James Benedict - In Time and Place EP (Lucky Sun Recordings)

Lucky Sun Recordings return with the imprint's fifth release, the In Time and Place EP from Glasgow-based producer James Benedict. On the heels of recent hot releases on Savoir Faire Musique, House Trip Recordings, What Happens, and Delve Deeper Recordings, James brings the heat with these three new original tracks. "In Time and Place" delivers jerky house beats, spliced vox, and James's signature deep chords. "Midnight At Riverside" follows with punchy drums and percussion alongside hypnotic synths and pads. "Rockabeat" is a slightly more psychedelic affair featuring swung, staccato synths, and potent drums and bass adding to a driving feel that just keeps building.

The first remix in the package comes from Alvaro Hylander (DeepWit Recordings) who, in remixing "Rockabeat", contributes a lovely piece of deep house … his chords and bass line are to die for and there's a cheeky broken beat-esque middle section. Next, "Midnight at Riverside" is remixed by Nico Mendez (Underground Sounds / UM Records) who gets a bit 'out there' with shuffling beats, deep chords, and and an atmospheric breakdown. Top notch all around.

Tensnake - "Nice EP."
Colin Dale - "The original of 'Rockabeat' is the stand out for me here … top track!"
Vanilla Ace - "Good warm up cuts."
Johnny Fiasco - "Alvaro Hylander's remix is the one for me."
Leigh Morgan (Urban Torque / Fancy Human) - "Cool vibes on this EP … 'Rockabeat' is the pick here."
Phonogenic (Moodmusic / Turbo) - "'In Time And Place' soothes me …"
Ben Mono (Undertones Gang / Plant Music) - "Dope stuff … will definitely play."
Jaymz Nylon - "The sound quality is amazing … I'll give 'In Time And Place' a try."
Sebastian Davidson (Nightbird Music) - "Great pack!"
Tim Andresen (What Happens / Savoir Faire Musique) - "Well done. 'Midnight At Riverside' and Alvaro Hylander's remix of 'Rockabeat' are my favorites."
Sumsuch (Colour and Pitch / Mega Jawns) - "Nice EP here … a little different from the norm."
Distant People (Foliage / Seamless) - "I really like the bass movement here and the dreamy synths … a hypnotic mood."
Michael Fossati (Spirit of House) - "Groovy and tantalizing."
Mark Mac (The Sounds Collective) - "A very solid release from such an excellent label. All tracks have a great vibe but Alvaro Hylander's remix just takes it to another level and Nico Mendez's touch is also spot on."

Available now from Traxsource, Beatport, and iTunes.

James Benedict - The Fox (Deep House Aficionado)

Australian imprint Deep House Aficionado is back again, but for the first time reaching outside their country's borders for a release by Glasgow producer James Benedict. With plenty of releases under his belt, Benedict has seen success on labels like Spagat Music, Savoir Faire Musique, and Onethirty Recordings. The Fox is a wily EP featuring three original atmospheric and moody cuts. "What Can You Do" is an airy piece with driving hats, peppered by snares and chopped up vocal bits, all evolving like a day dream. The title track follows with a similar vibe, but far more spacey in its minor adjustments of the synth filters which really make things come to life. "See You Drive" expands on these hypnotic flairs of melody, nailing the landing on the groove with its low end and drums. Relax and drink in the sounds of James Benedict, but be careful because this is intoxicating work.

Tom Lown (Savoir Faire / Lost My Dog) - "Ooh, I like this a lot. Real deepness … three tracks of quality."
Shane Johnson (Fish Go Deep) - "Nice electronic vibe and a distinctive sound across the whole EP. 'The Fox' edging it for me."
Tini Tun (We Are Here Records / Fade) - "'See You Drive' is good!"
Lorenzo al Dino (7th District Inc. / Royal Plastic) - "A great package of mixes and house tools … well produced."
Leigh Morgan (Urban Torque Transmissions) - "Yeah, cool stuff. 'The Fox' is really on point."
Alvaro Hylander (DeepWit) - "Powerful tracks! Really enjoying the beats."
Carlo Gambino (Midnight Social Recordings) - "Nice EP from James. 'What Can You Do' is the clear winner for me."
Chris Udoh (Tigerhook) - "'See You Drive' = TUNE! Great stuff here."
Ourra (Pop Out And Play / Alola) - "Yeah! I love 'The Fox' … lovely triplet groove and great sound choice."
Distant People (Foliage / Seamless) - "Lush production, full of nice layers … has a spaced out feel, great for the dark clubs."
Ken Liu (Headset Recordings) - "Dreamy, cerebral cuts. Very nice."
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) - "Nice beats overall. I will give 'See You Drive' a whirl out in the clubs … a solid deep mid-set cut."
DJ Di Costa (MoodyLushious Influences) - "'See You Drive' is a stunner. I'm loving the spacey vibe in this track … truly beautiful."
Corbin Dooley (Electric Feel Radio Show ) - "Lovely and lush deepness."
Tariq Ziyad (New Urban ERA blog) - "Wonderful and enchanting sounds … I love these."
Myxzlplix (Kodawari Recordings / Sunclock) - "Putting forth new melodic arrangements, a new deep house maverick is emerging here. Nice."

Available now from Beatport, Juno Download, and iTunes.