Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Benedek (aka Nicholas Benedek) is a multifaceted musician/producer specializing in a futuristic, yet classic brand of modern-funk. Benedek was introduced to the electric guitar at age nine and was naturally drawn to funk and jazz-fusion while studying under a protege of veteran musicians George Benson and Phil Upchurch. His curiosity for the expressive capabilities of synthesizers lead him to begin experimenting with beat production on Nintendo’s Game Boy Camera software, which featured an Easter egg of a three-track sequencer that allowed him to start creating the 8-bit sound he often idolized. With a growing interest in music production, the young Benedek began toying with the production software Reason, and then purchased a Roland HS-60, his first hardware synthesizer, which lead to a deep fascination with analog sound. Benedek continues to draw influence from science fiction, video games of the 1990’s and vinyl classics to craft a sound both evocative and original. Incorporating his knowledge of synthesis and production, as well as his virtuosic guitar, bass and keyboard playing, Benedek takes listeners on a funk-driven, soulful, progressive journey through the deepest reaches of the mind.
