Benjamin Quartz Lights the Fire with 'Pyromane'

The following feature is now included in our online magazine which is also available in print.

Issue #4

Benjamin Quartz is back with his latest single, Pyromane, a song that commands attention from the opening notes with its blend of samba beats, Brazilian percussion, and very rich strings. The song dropped on September 26, 2025, and it marks a positive step in Benjamin's musical growth, with a demonstration of his capacity to balance sophisticated instrumentation with lyrical storytelling.

From the first few seconds, Pyromane crafts a rich setting, one of heat, urgency, and closeness mingling together. The drums are alive with the feel of a festival, while the strings introduce an almost motion picture elegance, surrounding Benjamin's voice in a manner that is rough and yet otherworldly. It's a sonic tapestry that evokes visions of a gypsy entertainer near a roaring fire, hot and inescapable but cultured and controlled. The skillful weaving of language and rhythm in the song illustrate Benjamin's aptitude both as storyteller and musician, mediating tale and tone. 

Pyromane, musically, probe the constants of humanity, desire, and longing. Benjamin portrays love not as romance itself, but as something natural, unpredictable, devouring, and intensely beautiful. The understated dance of percussion, clapping, and castanets at the end of the song leaves the listener suspended in that place between fantasy and reality, where the music is the vehicle for feeling. The song structure, although based on the traditional samba beats, is completely modern, so it is perfectly suited to fit any level of intimacy listening, as well as larger playlists of world, inflected pop or indie songs.

Benjamin Quartz' innovation in this case is reminiscent of lush experimentation in the style of Devendra Banhart or Rodrigo Amarante but infused with his own unique French sensibility. There's an eternal quality to his work: you're in a Parisian café at night, in a Brazilian square during sunset, and in a candlelit, intimate setting simultaneously. It's this cross, cultural sensitivity and emotional intelligence that makes Pyromane so fascinating.

For those who listen to rich-textured, world-infused music, Pyromane sits comfortably alongside new music by cutting-edge world, pop acts such as Ibeyi, Aurora, or even more rhythmically adventurous songs by Carla Morrison. Its film and dance suitability would not only go well with sensual or narrative-heavy films but could equally be likened to the soundtracks of Call Me by Your Name or The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

In an oft-too-formula-filled musical landscape, Benjamin Quartz reminds us that passion and grace can be balanced, that poetry and rhythm can collide without sacrificing their finesse. Pyromane is a song; it's a brief, transporting excursion to a world where music writes in a way words cannot. By the time the last castanet fades, you’re left not just with a melody, but with a sense of place, mood, and longing, a testament to Benjamin Quartz’s growing mastery of his craft.

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