Crackazat

Originally from Bristol, England and now based in Uppsala, Sweden, Ben Jacobs, aka Crackazat, is a vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, producer, DJ and live performer recognised for his distinctive fusion of jazz, house, soul, funk and electronic music.
A true musician’s producer, Crackazat has built a dedicated global following through a sound that is rich, soulful, rhythmically sharp and unmistakably his own. His music sits in a rare space between club culture and deep musicianship, carrying the warmth and groove of live instrumentation with the precision and energy of underground dance music.
His musical foundations began early, growing up tap dancing to swing music before later learning bass guitar and studying jazz performance and theory at university. That unique combination of movement, rhythm and musicianship remains central to the Crackazat sound: music with real swing, real harmony and real human feeling.
As a producer, Crackazat first emerged through the electronic beat scene, drawing early inspiration from hip-hop, jazz sampling and UK artists such as Mr Scruff and Jehst, alongside the wider leftfield world of Flying Lotus and Dorian Concept. After a run of early downtempo releases, his 2012 Tunnel EP on Futureboogie marked his move into house music and set the tone for what has become a decade-plus career at the deeper, more musical end of the dancefloor.
Since then, Crackazat has released across some of the most respected labels in underground and soulful electronic music, including Local Talk, Z Records, Heist Recordings and Freerange Records. His long-running relationship with Local Talk produced two albums and seven EPs, while his work with Dave Lee’s Z Records led to the much-loved Period Works series. His Japanese vinyl favourite Coffee Time became a cult classic, while Alpha on Heist Recordings has become one of the label’s standout tracks in its catalogue, reaching global playlists and introducing Crackazat’s sound to a wider audience.
Crackazat’s catalogue continues to grow with depth, ambition and consistency. His 2022 album Evergreen on Freerange Records marked a major artistic step forward, blending underground electronic production with indie soul, jazz and his own vocals. His forthcoming fourth artist album, SUN, released on Freerange Records in May 2026, expands that vision even further, bringing together jazz, house, hip-hop, soul and funk into his most expansive body of work to date.
Full of light, craft and collaborative energy, SUN moves effortlessly between intricate musicianship, lush vocal features and dancefloor-rooted rhythm. It is a vibrant, genre-spanning record that feels fresh, uplifting and unmistakably Crackazat: warm, musical, deeply crafted and rich with personality.
As a performer, Crackazat exists across two complementary worlds.
Behind the decks, he delivers the same musical intelligence that defines his productions. His DJ sets are warm, high-energy and deeply musical, combining his own records with a wider world of deep house, soul-led grooves and dancefloor-focused selections. Built for clubs, festivals and dancefloors that value proper music, deep groove and timeless energy, Crackazat DJ sets connect serious heads with open-hearted dancers.
With Crackazat: The Live Band, Ben opens that world out even further. Built around the electronic jazz-funk of SUN, this brand new for 2026, live project brings additional musicians and instrumentation to the stage, expanding his recorded sound into a rich, dynamic performance featuring drums, keys, bass, sax, trumpet, vocals and more. It is the sound of Crackazat fully alive: deeper, warmer, more physical and more expansive.
The live show reimagines selected Crackazat material alongside wider soul, funk and pop influences from across the ages, creating a performance designed for real music lovers: fans of jazz, soul, funk, broken beat, house and everything in between. Think deep musicianship without stiffness, dance music without formula, and a live band format that brings warmth, movement and joy into the room.