2) A singer-songwriter from Bay Area.
… Read Full Bio ↴1) A Japanese indie rock band.
2) A singer-songwriter from Bay Area.
1) The Japanese indie rock band Bentham was formed in 2010. The band consists of vocalist and guitarist Tatsuya Ozeki (小関 竜矢), guitarist Motoki Suda (須田 原生), bassist Reiji Tsuji (辻 怜次) and drummer Takashi Suzuki (鈴木 敬). Backing vocals are by Takashi and Motoki.
2) Bentham is the musical alter ego of Ben Paulos, a Bay Area singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Paulos started playing music as a kid in Iowa, playing trumpet in the school band, picking up guitar in high school. In college he dabbled in jazz, Balkan and West African music, but mostly stuck to rock guitar. His first major band was Laughing Academy, in Boston, circa 1988-1993. That was an art rock trio plus singer that recorded three albums (but released one and a half), played New England and New York clubs, and garnered national airplay before folding. Laughing Academy members went on to play in Sugar, the Willard Grant Conspiracy, and Transmissionary Six.
Bentham was launched in Boston, then continued in Madison, Wisconsin in the late 1990s, in a lineup featuring Ken Keeley, John Driscoll, and Rick Cavalieri. Since a move to San Francisco, Bentham has been hibernating, though the songwriting has continued.
Now in 2011, two elpees of songs written from 1995 to 2005 are finally coming out, easing some of the backlog. "Miss Wisconsin" and "Pacific" are songs written while living in Madison and San Francisco.
The band is anchored by Chicago journeymen rhythm section Gerald Dowd on drums (Robbie Fulks, Justin Roberts) and Matt Thompson on bass. Paulos supplies vocals and guitar, and a variety of other things. The records have cameo appearances by Wil Hendricks (Lofty Pillars, Calamity & Main, Teatro Zinzani), Han Wang (Invisible Cities), Scott Steward (Funkstrosity), Amy Apel and Harry Chomsky and Tom Fattaruso (Freeway Philharmonic), Rosemary McBride (Kensington Symphony Orchestra), Marcus Schneider, Tom Webb, and Jessica Reich.
The songs were recorded by Jay O'Rourke and Danny Shaffer in Chicago, and Scott Steward in Oakland. They were mixed and fixed by Wallysound in Oakland.
Pacific features strings, horns, keyboards, and many recorded sounds, while Miss Wisconsin tends more toward straight out rock. The range of times and places, people and experiences are reflected in the wide variety of songs. The two albums feature the pure pop of "Parachute" and "Kiss Me Hello," jazzy murder ballads like "The Cold Cold Sea," the sonic squall of "My Letter" and "Eyes," the epic strings of "On the Beach," the lo-fi chimp rock of "The Party's Over," and even the mock(ing) C&W of "Bad Country Song."
After party
Bentham Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
今夜はこれから 君が居ないんだけどさ
良いか悪いかは 決まらない言葉が
これからどうしたら 君以外ないんだけどさ
みんな見なくなった 明け方の空
くだを巻いたって いい事あんまりない
遊び疲れた夜に 駆け抜けてないからまだ
君気になっちゃって 思い出しちゃって帰れないよ まだ
遊び疲れた夜の水みたい 優しい感じ
ほど遠くても 今はそれでもでいい いい いいのかな
海沿いタワーの下 何もないここから
しっかりしとかなくちゃ 夜に飲み込まれる
君が居なくても大して変わらない
夜が明けるまでそんな悪くもない
遊び疲れた夜に 駆け抜けてないからまだ
君気になっちゃって 思い出しちゃって帰らないよ まだ
遊び疲れた夜の水みたい 優しい感じ
ほど遠くても 今はそれでもでいい いい いいのかな
The song "After Party" by Bentham speaks about the feeling of being alone after a party has ended. The first verse talks about how the party is over and the trains have stopped running, yet the night is still young and it feels strange to be alone without the person you were with. The singer struggles with their emotions and realizes that there are no words to describe their feelings, but they know that they cannot move on without this person.
The second verse describes the morning after the party, where the sky is brightening and everything feels still. The singer is hesitant to leave as they are not ready to let go of the memories of the night before. They feel a sense of nostalgia for the feeling of the night, even though it was tiring. The bridge of the song reveals that the singer is standing by the sea, contemplating how to move forward and not let the night swallow them up. The chorus repeats the sentiment that they are not ready to return home without the person they were with at the party.
Overall, the song captures the emotions of post-party loneliness and a yearning for connection with those that we hold dear.
Line by Line Meaning
パーティーは終わった 電車もなくなった
The party is over and there are no more trains.
今夜はこれから 君が居ないんだけどさ
Tonight, even though you're not here, things will still go on.
良いか悪いかは 決まらない言葉が
There are words that cannot determine whether something is good or bad.
これからどうしたら 君以外ないんだけどさ
What would I do now, since there'd be nobody else but you.
みんな見なくなった 明け方の空
Everyone is gone and it's already dawn.
くだを巻いたって いい事あんまりない
There's not much good to come out of overthinking things.
遊び疲れた夜に 駆け抜けてないからまだ
Because I didn't run through the night, tired from playing, I still can’t shake you off my mind.
君気になっちゃって 思い出しちゃって帰れないよ まだ
I can't help but think of you, and I can't go home yet.
遊び疲れた夜の水みたい 優しい感じ
The night feels gentle, like water when you're tired of playing.
ほど遠くても 今はそれでもでいい いい いいのかな
Even if it's far away, for now it's okay. Is it?
海沿いタワーの下 何もないここから
Under the tower by the sea, there's nothing here.
しっかりしとかなくちゃ 夜に飲み込まれる
I have to keep myself together or I could get swallowed up by the night.
君が居なくても大して変わらない
Things don't change much even when you're not here.
夜が明けるまでそんな悪くもない
It's not that bad until the night is over.
遊び疲れた夜に 駆け抜けてないからまだ
Because I didn't run through the night, tired from playing, I still can't shake you off my mind.
君気になっちゃって 思い出しちゃって帰らないよ まだ
I can't help but think of you, and I can't go home yet.
遊び疲れた夜の水みたい 優しい感じ
The night feels gentle, like water when you're tired of playing.
ほど遠くても 今はそれでもでいい いい いいのかな
Even if it's far away, for now it's okay. Is it?
Writer(s): 鈴木 敬
Contributed by Isaac L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.