Wall of Sound PR

France-based composer and arranger BEN FOSKETT is pleased to share the video for his new single ‘Pile Of Books’ which is out now on all good DSPs.

The single is the last to be taken from his debut solo album, Songs of Searching, which is out now. Foskett’s original, avant-garde official videos for previous singles ‘Believe Me’ and ‘Crossed Out Lovers’ have racked up over 50k views to date on YouTube.

Commenting on the track, Foskett says: “Pile of Books is a kind of eternal tale set out of place and time, so for this video, again directed by Delphine Ciavaldini, we wanted to give that sense of scale. Where better to find that than in nature. The film was filmed in the forests of the Creuse in central France with Anne-Sophie Versnaeyen personifying the heroine of the story, ever-searching, looking for meaning.”

Otherwise celebrated for his atonal, avant garde classical composition and arrangement work with notable names including Travis, The Divine Comedy and Keaton Henson,Songs of Searching is the first body of original songwriting from Foskett—a marked departure from his usual instrumental work, drawing influence from the likes of Nick Cave and Tom Waits.

As the songs for the new album started to take shape, Foskett noticed that they seemed to be asking questions about the human experience on a fundamental level—from ideas of being led in certain directions for no beneficial reason on ‘Believe Me’, to reflections on separation in ‘Crossed Out Lovers’.

‘Son of Rhythm’ examines the paths that we feel have been created for us (or by us), and ‘Packed Up Smile’ is filled with indignation, while the acceptance of ‘Whole Roll’ barrels into the wonder in ‘Pile of Books’, finally falling to utter incomprehension in ‘So can’t’. It’s only as the album comes up for air on ‘Day Stretch’ that the record turns away from questions and opens itself up to the moments of great reward we can experience if we are lucky enough.

“Music, like all great art, lets us ask questions for which there are no answers,” says Foskett philosophically, reflecting on whether his Songs of Searching have come up with the answers he was looking for.

“In asking those questions we find some kind of answer, in a strange way, or perhaps it would be better described as a peace with not knowing the answer. One of the most beautiful things in the world is simply the question why? I can’t really say why it is that I chose music as a form of expression—perhaps it could have been something else had I bumped into a certain interest at a certain time—but all I can say is that I’ve always just wanted to hear something that isn’t already out there. No matter how much I love certain pieces, composers, bands, songs…it’s never enough…”

Born in Rinteln, Germany, Foskett studied his craft at the Royal College of Music with a masters degree from the Royal Academy of Music. His composition work has gained plaudits and awards from the RVW Trust and the Leverhulme Composition Fellowship.

A composer, songwriter and arranger working across many different genres from classical concert music to ballet, dance, theatre, pop, film and TV, Foskett has worked with musicians, ensembles and companies such as the London Sinfonietta, BBC Proms, The Royal Ballet, English National Ballet, and on films and TV series such as A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon and Poirot. His music has previously been released by NMC recordings.

Future composing projects include an opera with writer Laure Salama based on the life of Olympe de Gouges, an 18th century French playwright and political activist writing on women’s rights and abolitionism, who was eventually executed by guillotine during the Reign of Terror.

Debut album Songs of Searching is out now