Ten City first broke through with their “Foundation” album in the late Eighties, a landmark album that helped shape the sound of soulful house. With Byron Stingily’s soaring falsetto, Byron Burke’s production finesse, and Herb Lawson’s musicianship, the trio delivered era-defining tracks like “Devotion,” “Right Back to You,” and the huge anthem, “That’s The Way Love Is”, creating a portfolio of grooves that still resonate across dance floors worldwide today.
Now, more than three decades on, Byron Stingily returns to the Ten City moniker with a new generation in tow. Teaming up with acclaimed Chicago producer Emmaculate and Nervous Records to present “The Next Generation” album, a 13-track collection of beautifully penned songs that captures the emotional core of classic house while pushing the genre into bold, contemporary spaces way beyond the traditional Ten City classic sound.
This isn’t a nostalgia trip. It’s a forward-focused body of work that honours Ten City’s legacy while inviting in a new cast of collaborators. Alongside Emmaculate’s slick, sophisticated production and Byron’s unmistakable signature tones, the album features standout vocal performances from Mon’Aerie, El Boogie & Ric Wilson, DRAMA, D. Lylez, OVEOUS and Uneq’ka, who each bringing a distinct energy to the table. Behind the scenes, additional production comes from Shebazz Curtis, DJ Flipside, Na’el Shehade, Gershon Jackson and Paris Cesvette, adding depth and variety to the sonic palette.
Mon’Aerie brings soulful energy to “Unique” and “Live My Life.” D. Lylez shines on the Afro House vibed “Stop & Go.” Acclaimed duo DRAMA teams up with Byron on the vibey “My Paradise.” House music staple OVEOUS delivers a powerful performance on “Feel Good.” El Boogie joins Byron along with Ric Wilson who injects high energy and hip-hop flavor on “Hands to the Sky”. Uneq’ka delivers the emotional “Release”. And then Mr Ten City himself, Byron Stingily, sounding as great as ever, delivers a platter of superb songs including “House Again”, “Love Music”, “No Sleep Tonight” “You’re A Star” and a fab cover of Eddie Kendricks’ classic, “Man Like Me”.
“The Next Generation’” is a masterclass in soulful, emotionally-charged house music topped with great voices, built on heritage, driven by heart, and executed with precision and passion. Or as Stingily puts it, “Staying TRUE while incorporating the NEW.” This is Ten City in 2025: evolved, re-energised and still unmistakably Chicago.
Ten City ‘The Next Generation’ is out now on vinyl and digitally released on all platforms on September 19th 2025 on Nervous Records.