Although U.K. Rising star Ben Sterling is fairly new to the scene, he IS ALREADY catchING the attention of SOME OF house music’s biggest names. One of those names is Hot Creations co-founder Jamie Jones.
To mark his debut on the popular imprint, Sterling dropped his accurately named Energy EP yesterday. Containing three vigorous cuts of acid and tech house, the release garnered early support from notable names like Gorgon City, Camelphat, Claude Vonstroke and more.
Energy Ep
The opening track, “Surrender,” is a fierce single packed with weighty drums, chopped vocal hooks and tumbling bass. The EP’s title track, “The Energy,” features airy vocals and popping percussion over a minimal, but thumping bassline. Rounding out the EP is the single “Apathetic Behavior,” which hits the hardest of the three, making it the perfect go-to for any after party.
Pulling inspiration from multiple experiences, the Energy EP is a dynamic, well-rounded album that will be rinsed by artists for years to come. With only four years under his belt and an impressive resume to boot, Sterling is on track to becoming a house music mainstay. Sterling shared his thoughts on the release and joining Hot Creations
“It’s a very special label that I have been fixated on since my early stages of production. ‘The Energy’ was created after seeing Marie Juffroy’s visual art in DC10 at Paradise. I felt the need to go back home and make an uplifting modular sequence with a minimalistic drop to remember it by. ‘Surrender’ came from listening to my father’s old electro albums, which led me to find the musician Model 500 that I used. ‘Apathetic Behaviour’ was all sound engineering, [and] mixing in different percussion to create a hypnotic, modular piece of music.” – Ben Sterling
Sterling’s rise to fame
Hailing from the U.K., Sterling‘s love for electronic music began at an early age. Inspired by his father’s early disco and electro albums, he became fascinated with the history of Chicago house and Detroit techno. Ultimately, this interest blossomed into a passion for DJing and production.
In 2015, he secured a residency at the iconic Rulin Ministry Of Sound at 18-years-old. It was here that Sterling began to create his unique sound. Playing alongside artists from influential labels like Subliminal and Defected, his career began to take off. The next year, he joined Defected Croatia as Data Transmission‘s special guest.
After Sterling‘s official debut in 2017, House heavyweight Josh Butler caught notice. Butler took the promising youngster under his wing, signing Sterling‘s first three track EP, Besides Me ft. Jacquie Smith, to Origin Rcrds. Joining greats like Kerri Chandler and Huxley, Sterling managed to cement himself as one of the original residents of Butler‘s Origins series.
Last year, Sterling played at the legendary Warehouse Project with renowned artists KiNK, Dennis Cruz and Richy Ahmed. Also notable, he made appearances at staple events including Paradise, Elrow, and Kaluki. With a jam-packed 2019 that includes events with Printworks, Hideout, Snowbombing and more, Sterling shows no signs of slowing down.