Benjamin Clementine was five when an uncharacteristic act of resistance sealed his fate.
asserted
act → seal → fate
Growing up in a household where instruments were forbidden, he became so entranced with the toy piano a classmate had brought to primary school that when she refused to let him play it, he took it – hoping to spend at least one evening at home with it – but was ordered to return it before he had the chance.
asserted
he → grow → chance
How, he wondered, had this single-octave keyboard produced such an astonishing combination of sounds?
asserted
keyboard → wonder → sounds
“I was looking at this girl with that thing – I remember it like it was yesterday – and I asked her if I could play,” he says.
uncertain
he → look → her
“She said no.
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She → say → ?
She just wouldn’t give it to me.
asserted
She → give → me
I was so fascinated by this thing but sad that I couldn’t have it.
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I → have → it
When I looked at it, I got this good feeling I’d never felt before, outside of laughter with my siblings.
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I → look → siblings
It’s like how some kids feel when they find football or basketball or tennis.
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they → ’ → football
”
Born and raised in London to a family of Ghanaian descent, the 37-year-old musician, composer and actor had almost no exposure to popular culture in his formative years.
asserted
musician → bear → years
Non-Christian music was forbidden, as were instruments of any kind.
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instruments → forbid → kind
His father, who had been a professor of mathematics in Liberia, was determined his son would study law.
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son → determine → law
Somehow, despite his parents’ best attempts to shield him from the corrupting influence of secular music, Clementine, who will tour Australia for the first time this month, has become one of the most acclaimed voices in contemporary music.
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who → shield → music
Unbound by genre, his compositions draw from a range of styles including classical, experimental and avant-garde.
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compositions → draw → styles
Poetry, literature and the writings of pioneering psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott also inform his work.
asserted
Poetry → pioneer → work
Speaking via Zoom from his home in California, his 193-centimetre frame curled into an armchair, Clementine says that when he brings his Back To Basics tour to Australia, it’ll just be him and his piano, which he usually plays barefoot.
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he → speak → which
(He has likened this to the thrill of driving without shoes.)
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He → liken → shoes
“Because I’ve never toured Australia, I want to show them my bare self, and it’s up to them to take me for who I am,” he says.
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he → tour → me
“To be honest, I get tired of touring with so many people [in a back-up band].
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I → get → band
I would love to play there, but first I want to come in with a humble kind of approach.
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I → love → approach
I don’t want to play in front of 5000 people right now in Australia; I want to play in front of 500 to 1000 people.
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I → want → people
My aim is to be intimate with people who are seeing me for the first time, so that we genuinely get to hear each other and smell each other.
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we → see → other
That’s what I’ve always done.”
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I → ’ → what
This pared-back approach is also a chance to reconnect with his musical roots, having taught himself to sing, compose and play a number of instruments.
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approach → par → instruments
“Before all the tricks of production and frequencies and equalisation and compression, there’s just the song,” he says.
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he → ’ → production
“My greatest ability, from what I’ve been told, is to simply tell a story without noise.
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I → tell → noise
Over the years, I went from that to almost showing off through production – and sometimes you get lost in those things.
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you → go → things
I’m just tired of it.
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I → ’m → it
This is about going back to the fundamentals.”
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This → go → fundamentals
It’s not hard to see why critics frequently compare Clementine, with his powerful voice that shifts between delicate vulnerability and raw intensity, to Nina Simone.
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that → ’ → Simone
Many of their songs are self-contained stories, often containing social critiques.
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Many → contain → critiques
As one reviewer observed, each sings “as if all the world depended on it”.
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world → observe → it
And they share a striking physicality that underscores a powerful stage presence.
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that → share → presence
Clementine, who has modelled for Abercrombie & Fitch, has high, sharp cheekbones and an angular jawline.
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who → model → cheekbones
As The Guardian memorably put it, he “resembles an art deco illustration of himself”.
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he → put → himself
Throughout his career, Clementine has amassed high-profile fans including Damon Albarn, Bjork and Paul McCartney.
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Clementine → amass → Albarn
He met the latter after he was invited to perform on the TV music program Later... with Jools Holland.
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he → meet → Holland
“Normally, I’m not fazed by anything when I’m performing but I could see Paul watching while I was playing and it was all a blur
uncertain
it → faze → anything
,” Clementine says.
asserted
Clementine → say → ?
“Afterwards, I went to go to the loo and someone tapped me on the shoulder.
asserted
someone → go → shoulder
…and 57 more, not listed.
The Aporia
