Hear the sound of an R&B flow floating over an electronic bed bouncing with a Caribbean / Afro rhythm, body-rolling to a hip-hop groove and you might find Benjamin Shaffer (aka Jāmin, pronounced jaymin) at the fader. A producer, songwriter, singer with roots as a DJ, he has made a career collaborating, connecting and sharing through music.
His songs bring artists and styles together from around the globe. The pulse is rooted in his perspective as a DJ – move the body. His tracks are made for movement and speak to both the shared human experience and issues of our times, calling for light, leadership, community, unity and beauty. A strong current of personal responsibility flows while he creates sonic space to also contemplate vulnerability, sacrifice, loss, pain and human dynamics.
After going on global tour at 18 as a DJ for Geffen Records’ Girls Against Boys, he built Brooklyn music studio Ishlab (a$ap Rocky, Jet, Jadakiss, MIA, Roberta Flack, Mac Miller (RIP)) and gained acceptance into NYU’s Steinhardt School—a first for a DJ who couldn’t read or write music. He then founded Project Rhythm, a non-profit that equips children with life skills through the collaborative process of producing their own original songs.
His newest track is called, “We All Bleed”, and it is an inspiration track that talks about how the world is in a trying time. The video for the track shows many diverse people symbolizing unity, and how important it is in today’s world. When asking Shaffer about the song he says:
“We All Bleed”, my new single, is made to inspire change, to unite, to show that we have been coming apart while we need to come together. In this time of so much negativity, so much tension “We All Bleed” is made to uplift. This is “We All Bleed.” Thank you. Peace!”
Check out the video below.
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As a producer bringing some major events to Capital Pride this year, Zach Renovátes admits that he was keen to get Betty Who on the lineup. After having seen several of her live performances already, Renovátes knew the Australian would make a fine marquee addition to the “Kinetic Presents Candyland” event at Echostage June 10.
Fortunately, she was both available and interested.
“Something that I personally saw was that [Betty Who] is one of the most pro-LGBT singer-songwriters I’ve ever ever seen perform live,” Renovátes said, adding that the D.C. audiences at her concerts come largely from within the gay community. “So she absolutely knows that we as queer people make up a huge percentage of her fan base.”
The June 10 event is the main draw of a weekend of collaborations between Kinetic Presents and the Capital Pride Alliance in celebration of D.C. Pride 2023. Other big names who will play at various venues around the District include DJs Abel and Cindel, Dan Slater, as well as Jerac and Paulo Fragoso. It’ll be a pride-filled musical weekend indeed, with Echostage, Sax, Bunker and Bliss Nightclub hosting the pulsing sounds of revelry. And there’s also the big parade on June 10.
Alchemical Records is a Washington, D.C. based music publication. We cover the Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Richmond, VA metro area music scenes, including band interviews, articles about your favorite musicians, new music and concert dates.
