Some DJs ride the wave. Others build the current. Adam Billingham – better known as Fray Bentos (Discoholics Anonymous Recordings, Hot Digits, Katakana, Hot Gorilla Records, Tropical Disco and Alpaca Edits) – has spent decades quietly shaping the contours of funk, soul, and breakbeat culture. A Brighton fixture, a vinyl purist, a selector with an ear for the forgotten groove, Bentos continuously raises the bar in his field.
Beyond the decks, his obsession with sound isn’t just passion—it’s precision. As the mastermind behind Audio Suspension, he crafts high-end audio gear with the same meticulous detail he brings to his sets. Every frequency matters. Every groove has depth.
In a landscape where DJs chase clout and algorithms dictate taste, Fray Bentos is a throwback to something real—a selector who trusts his ear over the charts, the music over the hype. And for those who listen, that makes all the difference.
“So In Love With You” see’s Fray Bentos plunging in the deep and mellow end with a track based on “First True Love Affair” by Jimmy Ross.
Jimmy Ross was no household name. A Guyanese-born, Canada-raised vocalist, he emerged from the raw corners of the disco and funk scenes. By the early ‘80s, disco had been exiled from the charts, but in underground clubs, the groove never died.
In 1981, Ross teamed up with Pettibone & Nicolosi, producers with a taste for polished, bass-heavy funk. Together, they crafted First True Love Affair, a track with an Italo-disco heartbeat and American boogie slickness. The bassline was deep, the synths shimmered, and Ross’ vocals floated effortlessly above it all.
It had the makings of a classic, but it never fully broke through. The industry was shifting, and Ross remained a cult figure. Yet the song refused to disappear, becoming a DJ staple—Larry Levan, Frankie Knuckles, and the disco revivalists all understood its brilliance. By the late ‘80s, as house music took hold, First True Love Affair had quietly cemented itself as a foundation stone.
Ross never saw superstardom, but for those who know, he’s eternal. First True Love Affair wasn’t just a song – it was a groove, a whisper through time.
And some whispers never fade.
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