We were lucky to catch up with Jesse Bens recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jesse, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

My last two albums have been super meaningful to me and felt remarkably organic to create. I made a metal concept album called Cathedral. For that project I tried to imagine myself trapped in an abandoned European cathedral and the only way out was by playing the right music. Song by song I’m navigating toward the exit and channeling the spirits within the cathedral to pave my way. The album is mostly metal but also gives way to some atmospheric work as well.

My latest album, Kármán Line is another concept album. I consider this to be my truest expressionist work to date. I didn’t have to think about this album as much as I had to pass it through me as the energy flowed through. The concept is an attempt to take a moment to appreciate the outermost portion of earth’s atmosphere. This area so often seems like just something to get through in order to reach outer space. I think there’s a lot to stop and appreciate here, and Kármán Line is my sonic interpretation of it.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Jesse Bens and I do just about everything for the music project Durt. I have released 13 albums and 5 EPs and they are all available on SoundCloud. I’ve played music my entire life but the last six years or so have been very focused on the Durt project. I make music because I feel called to do so, it’s where things make the most sense. Playing music is where I find my inner peace. I got into music probably because I come from a family that’s really into music. My grandfather had a large record collection. I remember knowing it was time to crank the record player again because the music was slowing down. You don’t get that experience with streaming. My dad showed me a lot of music growing up and took me to a lot of concerts. I think my need to create, learn and grow sets me apart in the music world. I’m not looking to perfect a single sound or vibe to exist within, I think that’s like building your own prison. That’s why a lot of my work is drastically different from what is before or after it.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect for me lately has been watching my music reach the entire world via the insights feature on SoundCloud. The current top five countries listening to Durt are USA, India, Brazil, Thailand and Colombia.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My goal is to make as much of the best music I possibly can while I’m alive. Making music is my favorite thing about being alive. I think about it more than anything. Most of my thoughts are strung together by some conglomerate never ending song I’m trying to get out before my time here concludes. I think the goal evolves over time.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.durtmusic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/durt3113/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/durtmusic
• Other: https://soundcloud.com/durt-music

Image Credits
Photos of me taken by Andrea Bens