Austin Benjamin, known for his stage name Utility is a Sydney-based composer, producer & founder of local label Trackwork. Utility’s work often reaches beyond solely producing music with experience in developing both the sonic & visual branding of projects with new, exciting artists & producers internationally, across multiple genres.
He’s produced music for artists including Jesswar, Gino October (Universal Music New Zealand), and Lil Jaye & Eco$ystem’s Block Hotter (66 Records / Warner Music Group) which featured on Spotify’s A1, Apple Music’s The New Australia and was performed on the Juice World Tour in 2019. Utility & T. Morimoto released their collaborative sample pack / record Nexus Destiny in 2019, with a recent remix compilation released through Melbourne-based label Sumac (Logic1000) featuring DJ Plead. Nexus Destiny was the beginning of a series of instrumental & loop-based catalogues uploaded regularly to soundcloud of templates & demos from the vault.
Releases on Trackwork produced by Utility include T Breezy’s 2360, Sevy & Bayang’s notfromhere (with Sevy’s Ting nominated for an FBi SMAC Award), and Snoee Badman’s #3badman which received international airplay and a feature article in The Saturday Paper written by Walkley Award-nominated Journalist Mahmood Fazal. In collaboration with AVTV & animator Kyan Woodpower Trackwork produced & released a 3 part animated mini-series to celebrate the release of #3badman in 2020.
International playlisting & airplay includes Vv Pete’s debut single Bussit (July 2022) which featured on Ebro’s Apple Music Playlist Rap Life, and was played on Triple J, FBi Radio (A Rotation), and Hot97 in the US. Vv Pete’s Frauds (co-produced by Utility & Cassius Select) also recently gained wide-spread recognition including multiple editorial playlist adds, 2 Spotify covers (The Drip, Fresh Finds AU&NZ), TV Features on MTV Hits & ABC’s Rage, FBi Radio (A Rotation), and a spot add on Triple J. To celebrate the release Utility & Vv Pete contributed a guest mix on Cashmere Radio (Berlin), have been included on mixes for RinseFM, HKCR (Hong Kong), and have an incoming synch for Footlocker’s Summer Jam campaign. Other recent synch from Utility & Trackwork’s catalogue includes songs produced for T Breezy, Vv Pete, Sevy & Bayang, and Snoee Badman used in Heartbreak High (Netflix, 2022). Utility has regularly featured on notable London-based radio station & media platform NTS, including creating a recent mix with Snoee Badman & Loraine James (Hyperdub).
As an educator he’s taught and guest lectured production & composition at the Australian Institute of Music, UNSW, and other music & creative arts faculties and has given talks at WAAPA, Elder Conservatorium at University of Adelaide, Wesleyan University (Connecticut), Columbia University Sound department, and Bard College (NY). Utility’s collaborated on multiple projects with community organisations Fitzroy Clubhouse / Reach Youth Music Studios (Melbourne), Glebe Youth Service, and ACE Parramatta including a recent trip to Bourke (regional NSW) to present music production workshops.
He’s composed and performed new works for the Australian Art Orchestra, Sydney Festival, Carriageworks, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, University of Queensland Art Museum with T. Morimoto, MONA FOMA, and a work for the City of Sydney’s 175th Anniversary of the City Council composed specifically for Sydney Town Hall’s pipe organ. Notable performances include Trackwork’s Label Showcase at Sydney Opera House’s Barrabuwari event, a Trackwork curated stage at Parramatta Council’s Parra Nights event, FBi Radio’s SMAC’s Fest at Oxford Arts Factory & Dark Mofo 2022 with T Breezy & Walkerboy.
Upcoming projects include launching a sample website ‘utilitycatalogue.net’ with a sample drum kit recorded with drummer and long time collaborator Evan Dorrian (Tangents, Shoeb Ahmad), a joint mixtape with Walkerboy & T Breezy, alongside new visual projects on Trackwork TV including an upcoming rap/cooking show, an animated series and continuing Trackwork’s curated mix series Mixwork.