Michel Banabila (1961 Amsterdam) is a Dutch sound artist , composer and producer, active since 1983.

His first live appearance was at the Tegentonen Festival with Dj Genetic Factor (Paradiso - Amsterdam, 1984).

His early recordings, Marilli (vinyl, 1983), Des Traces Retrouvees 1, 2, (vinyl, 1984-1985) and 3 (cassette, 1986) and his collaboration with Chi (group for audio visual performances), were characterized by ethnic influences in combination with ambient electronics.

In 1989 Banabila starts performing and recording with East meets west, a world music band from Rotterdam. (Hoy Babo Hoy, cd, Silenz Records 1991)

With instrumentalist Yasar Saka he records 2 cds , Nightmirror (1993) and The dreamfields (1994).

In 1998 a compilation from their work was released on Steamin' Soundworks (A living thing, cd), including some new tracks, two of those recorded with Turkish guitar player Erkan Ogur.

In his later work Banabila continues to combine influences from world music with plunderphonics, ambient and nu-jazz.

Besides acoustic instruments, he uses found objects, electronica, field recordings, and shortwave / tv / film recordings.

His internationally critically acclaimed VoizNoiz, Urban Sound Scapes (cd - Steamin Soundworks 1999) was released by Pork Recordings (UK) and Tone Casualties (USA) in 2000.  The VoizNoiz series were recordings based around voice-collages, field recordings and improvised music.

Since 1993 he performed live at Womad (UK), VAD Festival and Lux Festival (Spain), Rotterdam Film Festival, State of the Image Festival, Metropolis Festival, Boudisque X Rated Paradiso, Witte de With Festival (Netherlands), Days of Dutch Culture (Russia), Ambient Festival Gorlice, Łaźnia and Kronika (Poland), Sit'n Listen (Belgium) and more.

In 2000 Banabila started a collaboration with singer Ali Bahia El Idrissi, and co-composed / produced an album with him, entitled Arhil. (cd, Boudisque Recording 2000).

The title song from this cd also appeared on the compilation cd Sahara Lounge (Putumayo 2001).

Banabila joined an on-line collabs directed by the German composer Holger Czukay, wich resulted in the track 10 Steps to Heaven, released on the cd Linear City (Inside Out Music 2001).

In 2001 and 2003, his electronic dark ambient cds, entitled Spherics 1 & 2 were released. (Boudisque Recording / Tone Casualties).

The third cd of his VoizNoiz series ; VoizNoiz 3 - Urban Jazz Scapes, recorded with trumpet player Eric Vloeimans, was recipient of the Dutch Edison Jazz Award in 2003, and was nominated for a Golden Calf at the Dutch Film Festival in 2004.

Together with singer Sandhya Sanjana he recorded the following year  Speech, wich was released on An Evening With Ryukyu Underground  (cd / Respect records).

In 2004 - 2005 Banabila worked in South Africa on recordings for the soundtrack of Vuka Vuka!, an open air theatre show about homeless children.

In 2008, his 2cd album Precious Images, Datafiles 1999 - 2008 was released on the Steamin’ Soundworks label.

One year later, one of his compositions from this album, entitled Ears Tell Us Where We Are In Space, recorded with Dutch guitar player Anton Goudsmit, was re-released on the compilation cd Dutch Jazz 2009 (Buma Cultuur).

Banabila frequently collaborated with Dutch video artists Geert Mul and Olga Mink and Polish video artist Monoscope, and has composed musical scores for numerous films, documentaries, video art, music-theatre plays and choreographies.

(Scores for Ben van Lieshout, VPRO Tegenlicht, Orkater, Angelika Oei, Marije Meerman, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Bregtje van der Haak, Het Zuidelijk Toneel, Claudia Hauri, Robert Jan Westdijk, Hester Overmars, among others).

Though most of his work has been published by Steamin' Soundworks Amsterdam, he sometimes releases independently through his own Tapu Records.

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ALL MUSIC GUIDE

'The strength of this fascinating found-sound pastiche will be enough to send fans of musique concrete, advanced turntablism, and trip-hop scouring the import bins'

BOSTON HERALD

'Banabila has created a backing track for everyday life'

SAN FRANSISCO EXAMINER

'A rich sci-fi soundtrack for primitive living !'

ALTERNATIVE PRESS

'Every bit as post-modern as the work of today's DSP-terrorists, but it's a much easier listen'

COOL AND STRANGE MUSIC

'Banabila is one of those rare musicians who can take an avant-garde conception and turn it into a highly entertaining work of art'

OUTBURN MAGAZINE

'Banabila will take you on a completely enthralling trip that is worth revisiting on many occasions'

ELECTROAGE

'With a world of music to explore, it¹s pretty certain that Banabila will continue to play tour-guide and provide more audio reports of city life'

ALTERNATIVE PRESS MAGAZINE

'Distinctly cinematic and frequently unnerving / trip-hop textures and jazzy European electronics /  genuinely haunting and nothing short of hypnotic'

NRC

'Samplekunstenaar Michel Banabila blinkt uit in het compileren van geluidsdecors die een duidelijke sfeer ademen zonder opdringerig te worden'

JAZZ NU

'Intrigerende spelletjes van samples vol stadsgeluiden en menselijke stemmen'

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SCORES

 
Film ;
 
2009 - GRAND PARIS - BREGTJE VAN DER HAAK.

2009 - I AM GURGAON - MARIJE MEERMAN.

2008 - IN REAL LIFE - ROBERT JAN WESTDIJK.

2007 - ONZE JONGENS - BREGTJE VAN DER HAAK.
2007 - SATELLITE QUEENS - BREGTJE VAN DER HAAK.
2007 - HET APPELMOESMEISJE - MARIJE MEERMAN.
2007 - MARTHA VONK GAAT NAAR ISTANBUL - HESTER OVERMARS.
2006 - VLUCHT VAN DE VALK - CLAUDIA HAURI.
2005 - SAMUAL - TAMI RAVID.
2005 - STROOM - JORD DEN HOLLANDER.
2004 - MAMA, PLEASE CALL ME - MARIJE MEERMAN.
2004 - ST PETERSBURG, PLACES AND PAINTINGS - BEN VAN LIESHOUT.
2004 - NEVER LET GO - CLAUDIA HAURI.
1987 - CRAW AND CRAW - ROBERT RUIJZENDAAL.

Video ;

2009 - DUIZEL - MAAIKE ENGELS.
2008 - A MOODY GUY'S AUDIBLE DREAM - GEERT MUL.
2008 - VOICE PRINT - OLGA MINK.
2008 - URBAN RHYTMICS - OLGA MINK.
2008 - URBAN NATURE (with Eric Vloeimans) - OLGA MINK.
2007 - TRANSMIT / EFFENAAR LIVE - OLGA MINK.
2005 - MATCH THE MOVIE - GEERT MUL.
2004 - LOW PULSE & HIGH NOIZ - OLGA MINK & IRENA MIHALINEC.
2003 - STRAIGHT 18 (RED CROSS) - MAAIKE ENGELS.