The musical partnership between Ben Westbeech and Kon has been behind a number of the most meaningful dance releases of the last eighteen months. Striking the balance between classic and contemporary in a way few are able, the duo now present their eponymous debut album, The Vision. Their dedication to creating honest, meaningful records shines through more than ever on this LP, its impeccable craftsmanship demonstrated through a meandering mix of soul, disco, house and funk across 14 tracks. A magnet for A-List collaborators, Roy Ayers, Honey Dijon, Andreya Triana, Dames Brown and Nikki-O all feature on The Vision’s album debut.
Since the first teaser of The Vision’s music, a white label 12” circulated to in-the-know DJs, the pair have continued to make waves with their genre-bending, multi-instrumental and ultra-modern sound. Stand-out singles ‘Heaven’ and ‘Mountains’, both featuring long-time collaborator Andreya Triana, showcased their ethos of producing completely original music, from the song-writing, to the recording of live instrumentals and meticulous production. Garnering support from tastemakers like Gilles Peterson, Gerd Janson, Annie Mac, Mary Anne Hobbs and Joe Claussell to name just a few, The Vision’s music and its return to traditional music-making practices has attracted champions of the highest order.
“We are all about music with longevity and artists with vision. Ben Westbeech is a maverick vocalist and songwriter. Kon is a purveyor of fine grooves. The album took three years to produce and is inspired by the great dance music components, soul, funk, jazz, disco and house. A proud new chapter in Defected’s own journey.” – Simon Dunmore
With their distinctive sound formed by the song-writing and studio process, The Vision have translated this into their live act, where live vocals and impeccable DJ selection bring their joyous productions to life. Debuting at Defected’s Croatia festival in summer 2019, with an intimate showcase at Colours Hoxton and a Printworks London show following, bookings at prestigious festivals and venues were quick to roll in, including Lente Kabinet, Lovebox and Parklife.
Now this LP allows the pair to showcase their broad range of influences and musical disciplines, the result is a listener’s album in every sense, designed to be played in full, with dream-like interludes that guide its narrative. From dancefloor-friendly cuts like the disco-tinged ‘Down’ and funk-laden ‘Satisfy’, to the soul-searching ‘Wasting’ and ‘Believe’, along with heartfelt odes ‘Home’ and ‘Missing’, The Vision leave no stone unturned with the LP.
“[The album] is going back to what I think is really important in music, which is real musicians. The energy and flow of that goes deeper in a lot of ways than electronic, sort of physical music. It’s nice to see that coming back and being able to move dancefloors in that way again.” – Ben Westbeech
“I feel in my heart we can look back on this record in its totality in a decade and still feel like there’s nothing clichéd in these records … We wanted to just do stuff that came from all of our influences up until this point in our lives.” – Kon
The culmination of five years’ work, The Vision are making their mark on the musical landscape with a non-conformist body of work that demonstrates their refusal to be pigeonholed. Via London, Boston, Ibiza and beyond, this is an album destined to break new ground, with all the makings of a future classic. The Vision is here.
The Vision is available to download & stream HERE. Get the double 12" HERE.
Alongside the album get the merch bundle, exclusive to the DStore, including bespoke The Vision Rizlas and incense sticks HERE.
Digital tracklist:
1. Remember - featuring Nikki-O & Andreya Triana
2. Mountains - featuring Andreya Triana
3. Down - featuring Dames Brown
4. Missing - featuring Andreya Triana & Ben Westbeech
5. Time
6. Wasting - featuring Ben Westbeech & Roy Ayers
7. Believe - featuring Ben Westbeech
8. Façade
9. Paradise - featuring Ben Westbeech
10. Nebulous
11. Satisfy - featuring Ben Westbeech, Honey Dijon & Andreya Triana
12. Heaven - featuring Andreya Triana
13. Tenacious
14. Home - featuring Andreya Triana
