Bio: Ben Rymer

Ben Rymer

Ben Rymer was one third of legendary Sheffield electro-pop pioneers Fat Truckers, who’s groundbreaking debut album released on Gigolo Records, was one of the most influential releases of the new millennium.

‘The First Fat Truckers Album Is for Sale’ was released in 2003, and was a breath of fresh air against the moribund house scene which prevailed at the time. Containing the classic songs “Teenage Daughter”, “Superbike” and “Multiplex”, the combination of no bullshit northern humour, social commentary, and the band’s ear for a bloody good rave tune, made Fat Truckers the latest in a long line of brilliant electronic music acts to come out of the Steel City.

It also pitched Fat Truckers into a headlong battle with White Stripes for the NME’s coveted Album of the Week, with the Truckers narrowly losing out 9/10 to Jack and Megan’s 10/10 for `Elephant’.

While it may be fair to say the bands didn’t follow the same career trajectory thereafter is possibly true, but Fat Truckers had more than a helping hand in changing the musical landscape at the start of the decade, as anyone who saw their legendary live performances will undoubtedly testify.

Following the demise of Fat Truckers, Ben joined forces with Henry Riton to form Gucci Soundsystem, and together the pair set about re-energising London club land with their infamous Druzzi’s Baltimore Rave Club night, which grew out of a Soho basement, to take over Shoreditch with guests James Murphy, 2ManyDJs, Erol Alkan, The Rapture and many more.

This led to Rymer DJing regularly at Bugged Out and Fabric in London, a residency at Weekend in Berlin, Space in Ibiza, Le Baron in Paris, The Arches in Glasgow and lots more… Last year saw Ben take a more behind the scenes role in music, championing mute records XX-Teens, in a “shouting loudly in your underpants” style of management.

Since then Rymer has got back behind the mixing desk, with his production fingerprints to be found all over Disco Bloodbath’s highly sought-after remixes of Franz Ferdinand, White Lies, Little Boots, The Aliens, Tommie Sparks, Howling Bells and many more.

The irony of silently siphoning cash from the same major labels he used to bait is presumably not lost on Rymer, in fact I think he positively revels in it!

The latest instalment in Rymer’s colourful music career has seen him set up a label with Disco Bloodbath cohort Damon Martin named Channel 83 after the mind altering medium depicted in David Kronenburg’s cult classic Videodrome.

Already in 2010 , Ben has released the Italo inspired La Trinciatrice on Serge Santiago’s Arcobaleno Imprint and it has just been announced that he is to be made a resident at one of Londons best clubs, The T Bar.

Ben Rymer hits T Bar on March 21st alongside the likes of Ashley Beedle and Moodymann.