Ben Sterling & Stevie Appleton – Around The World

London-born producer and DJ Ben Sterling, based between Ibiza and Miami, releases “Around The World” on Counter Records — the Ninja Tune imprint that also carries nimino, Rules, and LP Giobbi. Featuring British singer-songwriter and platinum-selling topline writer Stevie Appleton, it’s a track that sits squarely in the current melodic house and Afro house crossover space.

Sterling describes the collaboration as a natural fit: “I got to know Stevie primarily by hanging out with him at various parties. When I started researching his work, I was struck by his talent, and I immediately thought he’d be the perfect person to collaborate with on this track.” The song draws on what Sterling calls “melodic, Afro, and deep house sounds that are popular right now” — he’s not pretending otherwise, and the track doesn’t need to. Appleton’s vocal centres on longing and distance, the lyric circling back to absence and the pull of connection. It’s a clean hook over production that gives it room to breathe. The Afro house rhythmic elements sit under the surface rather than dominating, which keeps it from feeling trend-chasing. Not a complicated record, but it does what it sets out to do.