Bio

Benco (Benko/Ahmed Cari)
Techno&house DJ icon from Slovakia is present in the music scene since 1994. Member of prestigious booking agency Standa, producer of cult radio show Clublab, interpreter and innovator of intelligent electronic music. Today he is considered a legend within techno and tech-house DJs in Slovakia. His uncompromisingly precise style of mixing and picking of tracks together with a remarkable sense for music helped him to get recognizable and popular among many fans of electronic club music not only in Slovakia but also abroad. He is mostly known because of his outstanding, sophisticated and various DJ sets.

Past
Benco started to play actively in 1994 at various parties (rave, trance, acid, and techno). He was one of a few Slovakian DJs who had to struggle with bitter beginnings, started from the bottom and went through an evolution of the whole Slovak electronic music scene. He established first electronic music parties in some cities (Trnava, Nitra). Getting included in one of the first professional booking agencies in Slovakia – Subtech (today Standa) in 1998 was probably the most helpful step in his career way. He plays under Standa until today. Meanwhile, he was also working at the record store Mekka and later at Records that guaranteed him a regular supply of fresh electronic music. In 1997 Benco became a resident DJ at U.Club – iconic and worldwide respected club in Bratislava. Except many clubs and festivals throughout Slovakia (Boomerang, Doubledecker, Paradog, Pohoda, Bee Free, Globe Clubbing, La Mara Beat) and Czech (Orion Hall, Citadela, Apokalypsa, Mácháč, Hradhouse) he also presented himself a few times in Austria, Hungary, Great Britain, France, Spain, Russia, Germany, Thailand and as first Slovak DJ even in Cambodia, Nepal, and Iceland.

Support
The list of artist Benco has played with (often more than once) is really long and interesting. It is worth to mention at least a few of them: Hardfloor, Swayzak, John Tejada, Funk D’Void, Terry Lee Brown Junior, Akufen, Roman Flügel, D. Diggler, Jackmate, Samuel L. Session, Sasse, Andy Vaz, DJ T, Wighnomy Brothers, Swag, Stephan Grieder, Jaydee, Green Velvet, Paul Van Dyk, Scan X, Corvin Dalek, Misjah, Exos, Mike Shannon, Jeff Milligan, Jacek Sienkiewicz, Stewart Walker, Daniel Bell, Alex Under, Noze, SLG, Todd Bodine, Ben Long, Bandulu, Space DJs, Hardcell, Echoplex, Glen Wilson, Chris Liebing, Pacou, Regis, British Murder Boys, Makaton, James Ruskin, Function, The 65D Mavericks, Steve Bicknell, Dean Cole, Grovskopa, Christian Wünsch, Adam Beyer, Damon Wild, Oliver Ho, Inigo Kennedy, Takaaki Itoh, Glen Wilson, Luke Slater, Gayle San, Brenda Russel, Colin Dale, Claude Young, Heiko Laux, Jay Denham, Richie Hawtin, Slam, Marco Carola, Darren Emerson, Sleeparchive, Joseph Capriati, Olivier Giacomotto, Dejan Milicevic, Marco Nastic, Clara Moto, Andrey Pushkarev, Gus Gus, Bas Mooy, UVB, Marshall Jefferson, Tonka, Snilloc, Daniel Miller, Daniel Meister, Rodhad, Anton Kubikov, Par Grindvik, Phase Fatale, Mihai Popoviciu, Endlec, Tommy Four Seven.


Music production and projects
As Ahmed Cari (Benco’s alter ego) he contributed to CD compilation Booomerang with his first techno track in 1998. In 2003 he compiled both parts of 2CD Bee Free – Five Elements, mixed it’s house part and added another techno track to this CD mix. In 2006 he started cooperation with the duo DJT Project and produced several great bootleg remixes in 80’s retro funk style. Specifically, a remix for Lipps Inc. named Funky Boca Town included on LP East Transponder was distributed as promo CD at exclusive Miami Winter Music Conference in the USA in 2007. A year later it was even played in Japan. In 2012 this remix was released again in the mixed compilation of Wave Bee Free 2012 magazine. In 2013 Benco started to work with DJ JTBIG aka DJ Tlama and Biomin H project again and continues in the production of new tracks and remixes. Their first remix for Submantra occurred exclusively in the mixed compilation of Wave - The Best Of Slovak Sound 2013 before it was officially released. So far their very last mutual product is track Ace of Base which had an official premiere in Radio_FM in July 2015. He started co-producing music with Sensoreal in 2016.

