Ben Wheatley, the acclaimed British film director behind acclaimed titles like “High-Rise” and “Kill List,” has been harbouring a secret musical alter ego. Under the moniker “Dave Welder,” Wheatley has been quietly producing a staggering 26 albums spanning electronica, dub, ambient, and drone music in just over a year.
Wheatley, who has also directed big-budget Hollywood films like the shark thriller “Meg 2: The Trench,” says he’s always had a passion for music but struggled to reconcile it with his filmmaking career. “I wanted to do it for my films but there was a dissonance. Of all the art forms, I couldn’t really understand it. I would dream that I could play, but then it was like, no, I can’t.”
However, after tinkering with GarageBand a few years ago, Wheatley’s musical obsession took over. “It’s this weird flow state where you sit at the machine and then this tune pops out and it’s like, ‘Oh, fuck,'” he says. “I listen back and I don’t even know how I’ve done some of it.”
Wheatley’s latest project is an experimental sci-fi film called “Bulk,” and for the first time, the music is entirely his own creation as “Dave Welder.” Describing his approach as “very cottage industry, very handmade,” Wheatley has embraced a DIY ethos, even hand-drawing the film’s credit sequence and providing instructions for fans to recreate the soundtrack using the same primitive equipment he used, such as iPhones and GarageBand.
“There is a punkness to it,” Wheatley says of his overall approach. “Modern technology, at the same time as it fucks you, actually gives you the opportunity to make stuff and get it out there.”
Wheatley has even hosted a few clandestine live performances as “Dave Welder,” including one at London’s Cafe Oto. “Music needs to be listened to by people, so it’s no good just pumping it out and leaving it in the back walls of the internet for ever,” he says. “I wanted to hear it on massive speakers. I’ve always tried to do different things, and playing live was just another of those experiences, but I was sitting there going, ‘How the fuck did I end up on the road that led me here?’ I’m really glad I’m doing it, but it’s bizarre.”
With the release of the “Bulk” soundtrack and a screening and Q&A tour for the film, Wheatley’s secret musical life is finally being brought into the open. It’s a testament to his boundless creativity and the power of art to transcend traditional boundaries.