Hayden James’ debut album has been a long time coming. Since his 2013 self-titled debut EP, the Sydney-based producer, who excels at mid-tempo house grooves and tropical synth, has been a staple of Australian music, from festivals and radio to many collaborations—including a co-writing credit on Katy Perry’s Witness. All that’s to say that James has made a lot of friends along the way, and they all show up to celebrate on Between Us, one of the best Australian electronic albums of 2019. The throbbing earworm that is the Boy Matthews collaboration “Just Friends” may have been released over a year earlier, but here, preceded by the disco bounce of “Nowhere to Go” and featuring Naations, it takes on a whole new, reinvigorated feel. Elsewhere, James shows off his tender side, which is every bit as evocative and rich; “Between Us”, featuring local stalwart Panama, is dreamy and more ambient, while the GRAACE collaboration “NUMB” is gentle, utterly enveloping electro-pop.