Benjamin Samuels is an up-and-coming Sydney-based saxophonist, composer and producer.

He released his first single, ‘Crazy DNA’, last Thursday via Bridge The Gap, and you can get a taste of that right here. The track explores embracing the chaos in the world around us through blistering horn lines, grime-esque basslines, and driving breakbeats.

Benjamin honed his craft under the tutelage of renowned Australian saxophonist & composer Sandy Evans at The Sydney Conservatorium of Music before also studying with Julien Wilson at Monash University. His education in both jazz and classical has fed into his musical adaptability, and this, combined with his experience of touring varied music styles, makes him an artist to watch out for.

Celebrating a diverse range of artists, from The Comet Is Coming to Ibrahim Maalouf, we are excited to share an exclusive playlist from Samuels that explores his influences.

Listen to his fantastic playlist, and read what Samuels says about his choices below:

This collection of tunes for me is a curation of songs traversing many styles and genres. A mix of songs from around the world including; Australian, Eastern European Folk music, modern Jazz and Afrobeat and psychedelic music. Many of the songs feature incredible production, solid grooves and danceability, as well as more reflective music dripping in psychedelia and unique textures.

This playlist encapsulates the wide array of influences prevalent in my own music and playing; as well as some of the music I have been listening to and enjoying throughout my everyday life. Some of this unique music and its styles have directly influenced Crazy DNA and many other tunes from the upcoming album.

I personally take a lot of influences from artists such as Miles Davis, Steve Reich, David Krakauer as well as more contemporary artists including The Comet Is Coming, Yussef Dayes, Ezra Collective, Ibrahim Malouf and Flying Lotus.

All of these artists appear in the playlist below.