Acclaimed British film director Ben Wheatley, known for works ranging from indie hits like Kill List to the blockbuster Meg 2: The Trench, has been leading a prolific double life. Under the alias Dave Welder, he has secretly released a staggering 26 records in just over a year, exploring genres from ambient and drone to electronica and dub.
From GarageBand Obsession to Prolific Output
Wheatley, based in Brighton and Hove, confessed that music was an art form he long admired but felt he couldn't grasp. This changed a few years ago when he began experimenting with GarageBand. "It's this weird flow state where you sit at the machine and then this tune pops out," he explained. What started as tinkering quickly became an obsession, offering a creative and productive alternative to doomscrolling or gaming. "It's a more productive and creative way of calming down," he noted.
The Dave Welder project, described as a rotating group, is largely his solo endeavour. His output includes the mammoth four-hour album Thunderdrone. For Wheatley, listening to his own creations is a "secret pleasure," a rewarding and indulgent part of the process he continued even while filming his upcoming project, Normal, starring Bob Odenkirk.
Scoring His Own Sci-Fi Experiment: 'Bulk'
This clandestine musical journey has now converged with his filmmaking. Wheatley's latest project is the experimental sci-fi film Bulk, for which he is not only writer and director but also, for the first time, the composer—crediting his Dave Welder alias.
He describes the film's aesthetic as "very cottage industry, very handmade," an ethos that extended to him crafting all the lo-fi special effects models and hand-drawing the credits. The movie, starring Sam Riley, disregards conventional narrative, gliding between film noir and B-movie sci-fi as its character explores a multiverse.
Wheatley joked about the composer-director dynamic: "The arse of being a composer is having to listen to directors but luckily for me, my director is me." The punk-style credit sequence even includes instructions on how to recreate the film and its soundtrack using basic equipment like iPhones, paying homage to influences like The Fall and Aphex Twin.
A DIY Ethos Beyond the Hollywood Machine
This fiercely independent approach with Bulk follows his work on mega-budget films like the $130 million Meg 2. Wheatley insists it's not a negative reaction but part of the same creative drive. "It is a reaction, but not in a negative way," he said, pointing to the varied scale of his projects, which also include the teen zombie drama Generation Z.
The music has also taken on a life of its own beyond the studio. Dave Welder has performed live, including a clandestine gig at London's renowned Cafe Oto. "Music needs to be listened to by people," Wheatley stated, expressing a desire to hear his work on massive speakers. He finds the journey bizarre but gratifying, pondering, "How the fuck did I end up on the road that led me here?"
Looking ahead, Wheatley is intrigued by creating immersive cinema experiences that blend film with live, gig-like elements. "It would be a wicked experience," he mused, while acknowledging the economic uncertainties.
A screening and Q&A tour for Bulk begins in UK cinemas from 15 January. The soundtrack by Dave Welder is available now.
