Eric Benét - Lost in Time

Released on November 26, 2010 by Reprise Records, Lost in Time is Eric Benét's fifth studio album. This 51-minute, 32-second project, divided into eleven tracks, favors a 1970s soul aesthetic while demanding radical authenticity in the recording process.

Beginning of the album: a hymn to life and soul roots

The album begins with Never Want to Live Without You, a track that immediately sets the tone for this return to the roots. This opening serves as a gateway to a hymn to life, where emotion takes precedence over technique. The sound architecture is designed to resonate together rather than following a timeline perfected through editing.

Lost in Time: A hymn to the soul roots of the 1970s

At the heart of the project, the tribute to the origins is realized through a production orchestrated by Benét, George Nash Jr., and Demonté Posey. This team, including the return of the artist's cousin as a creative partner, carefully selected elements of 1970s soul music to anchor the album in a classic tradition. The approach involves assembling the musicians live, including the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, so that everyone can resonate together rather than following a timeline perfected through editing. This approach authenticates the sound and ensures that each track is built with live musicians, thus respecting the blueprint of the era in question.

Strategic featurings: Faith Evans and Chrisette Michele

The album is enriched by a collective structure where the voices come together to form a solid vocal tribe. On Feel Good, Faith Evans is featured on this specific track; her presence serves as an invocation of a R&B legend to emphasize the classic and soul dimensions of the album. This collaboration anchors the record in a tradition where the female voice takes back its historical place. The energy then renews on Take It with Chrisette Michele, whose contribution brings power and soul vocal texture to the composition. These featurings are not mere additions but strategic choices that give substance to the themes addressed.

Something's Wrong: Vulnerability at the End of the Journey

The intimate culmination of the album is marked by the closing track Something's Wrong, which concludes the album on a note of assumed vulnerability. Kevin Sucher engineered and mixed the album. Benét personally invested in the production with Demonté Posey and George Nash Jr., his cousin and long-time creative partner, to embody this classic aesthetic. The promotion continued with a support tour covering November and December 2010. His personal life was also marked by his marriage to Halle Berry between 2001 and 2005, followed by his union with Manuela Testolini in 2011, resulting in the birth of their children Lucia Bella and Amoura Luna. The artist also used his platform to advocate for R&B as an authentic expression of African-American culture, opposing rappers who would support supremacist figures. This stance testifies to the civic and cultural commitment he brings to his work, beyond the mere pursuit of a vintage aesthetic. The recording sessions saw Eric Benét return to his hometown of Milwaukee to collaborate with local musicians and include the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, marking a return to geographical roots in addition to the chronological homage. Benét's personal history also permeates the album's universe: his daughter India Benet participates in the track Summer Love, and his wife, Manuela Testolini, is one of the mothers of his children Lucia Bella and Amoura Luna during their union in 2011. With Love & Life (2008) as a direct predecessor and The Other One, Pt. 1 (2014) as a sequel, this 2010 album marks a stage where the artist prioritizes the authenticity of live recordings over digital enhancements. It is an album that functions as a manifesto of assumed responsibility towards the soul music of the 70s, where every collaboration, from Faith Evans to Ledisi and her daughter India Benet, serves to reinforce the message rather than decorate the sound.

Technical details

- Release date : November 26, 2010 - Label : Reprise Records - Tracks : 11 (51 min 32 s) - Opening / closing : Never Want to Live Without You / Something's Wrong - Guests : Faith Evans, Eddie Levert, Chrisette Michele, India Benet, Ledisi - Previous album : Love & Life (2008)