Stephen James Bennett
Stephen (James) Bennett (known as Stephen Bennett) is an English musician, writer and film maker born in Skelmersdale, Lancashire. He plays various keyboards, drums and the guitar. He first came to public attention in the band LaHost in the 1980s as part of the New wave of progressive rock who had headlined at the Marquee Club in London. Since the Lahost split, Bennett has pursued music careers with his own band The Fire Thieves, and worked with Tim Bowness and the band Henry Fool. He also sang and played keyboards on two of The Opium Cartel albums . He plays keyboards in No-Man with Steven Wilson and Tim Bowness. His 2014 collaboration with Tim Bowness, "Abandoned Dancehall Dreams" reached number 18 in the UK Rock Chart. A co-composed track from the album, "Smiler at 50", was nominated for a "Prog" magazine award in 2014. Another collaboration with Tim Bowness, "Stupid things that mean the world" reached number 10 in the "UK Rock Chart." Bennett co-composed the majority of the songs on Tim Bowness' 2017 album, "Lost in the Ghost light" as well as playing keyboards, guitar, editing, recording and preparing material for mixing by Steven  Wilson. The album and its companion EP , "Songs from the Ghost Light" both charted in the UK in 2017. "Lost In The Ghost Light" reached No.5 in the official UK Rock chart, No.8 in the official UK progressive chart and won "Album Cover of the Year" at the 2017 Progressive Music Awards. In 2018, Bennett played on the new album by Twelfth Night's Clive Mitten, The Age of Insanity and is singer/guitarist/keyboard player and composer (with Ketil Vestrum Einarsen) in the band Galasphere 347. Their eponymous debut was released on Karisma records in July 2018. Bennett has  also collaborated with Lady Sara Rönneke, David Torn, Hugh Hopper and David Picking. He has made music videos for Tim Bowness and Peter Chilvers and No-Man and has completed one narrative short film, "The Perfect Number". He has written about Apple's Logic Pro Digital Audio Workstation software for "Sound on Sound", amongst others, as well as several books on music technology for PC-Publishing. He writes for Audiomedia, Tape-op, Pro sound news and Electronic sound magazines.