Benjamin Wynn#Deru

Wynn studied electronic music at the California Institute of the Arts, where he focused on synthesis, signal processing, acoustics, music theory and composition, and earned a bachelor's degree in music technology.{{cite web |title=Benjamin Wynn Biography |url=http://www.thetrackteam.com/about/ |website=Thetrackteam.com |access-date=2012-04-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120510004819/http://www.thetrackteam.com/about |archive-date=2012-05-10 |url-status=dead }}

In 2007, Wynn (as Deru) collaborated with British composer Joby Talbot on the score to Wayne McGregor's ballet, "Genus", based on Charles Darwin's book, On the Origin of Species, commissioned by the Paris Opera Ballet.{{cite web |title=Talbot & Deru: Genus |url=http://www.ant-zen.com/act/act236.htm |website=Ant-zen.com |access-date=2012-04-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110827135909/http://www.ant-zen.com/act/act236.htm |archive-date=2011-08-27 |url-status=dead }} The ballet premiered at the Palais Garnier in October 2007 and was commissioned for a second round of performances in November 2009.{{cite web |title=Genus – Paris Ballet Score |url=http://www.thetrackteam.com/news/2009/10/2/genus-paris-ballet-score.html |website=Thetrackteam.com |access-date=2012-04-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130617213556/http://www.thetrackteam.com/news/2009/10/2/genus-paris-ballet-score.html |archive-date=2013-06-17 |url-status=dead }} The eight-part score combines electronics with a 10-part choir and string instruments. The score is available on Ant-Zen and Dear Oh Dear Records and was featured in the 2009 documentary, "La Danse: The Paris Opera Ballet".{{cite news |last=Sulcas |first=Roslyn |title=Au Revoir to the Old, Bonjour to the New |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/23/arts/dance/23paul.html |access-date=2012-04-28 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=2009-11-22}} Genus had its North American premiere by the National Ballet of Canada at the Four Seasons Centre in March 2017 in Toronto, Canada.{{cite news |last=Sulcas |first=Roslyn |title=Genus |url=http://national.ballet.ca/Productions/2016-17-Season/Genus?cluid=675563&sourceNumber=20767|website=National.ballet.ca |date=2017-03-29}}

Wynn is co-owner of a music and sound design company in Los Angeles called The Track Team.{{Cite web |url=http://www.izotope.com/artists/track_team.asp |title=IZotope, Inc - Audio Processing Technology and Plug-Ins for Pro Tools, VST, MAS, Audio Unit, and DirectX |access-date=2012-04-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120531043522/http://www.izotope.com/artists/track_team.asp |archive-date=2012-05-31 |url-status=dead }} He was the force behind the sound design for all three seasons of Nickelodeon's hit television show, Avatar: The Last Airbender, which won a Peabody Award in 2008.{{cite web |title=Avatar Wins a Prestigious Peabody Award |url=http://www.avatarspirit.net/news.php?id=559|website=Avatarspirit.net |access-date=2012-04-27}} Wynn was nominated for a Motion Picture Sound Editor's Golden Reel award in 2009 for his sound design work on Avatar: The Last Airbender.

