Einstein Music Journal

The Hungry Caterpillar

Monday, April 14, 2008

Graphic artist, spherical engineer, contemporary soul singer, blues guitarist, hip-hop masher-upper and one of the best drummers on earth...Ben Thompson, this is your life!

If you haven't heard The Hungry Caterpillar yet, you better get right clicking. Since early 2007 I've been obsessed! No one makes spacey, midi sci-fi electro soul like Ben Thompson. The Melbourne-based Kiwi, originally from Hamilton has so many things on the go it's hard to keep up. The Hungry Caterpillar is his solo project, combining elements from all facets of the musical realm and all fragments of his imagination land.

Essentially his music is a fast, beautiful mess, with tangled synths, futuristic softly-spoken vocals and live drumming that will blow your mind. Who'd have guessed he's a shy, twee indie kid. So shy, that some of his hip-hop mash ups sit on Sarah's computer, remaining unheard and unspoken of (until now).

The first Hungry Caterpillar album, Weekend, can be downloaded free from his myspace page. It was released last year and is only available as a download. His second album, titled Patchworks, from which two songs can be downloaded here, will be available soon. In the meantime, Ben is working hard on other equally important projects; like his own design project Simian Lines, designing for Vice magazine and drumming for his long-time band Amy Racecar (who are touring New Zealand in early May!).

There are rumours that Amy Racecar may play some Hungry Caterpillar songs live. Check out the gig poster further down this page and make sure you head along.

posted by Nick Fulton @ 10:10 pm