Award-winning British musician heads to Cyprus

Music lovers are in for a treat this July as critically acclaimed Mercury-Prize winning musician and composer Benjamin Clementine will travel to the island for one performance only. Hosted at Limassol’s Pattihio Theatre, Clementine will introduce Cyprus music enthusiasts to his music and new album on July 27.

His long-awaited third album And I Have Been continues Clementine’s adventures as a singular artist who delivers style, poise and poetry in equal measure. His experimental and at times avant-garde approach to chamber pop and his enigmatic presence, velveteen baritone and literary streak defy simple categorisation.

Talking about the album, the artist has said: “And I Have Been was conceived during Covid. Like everyone, I was also confronted with a lot of lessons, complications and epiphanies to do with sharing my path with someone special. ‘Part One’ is just setting the scene, it’s the tip of the iceberg which sets the scene for ‘Part Two’, which goes deeper.”

A ‘Part Two’ will follow soon and could prove to be his final album – he professes to be an artist for whom music is only one element of his creative journey, most notable with his debut acting role as Herald of the Change in Denis Villeneuve’s multiple Oscar-winning film Dune.

And I Have Been was entirely written, performed and produced by Clementine. It was primarily written high in the mountains of Santa Monica and the small town of Ojai in California. Sessions were split between Los Angeles and London before the songs were finished at his home studio in Ojai, where Benjamin has amassed a collection of vintage analogue equipment. He compares his quest for perfection to being stuck between rattlesnakes and coyotes: an impossible balancing act between impeccable precision and the need for the imperfections that only a human touch can provide.

The album has been launched alongside its lead single Genesis. The higher register of Benjamin’s voice explores the nuances of cultural identity, while a woozy, seasick rhythm complements lyrics which talk of nomadically travelling with no destination in mind.

Benjamin Clementine

British composer and musician performs live in Cyprus.. July 27. Pattihio Theatre, Limassol. 8.30pm. tickets from €45. www.soldoutticketbox.com.cy