Benjamin Oliver is a composer of, in the main, contemporary instrumental music and has had more than fifty performances of his work by performers including London Sinfonietta, BBC Symphony Orchestra, lutenist Elizabeth Kenny and jazz pianist Ivo Neame. He is interested in creating complex musical structures and textures that draw on influence from a wide range of genres including contemporary classical music, jazz and pop music. His musical ideas often contain loops that reference riff-based music but are combined, or offset by, a fascination with mechanical devices and systematic processes. He is also a conductor and a jazz pianist.