He started The Track Team with co-founder Jeremy Zuckerman in 2004.{{cite web |website=AvatarSpirit.net |title=Music Interview With The Track Team |url=http://www.avatarspirit.net/interviews.php?id=2 |access-date=2012-04-27}} Together they have created music for the Nickelodeon TV series, Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness, the score for the feature films Just Peck and A Leading Man{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2417834/fullcredits|title=A Leading Man (2013)|access-date=19 October 2018|website=IMDb.com}} and music and sound design for DC Comics shorts.{{cite web |last=Lee |first=Marissa |title=Interview With The Track Team: The Musicians Behind The Legend of Korra |url=http://www.racebending.com/v4/featured/interview-track-team-musicians-legend-korra/|website=Racebending.com |access-date=2012-04-27}} Wynn also worked on the sound design for the sequel to Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Legend of Korra. Ben and Jeremy won a 2012 Emmy Award for music editing for Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness.{{Cite web |url=http://www.emmyonline.org/mediacenter/daytime_39th_creative_winners.html |title=Daytime Entertainment Emmy Awards - 38th Annual Cfreative Arts Winners Announced |access-date=2012-06-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120620220318/http://emmyonline.org/mediacenter/daytime_39th_creative_winners.html |archive-date=2012-06-20 |url-status=dead }} In 2013, they were nominated for another Emmy Award for music editing for Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness.{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodlife.com/2013/05/01/daytime-emmy-nominations-2013/|title=Daytime Emmy Nominations 2013: Ellen DeGeneres, The View & More|date=1 May 2013|website=Hollywoodlife.com|access-date=19 October 2018}} They received their third Emmy Award nomination in 2014;{{cite web|url=http://cdn.emmyonline.org/day_41st_nominations_v03.8.pdf|title=THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF TELEVISION ARTS & SCIENCES ANNOUNCES The 41st ANNUAL DAYTIME EMMY AWARD NOMINATIONS|website=Cdn.emmyonline.org|access-date=19 October 2018}} and in 2015, they won their second Emmy Award for music editing for Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness.{{cite web|url=http://emmyonline.com/download/42nd_Creative_Arts_winners_9_20_FINAL(2).pdf|title=THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF TELEVISION ARTS & SCIENCES ANNOUNCES WINNERS FOR THE 42nd ANNUAL DAYTIME CREATIVE ARTS : EMMY AWARDS|website=Emmyonline.org|access-date=19 October 2018}} In 2017, Wynn and Zuckerman were nominated for their fifth Emmy Award nomination, for music editing for Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness.{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4047163/awards?ref_=nm_awd|title=Benjamin Wynn Awards|website=imdb.com|access-date=20 July 2019}}

In 2017, it was announced on The Track Team's Facebook page that Wynn and Zuckerman had decided to dissolve their company to pursue their own creative endeavors.{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/thetrackteam|title=The Track Team Facebook Post|website=Facebook.com|access-date=19 July 2019}}

Wynn is a founding member and Creative Director of The Echo Society, a Los Angeles-based composer collective and non-profit organization that premieres new orchestral works in singular, one-night only events throughout Los Angeles.{{cite web |title=The Echo Society Mission |url=http://www.theechosociety.com/our-mission/|website=Theechosociety.com |access-date=2017-04-03}} The Echo Society's shows bring orchestral and electronic music to new audiences through uniquely immersive experiences. The collective consists of composers Joseph Trapanese, Rob Simonsen, Jeremy Zuckerman, Nathan Johnson (musician), Eskmo, and Judson Crane, as well as sound engineer Satoshi Noguchi and visual artist Effixx.{{cite web |title=The Echo Society Bios |url=http://www.theechosociety.com/bios/|website=Theechosociety.com |access-date=2017-04-03}}

In 2023, The Echo Society scored Darren Aronofsky's Postcard from Earth for the Sphere in Las Vegas. {{cite web |title=SPHERE x Darren ARONOFSKY x THE ECHO SOCIETY - ‘POSTCARD FROM EARTH’|url=http://www.theechosociety.com|website=Theechosociety.com |access-date=2024-09-08}} Wynn was a composer and score producer for the film. {{cite web |title=SPHERE x Darren ARONOFSKY x THE ECHO SOCIETY - ‘POSTCARD FROM EARTH’|url=http://www.theechosociety.com|website=Theechosociety.com |access-date=2024-09-08}} The score was orchestrated by Robert Ames and performed by the London Contemporary Orchestra, an 85-piece orchestra and 40-piece choir. {{cite web |title=SPHERE x Darren ARONOFSKY x THE ECHO SOCIETY - ‘POSTCARD FROM EARTH’|url=http://www.theechosociety.com|website=Theechosociety.com |access-date=2024-09-08}} It was recorded by Francesco Donadello at Studio 1 at the world-famous Abbey Road Studios. {{cite web |title=SPHERE x Darren ARONOFSKY x THE ECHO SOCIETY - ‘POSTCARD FROM EARTH’|url=http://www.theechosociety.com|website=Theechosociety.com |access-date=2024-09-08}} The movie premiered at the Sphere in Las Vegas on October 6, 2023. {{cite web |title=SPHERE x Darren ARONOFSKY x THE ECHO SOCIETY - ‘POSTCARD FROM EARTH’|url=http://www.theechosociety.com|website=Theechosociety.com |access-date=2024-09-08}}

