Benyayer is the solo project of London based producer and performer Matt Benyayer, co-founder of the celebrated electronic trio Dark Sky. Having released two studio albums and five EPs on Modeselektor’s Monkeytown Records and 50 Weapons, alongside releases on Ninja Tune, Tectonic, Mister Saturday Night and BNYR, Benyayer now channels two decades of craft into a singular creative vision shaped by his French Algerian British heritage, his fine art training, and a deep instinct for rhythm that traces back to busking on London streets with found percussion.

That instinct sits at the heart of everything. Years spent honing the process rather than chasing trends have led Benyayer somewhere genuinely uncharted, pulling techno, UK bass, Afrofuturism and electronica into a sound that feels both primal and forward facing.

His debut solo LP Morpho, released on Sound Records Stroud in 2025, marks the clearest expression of that evolution to date. Inspired by the transformation of the Blue Morpho butterfly, the record arrived on crystal clear vinyl with a limited pressing. Developed in collaboration with designer Harry Cresswell, the design features a laser cut deconstructed butterfly motif alongside a full colour inner sleeve. The record drew support from the likes of Gilles Peterson, Benji B, Ben UFO, Bicep, Laurent Garnier and Bonobo, alongside radio play across BBC 6 Music, NTS and Rinse FM, proof that the visual concept was as considered as the sonic one.

Benyayer’s live show is a carefully crafted experience in its own right with no two nights the same. Modular synthesisers and drum machines are the tools but the show breathes through experimentation and exploration. Original material opens up into something expansive and immersive, heard in ways that could not exist on the record. Recent dates in Amsterdam, Berlin, Tirana and London have been met with rave reviews and confirmed its impact. Previous performance history includes DJ and live sets at Berghain/Panorama Bar, Fabric, Glastonbury, Melt, Mutek, Dimensions and many more well established venues.

A fine art graduate of Central Saint Martins, Matt’s visual sensibility is woven into his DNA as an artist with each release built on deep research and visual experimentation. That same restless curiosity is something he actively shares whilst mentoring the next generation of producers, passing on the knowledge and wisdom two decades in the game has taught him.

Composition credits for The Dutch National Ballet, The Louvre and Amnesty International sit alongside remixes for The xx and Kelis, collaborations with Afriquoi, Breach, D Bridge and dancer Wennah Wilkers, and a six year residency on NTS Radio showcasing a career shaped by range and precision in equal measure.

2026 brings new label releases, festival appearances and further development of the live show. The metamorphosis, as ever, ongoing.