Benjamin Goldwasser
Encyclopedia
Benjamin 'Beno' 'Kittens' Goldwasser (born December 17, 1982) is a lyricist
and musician in the psychedelic rock band MGMT
, for which he primarily plays keyboards and sings. In 2009, his song "Electric Feel
" (co-written with bandmate Andrew VanWyngarden
), remixed by Justice
, won a Grammy Award
in the Grammy Award for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical
category. In 2010, his band was nominated for a Grammy as Best New Artist
and Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.
, but was raised in Westport, New York
. He is Jewish. When he was 11 years old, he saw Adrian Belew
live in concert, and met guitarist Rob Fetters backstage. He took piano lessons while growing up, played in his high school's jazz band, and attended a "rock and roll camp" in Montpelier, Vermont
. One of his musical influences in high school was the electronic
protopunk
band Suicide
.
, in his freshman year at Wesleyan University
. Goldwasser was studying art at the time. While in college, he was a member of the Eclectic Society
, a college fraternity
. He helped run the fraternity's music venue (a room in the house). Goldwasser, already a keyboardist, took experimental music classes from composer Ron Kuivila
with VanWyngarden which exposed them to progressive musical ideas. They made their debut as MGMT at a party in a college dormitory (playing the theme to the motion picture Ghostbusters
over and over for hours). The duo would email one another and sign the emails "The MGMT" as a way of satirizing corporate culture. They chose this email signature line as the name of their new band.
After graduating from college in 2005, Goldwasser and VanWyngarden moved to New York City
, experimenting with music and building a band. They immediately went on tour, starting out in Montreal
. But no record deal came, and the band was on hiatus by 2006. Goldwasser began working on a farm and was intending to move to California
when the duo was signed by Columbia Records
. The band's 2008 release for the label, Oracular Spectacular
, was a major success. However, the band's sudden success, Goldwasser says, put a serious strain on his friendship with VanWyngarden for a time. The band released its second album, Congratulations
, in April 2010 to generally positive reviews.
Lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...
and musician in the psychedelic rock band MGMT
MGMT
MGMT is an American alternative rock band founded by Benjamin Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden. After the release of their first album, the members of their live band, Matthew Asti, James Richardson and Will Berman, joined the core band in the studio...
, for which he primarily plays keyboards and sings. In 2009, his song "Electric Feel
Electric Feel
-Quotations:"Electric Feel is a shunting single that cobbles together the instrumental roving of Gary Numan, the high pitch vocal provocation of Scissor Sisters and tops it off with a Timo Maas vibe that varies in impact. Worldly, boundary crossing expressionism is the end result...
" (co-written with bandmate Andrew VanWyngarden
Andrew VanWyngarden
Andrew VanWyngarden is the lead vocalist, guitar player and songwriter for the band MGMT, praised for "an uncanny knack for producing pop music that sounds as if it were filtered through a kaleidoscope"...
), remixed by Justice
Justice (French band)
Justice is a French electronic music duo consisting of Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay . The duo is one of the most successful groups on Ed Banger Records and is managed by the label's head, Pedro Winter...
, won a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
in the Grammy Award for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical
Grammy Award for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical
The Grammy Award for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical is an honor presented to producers for quality remixed recordings at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards...
category. In 2010, his band was nominated for a Grammy as Best New Artist
Grammy Award for Best New Artist
The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since 1959. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were handed out, for records released in the previous year. The award was not presented in 1967...
and Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.
Biography
Goldwasser was born in Mishawaka, IndianaMishawaka, Indiana
Mishawaka is a city on the St. Joseph River and a Twin city of South Bend in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States. The population was 48,252 as of the 2010 Census...
, but was raised in Westport, New York
Westport, New York
Westport is a town in Essex County, New York, United States overlooking Lake Champlain. The population was 1,362 at the 2000 census.The Town of Westport is on the eastern border of the county and is south of Plattsburgh and south of Montreal. Westport is inside the Adirondack Park.Westport is...
. He is Jewish. When he was 11 years old, he saw Adrian Belew
Adrian Belew
Adrian Belew is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer...
live in concert, and met guitarist Rob Fetters backstage. He took piano lessons while growing up, played in his high school's jazz band, and attended a "rock and roll camp" in Montpelier, Vermont
Montpelier, Vermont
Montpelier is a city in the U.S. state of Vermont that serves as the state capital and the shire town of Washington County. As the capital of Vermont, Montpelier is the site of the Vermont State House, seat of the legislative branch of Vermont government. The population was 7,855 at the 2010...
. One of his musical influences in high school was the electronic
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
protopunk
Protopunk
Protopunk is a term used retrospectively to describe a number of musicians who were important precursors of punk rock in the late 1960s to mid-1970s, or who have been cited by early punk musicians as influential...
band Suicide
Suicide (band)
Suicide is an American electronic protopunk musical duo, intermittently active since 1970 and composed of vocalist Alan Vega and Martin Rev on synthesizers and drum machines. They are an early synthesizer/vocal musical duo....
.
MGMT: 2004 - present
Goldwasser met Andrew VanWyngarden, the other half of MGMTMGMT
MGMT is an American alternative rock band founded by Benjamin Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden. After the release of their first album, the members of their live band, Matthew Asti, James Richardson and Will Berman, joined the core band in the studio...
, in his freshman year at Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
. Goldwasser was studying art at the time. While in college, he was a member of the Eclectic Society
Eclectic Society (Fraternity)
The Eclectic Society was originally a college fraternity at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, and was one of older fraternal college organizations in the United States...
, a college fraternity
Fraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
. He helped run the fraternity's music venue (a room in the house). Goldwasser, already a keyboardist, took experimental music classes from composer Ron Kuivila
Ron Kuivila
Ron Kuivila is an American sound artist from Boston, MA. He is primarily known for his sound installations, which often utilize computers.-Biography:...
with VanWyngarden which exposed them to progressive musical ideas. They made their debut as MGMT at a party in a college dormitory (playing the theme to the motion picture Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters is a 1984 American science fiction comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. The film stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, and Rick Moranis and follows three eccentric parapsychologists in New York City, who start a...
over and over for hours). The duo would email one another and sign the emails "The MGMT" as a way of satirizing corporate culture. They chose this email signature line as the name of their new band.
After graduating from college in 2005, Goldwasser and VanWyngarden moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, experimenting with music and building a band. They immediately went on tour, starting out in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. But no record deal came, and the band was on hiatus by 2006. Goldwasser began working on a farm and was intending to move to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
when the duo was signed by Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
. The band's 2008 release for the label, Oracular Spectacular
Oracular Spectacular
Oracular Spectacular is the first major label studio album by American psychedelic rock band MGMT, released digitally October 2, 2007 on Columbia Records, available in CD & LP formats from January 22, 2008 by Red Ink Records. The album, which has sold over 1 million copies worldwide, was nominated...
, was a major success. However, the band's sudden success, Goldwasser says, put a serious strain on his friendship with VanWyngarden for a time. The band released its second album, Congratulations
Congratulations (album)
The album received mostly positive reviews upon its release, and a 72/100 metascore at Metacritic, based upon 39 reviews. Pitchfork Media deemed the album "audacious, ambitious, and a little fried." NME got a first listen of the album and described it as a mix of "frenetic, brief psych nuggets......
, in April 2010 to generally positive reviews.