Moon King

Toronto-born Daniel Benjamin, operating as Moon King in the dream pop and electronic shoegaze realm, later embraced the role of lo-fi house producer yet retained his signature rich chord progressions and persistent Motorik pulse. The project’s first full-length effort, Obsession from 2013, framed the collective as practitioners of Wall of Sound shoegaze, whereas its 2015 successor Secret Life tilted the balance toward dream pop. By 2017 the group had dissolved; Benjamin relocated to Detroit and continued under the Moon King moniker, redirecting his energies toward dance music on the 2017 mini-album Hamtramck '16.

During his Toronto years, early cassette demos reached Mike Haliechuk of Fucked Up, prompting the latter to commission multiple 12-inch releases on his One Big Silence imprint. Shortly thereafter Arbutus, a local label, signed him, fostering regular collaborations with fellow roster artists that included drumming duties in Grimes’ live ensemble. Benjamin subsequently formed his own touring and recording unit, enlisting guitarist/vocalist Maddy Wilde, which yielded a pair of albums and numerous performances. The lineup began to fracture in 2016 as Wilde departed and Benjamin moved to Detroit.

Residence in the Motor City reshaped his listening habits, allowing house and disco textures to infiltrate his productions. The title Hamtramck '16 directly references the Detroit-adjacent community where he resided.