One Of Many, Many Of One

I came to ONE by Noema aka Berlin-based polymath David Benjamin in reverse order, discovering the second (of two) remix EPs in September, which in turn led me to the original album, released this time last year.

 

Except ONE is not merely an album. It's a coming together of music, remixes, storytelling, interactive choreography, costumes, stage design and theatre, two years in the making, ideas all springing from Benjamin's brain. 

 

Noema created the story and texts, costumes, graphics, videos, choreography, wrote and recorded the music with an orchestra, and in 2022 showed an early experimental version of ONE at the Garbicz Festival in Poland. 

 

I've only heard the music and there is plenty to enjoy. I was fishing around for superlatives but the promo blurb sums it up far better - and more succinctly - than I can, describing ONE as 

"Sun Ra meets Steve Reich meets Larry Levan 

- imagine it as a “happening” from the 70s."

ONE is available to purchase as a single digital album, coming in at 42 minutes and 45 seconds.

 

For vinyl lovers, ONE is spread over two sides, still available in black or white, though I haven't dared look at what the shipping costs might be.

If either is bit too rich for your first taste, ONE has also been posted on YouTube in 13 bite size chunks. Extract XI is the shortest at 81 seconds, but gives you a good enough idea of what ONE is all about. 

ONE Remixed arrived in two parts this year, the first in January and the second in September, which is where I came in. Nine remixes in total, all drawing something new and enriching from the source material, hovering between the five and eight minute mark.

 

I've picked one from each EP/mini-album, Kelpe aka Kel McKeown (London) and Shubostar aka Jiyoung Bak (South Korea) being the only two names I recognised going in. However, every single one of the nine is recommended.