The Van Allen Belt

The Van Allen Belt is the pop concept of multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer Benjamin Ferris. The project enlivens a style of patchwork storytelling in an experimental electronic environment as fronted by vocalist Tamar Kamin, and engineered by sound designer Scott Taylor. Recordings involve many other musicians, notably including bass guitarist Tom Altes who toured with the project from 2007-2013.

The project started in 2007 with a 20-song debut “Meal Ticket to Purgatory.” This home-recorded, lo-fi album includes vocalists Tamar Kamin & former member Martine Mancini. Steeped in a twisted, awkwardly wry lyrical nostalgia for 1960's girl group pop a la Burt Bacharach/Phil Spector, the album received strong critical and underground approval. An invitation to play with Stereolab and Atlas Sound catalyzed the members to create a live band capable of pulling off a heady concept.

In 2009, the sophomore album “Superpowerfragilis: Or How I Learned To Stop Caring And Love The Drug” was an evolution further into the sphere of pop social commentary, grabbing the complementary attention of Julian Cope at Head Heritage. In support of this record the members embarked on a visual vessel that would cut a new jib to their productivity in media. Two self-produced music videos were released for the songs “Lovely In Akron” and “Out To Lunch” in 2010.

Visual accompaniment would become a permanent addition to the live show as Scott Taylor became the group’s sound designer and engineer. Once they had refined a live concept, they began touring more frequently and between national performances the group continued with home recordings. Fluctuating between psychedelic arias, grandiose cinematic scores, off-kilter jazz and swirling breakbeats, the “Songs” EP (2013) received international reviews from The Wire Magazine. Opportunity surfaced for another full-fledged video production in The Knox Building - at the time, a vacant commercial space in Youngstown, OH - now a thriving hub of activity in the area. This music video for the title track “Songs” premiered on the Decoder Magazine blog.

The 3rd LP "Heaven On A Branch" (2014) is a continuation of patchwork production, using manipulated turntable channels that are chopped up and reconstructed to conform to chord structures of instrumentation. Vocals work as another unique instrument in themselves with a soulful delivery. The quirky bubble-gum pop single “One On The Board” is calculated psychedelic ride with an array of switches in production style. The third video from the album “Afternoon Walk Of Shame” premiered at The Manor Theater in Pittsburgh - December 2016.