{"id":100543,"date":"2023-11-24T12:03:17","date_gmt":"2023-11-24T17:03:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=100543"},"modified":"2023-11-27T10:06:14","modified_gmt":"2023-11-27T15:06:14","slug":"interview-poet-composer-benjamin-hackman-aka-holy-gasp-talks-film-music","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2023\/11\/24\/interview-poet-composer-benjamin-hackman-aka-holy-gasp-talks-film-music\/","title":{"rendered":"INTERVIEW | Poet-Composer Benjamin Hackman AKA The Holy Gasp Talks About His Film And His Music"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_100545\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-100545\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-100545\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/11\/Copy-of-CRITICS-PICKS-25.jpg\" alt=\"L-R (clockwise): Benjamin Hackman; still from Algonquin Bridge; The Holy Gasp orchestra recording (All photos courtesy of Benjamin Hackman)\" width=\"1200\" height=\"628\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/11\/Copy-of-CRITICS-PICKS-25.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/11\/Copy-of-CRITICS-PICKS-25-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/11\/Copy-of-CRITICS-PICKS-25-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/11\/Copy-of-CRITICS-PICKS-25-768x402.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-100545\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">L-R (clockwise): Benjamin Hackman; still from Algonquin Bridge; The Holy Gasp orchestra recording (All photos courtesy of Benjamin Hackman)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>With multiple festival awards to its name, Jewish-Canadian poet-composer Benjamin Hackman&#8217;s short film The Algonquin Bridge is available to view online today, November 24.<\/p>\n<p>The film was illustrated by Mayte Sanchez and Txesco Montal of Alla Kinda, with Hackman supplying the music and lyrics\/narration. It was awarded the Audience Choice Award for Best Short Animation at the Cannes Short Film Festival in 2023.<\/p>\n<p>The short film went on to collect the award for Best Animated Short at the London International Short Film Festival, and screened as a slew of festivals from Greece to Scotland, Edmonton to Portugal.<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ryM1V_caG5s?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<p>It\u2019s shaping up as a banner year for Hackman, leader of the fluid ensemble The Holy Gasp. His latest release, &#8230;And the Lord Hath Taken Away, released on Roar Records Inc. in April 2023, is probably best understood as a m\u00e9lange of styles musically. It includes the music from the animated short.<\/p>\n<p>The album\u2019s tracks incorporate spoken narration as well as vocals sung with a dramatic sensibility and technical facility. Genre-wise, it defies description, although there are recognizable strains of contemporary jazz and Western classical music, Jewish music, musical theatre, medieval melodies here and there, and cinematic orchestral scores. Experimental jazz and even bluegrass gospel slip in and out of the musical mix.<\/p>\n<p>In a tribute to its multi-genre mix, it&#8217;s been submitted for prize consideration in seven different JUNO categories, from classical composition to adult alternative and contemporary Christian\/Gospel.<\/p>\n<p>Lyrically, recurring themes of grief and loss work their way through the music. At 18 tracks and 65 minutes of orchestral suites, it bucks several industry trends. \u201cWe are working to film a live concert version of it as well,\u201d Benjamin says.<\/p>\n<p>We caught up with the multi-hyphenate artist to talk about the film and the music.<\/p>\n<h2>Benjamin Hackman: The Interview<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cThe truth is, I kind of snuck into music making. My background is in poetry and creative writing,\u201d he says. He spent eight years as a working writer, during which he struggled to get noticed. \u201cIt was rejected maybe 30 or 40 times,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>When he set the poems to the beat of conga drums, however, he says they took off, and he found himself performing them to appreciative audiences. \u201cFrom there, I built an orchestra.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_100546\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-100546\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-100546\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/11\/Benjamin-Hackman.jpg\" alt=\"Benjamin Hackman aka The Holy Gasp (Photo courtesy of the artist)\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/11\/Benjamin-Hackman.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/11\/Benjamin-Hackman-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/11\/Benjamin-Hackman-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/11\/Benjamin-Hackman-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-100546\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Benjamin Hackman aka The Holy Gasp (Photo courtesy of the artist)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>The Holy Gasp<\/h3>\n<p>The Holy Gasp is a fluid musical collective that can be a trio or quartet, or grow to orchestral dimensions should the occasion arise. For the latest album, The Holy Gasp swelled to 45 people.<\/p>\n<p>He credits a lack of background in music for his ability to build an ensemble with open possibilities.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think I&#8217;m able to create innovative, quirky things because I don&#8217;t know what I&#8217;m doing,\u201d he says. \u201cIt&#8217;s good to be naive sometimes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He did train as a drummer. \u201cOnce I started singing with my congas, I went by the name The Holy Gasp.\u201d It was 2011. \u201cI came back to Toronto with no shoes, and started making these odd conga poems.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>When it comes to musical inspiration, it\u2019s hard to know where to begin. \u201cIt&#8217;s a huge, huge list,\u201d he says. \u201cI really love cinema from the mid century.\u201d He singles out the playfully dark and sometimes sinister quality of movie scores from the late 1950s and early 1960s. \u201cIt&#8217;s starting to blur the lines between classical and pop and rock sensibilities.\u201d He points out the rise in importance of movie music during that era. \u201cThere&#8217;s a really rich and developed tapestry for romantic sounding love music,\u201d he says. \u201cI also really like vaudeville stuff,\u201d he adds. That includes the music from classics like Bugs Bunny and the Marx Brothers films. \u201cThere&#8217;s really good music in Bugs Bunny and Tom &amp; Jerry.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His goal is simple. He begins with what interests him. \u201cIf others are entertained and stimulated by what I write that&#8217;s a great bonus.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>The Film<\/h3>\n<p>The animated film that is garnering international acclaim came together by happenstance.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI had this little poem.\u201d He brought it to creative partner Anthony William Wallace. \u201cWe composed music to the words. I wanted it to be a story.\u201d He recorded his vocals on a cell phone. \u201cWe composed music around the sound waves of my vocal performance,\u201d he says. The result was that only his original narration would fit perfectly with the music. After a couple of months of tinkering, he had the music and narration down.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s when he was attracted to an Instagram post by Spanish animation company Alla Kinda. He got in touch to tell the company he liked their work. \u201cI just sent a quick off the cuff message.\u201d The company wrote back with a reciprocated appreciation for his own work, and an offer to collaborate. While they handled the animation, he offered direction. \u201cI took care of the story and the music.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Their collaborations continue with a second track, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=KXq9FPwyXRw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Devil Oh Devil<\/a>, and at least another animated musical video in the works.<\/p>\n<p>What keeps him going as an artist?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat I would say is, [&#8230;] my arts practice is predominantly concerned with turning conflict into art,\u201d he says, pointing out that it\u2019s what most artists do. \u201cWe want to resolve what is unresolved.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Are you looking to promote an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/advertising\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #0e101a\"><u>event<\/u><\/span><\/a>? Have a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/masthead\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><u>news tip<\/u><\/a>? 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