Future bass phenom Ekali’s rise to prominence in the bass community has been quite the journey over the last few years. Since his humble beginnings in 2014, the Canadian DJ/producer has grown a loyal fan base and has remixed and worked with the likes of Flux Pavilion, Flume, and even Drake. His brand new debut album A World Away was finally released today, with its own star-studded guest list. But no doubt, the true star is still Ekali.
The album is a moody, meditative showing that solidifies his status as one of the genre’s fastest-rising stars. Kicking things off is the Elohim-assisted “Fairy Tale,” twinkling to life before an epic build up and booming drop set the tone for the rest of the album. He follows this up with a powerful hip hop-infused banger “Runaway” featuring a memorable vocal performance from Reo Cragun. Other standouts include the gorgeous “Drown” with Au/Ra, the upbeat instrumental “Cage” with mossy., and hard-hitter “Power” with Nitti Gritti, a surprisingly refreshing moment of heaviness among the mostly lighter and airy future bass sounds.
Even in its slower moments, Ekali finds a way to draw us in with his production work, like the pretty string moments on “Faithless” and the stuttering bass of “Flow Through Me.” There aren’t many forgettable moments on this album. Even where the low points hit, there’s at least an air of catchiness that makes it hard to truly hate anything here.
Overall, this is a brilliant first showing from Ekali, a producer who will no doubt continue to hone his skill even further in the coming years. If this album is any indication, Ekali can only go up from here.