Releases
Ahmed Cari – Cikanica (Booomerang vol. 1, Storm Records, 1998)
Ahmed Cari – Fujavica (Bee Free – Five Elements, Storm Records, 2003)
DJT Project feat. Benco – Theme From Major Zeman (Benco & Tlama Remix) - (unreleased, 2006)
DJT Project feat. Benco – Funky Boca Town (Version 1) - (unreleased, 2006)
DJT Project feat. Benco – Funky Boca Town (Version 2) - (East Transponder LP, Fresh Sound, 2006 / Wave Bee Free, 2012)
DJT Project feat. Benco – Do You Wanna Chunk (unreleased, 2009)
Submantra – 2:45 AM (Biomin H & Benco Remix) - (Wave - The Best Of Slovak Sound, 2013 / Grooveland vol. VI – Seta Label, 2016 / Best Of All Time - Seta Label, 2016 / Best Of Seta 2016, Seta Label 2017)
Biomin H & Benco – Ace Of Base (Wave Bee Free, 2015 / Desperadoz Records, 2015)
Biomin H & Benco – Funk EP (Desperadoz Records, 2017)
Sensoreal & Benco - Deep Mood (Seta Label, 2017)
DP-6 – Magma (Sensoreal & Benco Remix) (Seta Label, 2017)
Sensoreal & Benco – EDA (Seta Label, 2017)
Biomin H & Benco – Away From Home (Seta Label, 2018)
Sensoreal & Benco - Kaftan (Seta Label, 2018)
Fabri, Dean Cardenas - Travel In Time (Sensoreal & Benco Arctic Refix) (Seta Label, 2019)
Anton Kubikov & Seta Bros. - Silver Morning EP (Seta Label SETV001, 2019)
Benco & Todabara - Softtone (DJ Camp, 2019)

Mixed CD compilations
Bee Free – Five Elements (Storm Records, 2003)
Best Of All Time – Seta Label’s 8th Anniversary Edition (Seta Label 150, 2016)

DJ projects
BeneLux (Benco&Svetlux) – Techno (2001 - 2004)
BenePop (Benco&Poprednny) – Hauz (2005 – 2008)
BeTlam (Benco&Tlama) – Tech-House (2007 – 2010)
StereoMono (Benco&Monoide) – Deep House, Tech-House (2015-2016)

Resident clubs
Open House - Bratislava, SK (1996)
Archa - Trnava, SK (1997)
Podium – Nitra , SK (1999)
Sector - Brno, CZ (2000)
Budha Bar – Bratislava, SK (2001 - 2002)
Eden - Bratislava, SK (2001 – 2002)
U.Club - Bratislava, SK (1997 – 2003)
Reset – Partizánske, SK (2004)
Spojka – Bratislava, SK (2005)
Subclub – Bratislava, SK (2006 - 2019)
Nassau – Bratislava, SK (2007)
kiloWatt - Trnava, SK (20011 – 2012)
Nu Spirit Bar - Bratislava, SK (2015-2018)
Sun Deck – Bratislava, SK (2016-2018)
Radost - Bratislava, SK (2017-2018)

Radio shows
He has been preparing, streaming and moderating Housemix session in Trnava’s Radio Forte for three years and his DJ sets became unforgettable. Even more famous became his sets and track selection in legendary Clublab radio show, which are being listened until today. Benco was the founder, co-creator, dramaturge and technician of this show that mapped and spread electronic music probably the most in Slovakia and also helped it to develop by this way. Many DJs and producers were influenced by this show and considered it the highest standard on the scene.

House Mix - Radio Forte, Trnava (1996 - 1998)
Benco&Galager - Radio Ragtime/Radio B1, Bratislava (1999)
Clublab - Radio Ragtime, Bratislava (1999)
Clublab - Fun Radio, Bratislava (2000 - 2001)
Clublab - Radio SiTy, Bratislava (2005)

Awards
Czech Dance Music Awards – „1st place for best radio show Clublab in 2000“
Bajkonur.sk - „2nd place: DJ of the year 2000“

Present
Nowadays Benco plays deep house, tech-house and also intelligent techno. You can see him regularly at various parties mostly in the capital city Bratislava.
He worked for honored Slovak Seta Label as an ambassador from 2016 to 2018.

More info
https://www.youtube.com/user/DJBencoPeter
https://www.beatport.com/artist/benco/536680
https://www.residentadvisor.net/dj/benco
https://www.mixcloud.com/Benco/
https://www.facebook.com/DJBencofanpage
https://www.instagram.com/dj_benco/
https://soundcloud.com/benco-ahmed-cari
https://soundcloud.com/dj-benco