We were lucky to catch up with music producer flawlosphere (aka Benjamin Lee Hopper) and learn more about the person behind the mask:
Benjamin, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today! When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path?
My first exposure to music was in 4th grade – after getting expelled and being moved to a new school mid-year, I only had 2-3 weeks to learn how to play a recorder and memorize all the songs for the Music class’s winter recital. I did not have much to feel positive about at the time, so I started learning the finger placements, how to moderate my breath, and memorized all the songs within a week. I remember the teacher’s shock at how quickly I was able to learn it all – I was not used to receiving those kinds of positive reactions from adults before, which made me feel good about myself. Though my behavior issues still followed me in middle school, stuck in Special Ed classes and kept away from other students, I found similar success in Band. My talent for playing Clarinet made me valuable in my Band Director’s eyes – even being given a Bass Clarinet solo during festival competition. I make some friends during Marching Band Camp summer before 9th grade who needed a Bass Guitar player for their rock band which lasted beyond High School. I then went to college for music but decided to keep it as a separate personal pursuit. I have not considered how important and formative this part of my life was before, but music has always been a saving grace and helped carry me through some very dark times. It taught me a lot about self-discipline when I needed it the most and has since remained a very rich outlet for me.
Benjamin, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
To ‘know me’ is to become comfortable with the mystery that is any human mind, but who can even speak to who they are, lest they define themselves simply by their actions? To take that condemning leap, first and foremost, I would call myself a poet, but I also DJ and produce electronic music. Alternatively, I have a degree in Biochemistry, worked in Pharma labs for years, and now am an Analyst for a software company. I am a continuous student of spirituality, submitting to what I call a ‘Holistic Mysticism,’ pulling parables and proverbs from various pantheons of Eastern and Western philosophy. I am known to be quite eccentric and to claim eclectic also does not seem like a far cry. Now that the wacky baseline is set (haha), I will give some less heady background. As mentioned, I am classically trained in Clarinet and played Bass Guitar for several indie / rock bands throughout High School / College but have been listening to electronic music since as early as I could (thanks Napster). I had always hoped to create more experimental music, deeply inspired by artists such as Amon Tobin, Bjork, Massive Attack, Aphex Twin, etc… but the ‘black box’ of creating music with computers was beyond technical reach. As it is with spiritual schools of thought, you have to hand yourself over to your soul’s wild call, fall into the void of your unknowing, and (here’s the tie up) get comfortable with the mystery of your own creative unknowns. It’s a very raw, messy process and takes a level of submission that will expose you to yourself. My own creative forms are attempts at capturing the existential crisis of life – embodiments of the journeys I have taken. I sample, cut up, and rearrange cult movie quotes to speak messages to my listeners, hoping to instill some of what I have learned during my stent in this mortal coil. However, I am not trying to set myself apart… using creative mediums, such as this interview, I am trying to reunite us all back to ourselves.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
I have experienced the most success with followers / fans when I am not looking back to make sure what I am doing is working. The times I have focused more on building a ‘following,’ I noticed in hindsight it was in exchange of my authenticity, losing touch with the thread of my creativity. People will naturally follow what they like, and they want to experience something unique. As predicted by Baudrillard in his book ‘Simulacra and Simulation’, there is so much emulation going on these days – people mirroring someone else’s content, modeling their approach after another’s success in hope replicate it, but that just ends up diluting the pool of creatives. Get in touch with yourself, dredge out the pits of your own passions and let that natural spring of your personality flow out. This is NOT to dismiss tenacity – you do have to be consistent, always submitting to your craft so you have content to release. My personal experience has proven that focusing on the outcome of followers or fame can rob potential for creating something authentic.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
At all costs, stay in wonder – try and preserve that giddy feeling you used to get as a kid listening to the same song on repeat, hearing something new every time. Follow your gut and stay curious – be open to ‘the new’ and unfamiliar. I know that reads like a contradiction, but such is life. Read / listen to what moves your spirit, trust your heart and follow your soul’s nose. Share your new discoveries with your friends and loved ones. Discuss your reflections and responses to the art with them. Lend yourself to the tapestry of creative expression and allow art to have impact and change you.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0ETPddH5Oeip5NqDkdRf97?si=WxirA4yfQEKnRlRULbMOeQ
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flawlosphere/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flawlosphere/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqebiTxQGn1QWii_9jBOvWw
- Other: Poetry instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benjamin_lee_hopper/