Benjamin Curtis (musician)
A gifted guitarist who wove shimmering, atmospheric soundscapes for Secret Machines and the dream-pop duo School of Seven Bells.
1978–2013 (age 35)·American guitarist·Birthday: September 23·Generation X
Biography
Benjamin Curtis began his musical journey in the sun-bleached noise of Texas as the drummer for the alt-rock band Tripping Daisy. But it was after moving to New York City that he found his true voice as a guitarist and sonic architect. With his brother Brandon, he formed Secret Machines, trading the drum stool for a guitar to help craft the band's expansive, motorik-influenced rock. Their debut album, 'Now Here Is Nowhere', was a critical smash, defined by Curtis's textured, driving guitar work. His most personal project, however, was School of Seven Bells, a dream-pop collaboration with twin sisters Alejandra and Claudia Deheza. Here, his playing became ethereal and precise, weaving electronic and guitar lines into lush, hypnotic tapestries on albums like 'Alpinisms'. Curtis's career, though cut short, was marked by a constant evolution from rock percussionist to a master of atmospheric guitar, leaving a distinct imprint on the indie landscape of the 2000s.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Benjamin was born in 1978, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Benjamin Was Born
The biggest hits of 1978
#1 Movie
Grease
Best Picture
The Deer Hunter
#1 TV Show
Laverne & Shirley
Benjamin's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1978Born
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1983Started school
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1991Became a teenager
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1994Could drive
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
1996Could vote
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1999Turned 21
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2008Turned 30
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2013Died at 35
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
Key Achievements
- Co-founded and played guitar for the critically acclaimed rock band Secret Machines, releasing the landmark album 'Now Here Is Nowhere' in 2004.
- Formed the influential dream-pop band School of Seven Bells with the Deheza twins, releasing several celebrated albums.
- His guitar work with Secret Machines was noted for its powerful, repetitive rhythms and textured sonic layers.
- Initially began his career as the drummer for the Dallas-based alternative band Tripping Daisy.
Did You Know?
He and his brother Brandon originally moved to New York to form a band with their friend Josh Garza, which became Secret Machines.
The name School of Seven Bells was taken from a mythical South American pickpocket training school.
He was diagnosed with lymphoma in 2013 and passed away later that year.
“Let the guitar sound like a city dissolving into the sky.”