Wynn is also an electronic music producer under the name "Deru". He is signed to the label Friends of Friends and has released three albums on Mush Records, Merck Records, and Neo Ouija and many remixes and tracks for compilations for labels like Hometapes, Ghostly International, Hymen Records, 1320 Records, Unseen, and Mille Plateaux.{{cite web |title=Deru |url=http://www.fofmusic.net/artists/deru|website=Fofmusic.net |access-date=2014-05-09}} His album, 1979, was released on June 17, 2014,{{cite web|url=http://www.1979.la/1979|title=Deru|website=1979.la|access-date=19 October 2018}} as a limited-edition sculptural object, featuring nine tracks by Wynn and accompanied by nine short films by video artist Anthony Ciannamea, that are housed in a custom handheld video projector. He released another album, Torn In Two, on October 19, 2018.{{cite web|url=http://www.1979.la/|title=Torn In Two|website=1979.la|access-date=19 July 2019}}

In 2010, Deru and fellow electronic music producer Free the Robots joined the electronic music group The Glitch Mob on their nationwide "Drink the Sea" tour.{{cite web|title=Drink the Sea Tour |url=http://theglitchmob.tumblr.com/post/435171527/drink-the-sea-tour |website=Theglitchmob.tumblr.com|access-date=2012-04-28}}

Deru scored the music and curated the soundtrack for the feature-length film, Outliers, Vol. I: Iceland. The score is based on his field recordings from a trip to Iceland in October 2011.{{cite web|url=http://www.outliersiceland.com/soundtrack|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120825172538/http://www.outliersiceland.com/soundtrack|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 August 2012|title=Outliers, Vol. I: Iceland — Soundtrack|date=25 August 2012|access-date=19 October 2018}} The film premiered in Chicago in July 2012.

He also composed the music for a digital arts installation by Julie Weitz that was entitled Touch Museum and inspired by the phenomenon known as Autonomous sensory meridian response.{{cite web|url=http://lacanvas.com/cutting-the-web-an-art-show-for-the-digital-age/|title=LACANVAS: LA's Cultural Authority: Cutting the Web: An Art Show for the Digital Age|website=Lacanvas.com|access-date=19 October 2018|archive-date=25 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225224150/https://www.lacanvas.com/cutting-the-web-an-art-show-for-the-digital-age/|url-status=dead}}

In 2018, Deru scored the music for the American science fiction web television show, Impulse (TV series).Impulse (TV series) The series is executive produced by Lauren LeFranc, Doug Liman, David Bartis, and Gene Klein.

In 2019, Deru won a Webby award for his score for the Marvel podcast, “Wolverine: The Long Night”.{{cite web|title=Wolverine: The Long Night |url=https://www.webbyawards.com/winners/2019/podcasts-digital-audio/features/best-original-music-sound-design/wolverine-the-long-night/ |website=Webbyawards.com|access-date=2019-07-20}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|http://www.deru.la}}
• {{IMDb name|4047163}}
• {{Discogs artist|Deru}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wynn, Benjamin}}

Category:1979 births

Category:Living people

Category:American male composers

Category:21st-century American composers

Category:Record producers from Illinois

Category:21st-century American male musicians