Not all electronic producers are built the same. If there’s anyone who can attest to this statement, it’s award-winning artist and producer Ben Böhmer, and this includes how he approaches his global travels.
Fresh off several major performances, including festivals such as Sonar by Night and a closing set at Lollapalooza, and serving as direct support for ODESZA’s finale at The Gorge and Madison Square Garden, Böhmer isn’t slowing down. For the rest of the year, he’ll round out his airline miles with tour stops in Australia and Europe to perform his latest third studio album Bloom.
The 11-track LP is a confident reassertion of Böhmer’s improvisational origins as a songwriter, bringing his innate skill and passion for songwriting and composing to the foreground. Bloom is bursting with raw and emotive electronica melodies that explore new genres and tempos. From the very first piano notes of the introductory track “Martin,” Ben’s melodies are the stars of the show, whether in orbit with vocals by The Blaze’s Enfant Sauvage on “Evermore” or rooted by grounding dancefloor rhythms on “Rust.”
Meanwhile, “The Sun” perfectly encapsulates the feeling of rebirth throughout Bloom. Featuring alt/dance-pop duo Oh Wonder’s Josephine Vander West, Ben toes the line between his established sound and his sophisticated instincts as a composer.
As he sets off on the second leg of his tour, we sat down to chat with Böhmer on his travel essentials, how he beats jet lag no matter the circumstances, his favorite cities to run in, and more.
Let’s talk about your global travels. You’re coming off a huge summer season of festivals and are about to embark on sold-out shows in Australia and in Europe. I see you were also just in the Dolomites. What’s one thing you consider necessary to take on tour that a lot of people might find odd/not agree with?
There’s one thing that I rarely see—slippers on the plane. I like bringing my own shoes that I wear inside my house. It’s really just a comfort thing that might be very unusual, but I like to bring them on the plane.
What are your travel essentials?
I always travel with a small keyboard, so whenever there’s an idea, I can still play around and compose. Headphones, of course, so I can work while on tour and listen to music in good quality. I always like using biodynamic headphones, those big ones that fit over your ears and they’re comfortable. They sound great. On the plane though I use Bluetooth headphones with a noise-cancelling function.
I also love to run in cities or areas which I’ve never seen before. Especially in America, I wake up often pretty early because of the jet lag and the time zone difference, so I always have running shoes with me everywhere I go. It’s always something magical having a run during sunrise when there are no humans or no big city life going on. It keeps the balance, staying active on tour. It took me years to figure out how to combat jet lag in a really good way. Exercising in the sunlight and in nature is the best thing that works for jet lag.
The best thing to do after a long flight or when you’re traveling for 20-plus hours is just take a shower and go in the woods or the park and just walk around until the sun goes down.
What’s one city in the U.S. that you absolutely love to run in?
I recently played a show in Aspen, and that’s probably one of the most beautiful surroundings I’ve ever seen in years. I’m also completely in love with Central Park in New York. I like to stay close to Central Park when I play shows in NYC and go for runs there.
Are you sitting in the window or aisle on an airplane?
I love to sit at the window and look out.
What are some of your favorite foods or snacks that you have while traveling and on tour?
I always have a big pack of nuts. They really can be lifesavers. If you’re jet-lagged and you wake up too early before anything is serving breakfast, a bag of nuts is a very good thing to have.
When staying in a hotel, do you tend to order room service or go out to eat? What are you ordering?
I never eat after playing shows. There is always so much going on, and my body just kind of shuts off. I don’t need or push for food after a show.
Before shows, though, I do try to eat quite heavily. I love to go visit new restaurants. I make food a part of touring for me, trying different places and the food of the culture.
Not too long ago, I played in Lima, Peru, and I discovered the best food I’ve ever eaten in my entire life. I was there for five days, and around the show, I had many, many people telling me that Lima has great food. I can agree that ceviche is out of his world, and it’s now my favorite food.
What city are you always excited to return to?
New York City. I’m always excited to come back to that city. I spend a lot of time there because I met my wife there, so I connect lovely memories to that city. And food-wise, it’s also a fantastic place. The shows are nice and the city is just impressive. It doesn’t get boring.
