Ben Jameson
Ben Jameson is a composer and guitarist, whose work has been performed by musicians including Plus-Minus Ensemble, Mark Knoop, Ensemble Fractales and the Percussion Ensemble of the Freiburg Hochschule für Musik, as well as numerous performances by himself, Harry Matthews and OUT-TAKE Ensemble, the group that Jameson co-directs.
In 2017, Jameson completed a PhD in composition at the University of Southampton with Matthew Shlomowitz and Benjamin Oliver. His research investigated the use of the electric guitar in contemporary concert music, with a particular focus on its associations from popular culture. His music therefore often engages with material from popular music traditions (particularly rock and metal), placing it in new and unexpected contexts.
More recently, Jameson’s interests have broadened, in particular drawing on aspects of clerical work, influenced by his experiences of working at a law firm. Common threads in his work include exploration of microtonal tuning systems based on the harmonic series, enhancement of the electric guitar’s sound through scordatura, unusual playing methods or use of digital technology, and use of non-conventional objects as musical instruments.
