Revisiting the base rules of Progressive House with “Ghost Of You” by Riley James & Ben Potts
Revisiting the base rules of Progressive House with “Ghost Of You” by Riley James & Ben Potts
87%Overall Score
• Explosive lead, bassline, vocals
• Capable of adding a dynamism spin!
• Vibrant conditions in the buildup
And we are back with some classic Progressive House, finally! Many of our readers are devoted to the genre, and we were looking for a gem to review… if you are acquainted with Intensity Recordings, you know that they always pack a surprise which is interesting to write about!
“Ghost Of You” is a new release involving Riley James and Ben Potts: This Swede-American combo has a lot to tell, young but carrying several years of experience in the field with even a couple of releases on Revealed Radar.
There’s a superb vocal in the breakdown, impassioned and opulent in both lyrics and overall ambiance, but the lead is simply spectacular. I often come across mundane and generic Progressive House leads, unable to generate those dynamics necessary in the drop and leaving the bass to the dirty work; “Ghost of You”, however, lets the lead synths do the talking and hold dominance. Not only that, there’s the propulsive bassline! The drop hits you with a Jay Hardway-type sound, although there is something unique in these notes and the way the pitch squeaks here and there, in a very lively outcome. And the bassline? Aggressive when needed, capable of building excitement in the escalation phase: very well balanced. I just didn’t prefer the vocal presence during the final seconds, being forced in the backdrop didn’t end in a clean result. Apart from this minor detail, my experience was greatly positive, to say the least.
“Ghost Of You” is impressive against “generic Progressive”, showing that even without straying from the base rules, the creative design one can make the impossible, possible. Let’s give the deserved highlight to Riley James and Ben Potts!
