Benjamin Clementine: Phantom of Aleppoville

Wonderful to hear a new track by the incomparable Benjamin Clementine with the song Phantom of Aleppoville, his first solo release since his debut album.

It's a dramatic and challenging work by an artist who is probably one of the most unique voices to emerge in recent years.

It is not an easy listening experience, there's something of the 21st century Scott Walker in its range and ambition.

It would be easy - and no doubt profitable - for him to slide into delivering fairly safe jazz/soul material, but he's released something that's far more complex and thought provoking instead.

It certainly bears repeated listening, revealing more each time. I'm excited about what might be coming next.

Clementine, who won both a Victoires de la Musique award the Mercury Music Prize in 2015, also recently featured on the recently-released new album by Gorillaz.

He's playing live this month at a number of festivals in mainland Europe, with a set at the We Love Green festival in Paris next week .

He's recently announced details of a UK and European tour, with tickets going on sale from Friday June 2.

Savages: Hyundai Mercury Prize nomination

An announcement today of the shortlist for this year's Hyundai Mercury Music Prize, and while most of the attention goes to the inclusion of David Bowie's final album Blackstar, it was the inclusion of the album Adore Life by Savages that got our ears up.

They're a London based four piece, which no doubt gets them their place in the Mercury prize's UK and Ireland focused shortlist, but it's the presence of singer Jehnny Beth - or Camille Berthomier as her family knew her - that particularly interests us.

She was or course previously the singer with much-loved French indie duo John and Jehn who released two albums before becoming involved in Savages. John and Jehn founded the Pop Noire label, which has also released material by Lescop, whose video for La Foret was directed by Jehn.

Johnny Hostile, the other half of the duo, produced both Adore Life and their debut album Silence yourself . That collection was released to massive acclaim in 2013, reaching the top 20 of the UK album charts. Like Adore Life, it was shorlisted for the Mercury Prize.

Last year the Mercury Prize was won by Benjamin Clementine, a London-born artist who lives in France. This year hopefully it will be won by a band featuring a French songer who lives in London.

Benjamin Clementine: Mercury Award winner

A well-deserved Mercury Music Awards win on Friday for Benjamin Clementine, with his debut album
At Least For Now recognised as the album of the year.

When I first heard he was on this year's shortlist I was pretty confident he was the best artist there. I really should have bet £10 that he would have won.

It's a remarkable album, poetic and confident, like nothing else but probably the closest I've heard to French chanson in the English language.

The winner was selected by a panel of musicians, music writers and broadcasters and is seen as one of the UKs most presigious music awards, on account of it being awarded for the artistic merit of the winning album rather that simply by their popularity.

Previous winners since the award was first presented in 1992 include Pulp, PJ Harvey, Portishead and Anthony and the Johnsons

There were 12 acts on this year's shortlist, including Aphex Twin, Florence and the Machine, Slaves and Jamie XX

Clementine graciously dedicated his win to Paris, the city that became his adopted home and the scene of the tragedy that unfolded just one week before.

Clementine has featured on this blog many times previously, and despite being from London, he lived in Paris for several years, sleeping rough until he was discovered working as a busker. He signed to a French label and established his reputation as a performer there, with gigs at events like the Transmusicales festival building his name.

The album was a number one seller in France.

He may have won the UK's most prestigious musical awards, but he's very much an honorary French artist too.

Benjamin Clementine: C à vous session

A live appearance by Benjamin Clementine on the French talks show C à vous, with a memorable
version of the track London.

Clementine tonight plays l'Olympia in Paris, a sold-out show.

Although London born, Clemintine's established himself as a musician in his adopted home of Paris.

His debut album At Least For Now has been a massive success, which most recently saw him nomimnated for the Mercury music prize in the UK.

He has a number of dates in the UK in early December, amongst dates across Europe.

Benjamin Clementine: London

A new video by Benjamin Clementine, for the track London.

The track comes from Clementine's debut album At Least for Now, released in January.

Since then he's won a  Victoires de la Musique award as the best breakthrough act.

Somewhat ironically given the track's title, it was filmed in Paris. Nicely done too, giving a different view of the city than the usual clichés.

Clementine established his reputation in Paris, and this year has seen him emerge as one of this years'most interesting artists.

He's appearing at a number of festivals across France this smummer, including Rock en Seine in Paris in August.

Benjamin Clementine: Le Ring session

A great session for Deezer and France O by Benjamin Clementine.

There are four tracks in the set, The people and I, Nemesis,  Condolence and  cover of Nick Drake's River Man.

Clementine is a unique talent who look set to become better know this year.

His album At Least for Now won the Breakthrough Act of the year award in the Victoires de la musique 2015 awards in February.

Since then his album  has had a UK release, appropriate for a British born act, although one who established his artistic reputation in France.

Benjamin Clementine: Live in the UK

Great to see Benjamin Clementine getting some exposure in the UK following his success in France.

While an artist originally from the UK his move to Paris established him as a musician, while living on the margins of society and busking for a living.

His unique voice and style saw him signed in France, and key gigs at the Francofolies de La Rochelle in June 2013 an at the Transmusicales de Rennes in December 2013.

This year saw him win a well-deserved  Victoire de la musique award in February, following the release of his At Least for Now debut album in France in January.

That album has just recently been released in the UK, with shows in the UK in May as part of his European tour.

New Acts: Benjamin Clementine

Benjamin Clementine  is an artist who has been tipped for great things in 2015, following the release
of his debut album this week.

The collection entitled At Least For Now showcases his unique voice, which combines with a poetic turn of phrase in his songwriting and a performance style that withstands comparison to some of the greats.

Although born in London, Clementine has lived in Paris for years and embarked on his musical career by initially singing on the Paris metro.

He released his first EP Cornerstone in 2013, which led to an appeareance on BBC's Later with Jools Holland, a second EP emerging in 2014.

Clementine  has dates across France in March, and plays at the Trianon in Paris on the 19th and 20th.