Banabila has assembled an extensive body of work that spans tape-loop constructions, Fourth World fusions, found-sound experiments, and neo-classical compositions, alongside extensive scoring for film and theater. Following the appearance of his debut LP, Marilli, in 1983, he has produced dozens of further recordings that include partnerships with Robin Rimbaud (Scanner), Machinefabriek, Bill Laswell, Jeff Greinke, and numerous additional figures. The rhythm-oriented VoizNoiz: Urban Sound Scapes (1999) stood among his most approachable efforts and prompted two follow-up volumes, one of which united him with Dutch jazz artist Eric Vloeimans. From 2005 onward the majority of his output has surfaced on his own Tapu Records, although additional titles have emerged via Bureau B, Knekelhuis, and other imprints. A selection of collaborations and individual tracks was later assembled as Singles (2020-2022).

Michel Banabila’s opening album, Marilli, surfaced in 1983 and incorporated an array of acoustic and electric instruments together with electronic treatments and sampled voices drawn from multiple regions. He soon began contributing to video and film installations. Three volumes of the Des Traces Retrouvees series followed, accompanied by a run of self-released cassettes that ranged from tribal-ambient pieces to works for piano, harmonium, and guitar. Several joint releases with multi-instrumentalist Yaşar Saka appeared throughout the 1990s, while Banabila also joined Hanyo van Oosterom in the world-music project Byzantium.

In 1999 Banabila issued the beat-driven, at times funky VoizNoiz: Urban Sound Scapes on the Dutch label Steamin’ Soundworks. The album was subsequently reissued by U.K. downtempo imprint Pork Recordings and American label Tone Casualties, attracting favorable notice. VoizNoiz 2 and Spherics both arrived in 2001, with further sequels appearing in 2003; VoizNoiz 3 featured trumpet player Eric Vloeimans. The solo double CD-R Hilarious Expedition was released in 2005, inaugurating Tapu Records. Traces: Music for Films & Documentaries followed in 2007, and Steamin’ Soundworks put out the two-CD compilation Precious Images: DataFiles 1999-2008.

Banabila’s numerous 2010 releases encompassed another survey of music for films and plays (Changing Structures), studio projects such as 0+1+0+1+0+1+0+1+0+, and a remix EP with Scanner. The 2011 album Fields of Flowers included Vloeimans and saxophonist Mete Erker, the latter also appearing on Route Planner. That same year saw the electronic explorations of The Latest Research from the Department of Electrical Engineering as well as the more atmospheric In Other Words. The first of several collaborations with Machinefabriek emerged in 2012, joined by the solo albums Sum Dark 12 and Gardening. Pure vocal-based drone defined 47 Vocal Loops in 2013, while ZoomWorld edged toward electro/IDM; More Research from the Same Dept. appeared the following year. Banabila joined Oene van Geel for two volumes of Music for Viola and Electronics and participated in Cloud Ensemble.

Banabila has continued to issue live documents, joint projects, and solo works primarily through his own imprint, later gathering a cross-section of this activity on Tapu Sampler 2016. German label Bureau B assembled earlier material on Early Works: Things Popping Up from the Past. In 2017 Seance Centre released Trepassing/Marilli, a double LP pairing the debut album with additional early recordings. Solo releases such as Everywhere Else Is Just Right Here and Stop Motion (Sound for Videos by Gerco de Ruijter) appeared in 2018, alongside collaborations with Willem Cramer and Gareth Davis. Entropia (2019), recorded with Machinefabriek, was among the final titles issued by limited-edition imprint Eilean Rec.

Banabila’s 2020 schedule featured Spherics III, Movements: Music for Dance, and the collaboration-rich All Connected. Bureau B presented Wah-Wah Whispers, a survey of more recent material, in 2021. Knekelhuis issued the full-length Echo Transformations at year’s end. Monochromes arrived in 2022, and Singles (2020-2022) gathered additional non-album tracks and partnerships from that span. BanBas Aura, a two-track single with Pierre Bastien, surfaced in early 2023.