Ekali – A World Away [Album]

Canadian producer Ekali (Nathan Shaw) got his start in the scene back in 2014, and managed to capture the hearts and attention of many people worldwide. It wasn’t until 2016 when his performances truly gained him the amount of followers he has now (with that number rising every day as more people begin to discover him) and now he gets to perform in every corner of the world to his adoring fans, and deservingly so. He’s released a big catalogue of singles and EPs, but not an album yet all of that has just changed.

‘A World Away’ is the title of his debut studio album, and it truly is worlds away from his humble beginnings. Showing how much he has grown not only as an artist but also as a person, he had a clear vision and set out to achieve it. Not making tracks for DJs to play out at their shows, he’s taken a melodic and deeply personal approach to it and it couldn’t be more suitable for his first album.

The 12-track album features some of his closest artist friends for collaborations, with the likes of Elohim, Nitti Gritti, Kiiara and Illenium (their collaboration ‘Hard To Say Goodbye‘ was previously released as a single) joining the tracklist. Each artist brings in their unique take on electronic sounds, but it’s Ekali’s sounds that are at the forefront and showcased perfectly.

‘A World Away’ opens up with the melodic and emotional ‘Fairy Tale’ with Elohim and it couldn’t be a better introduction to the world that this album is setting up. Mystical and enchanting, the vocals matched with the synths draw the listener in straight away and from the first second, they’re completely hooked. There’s plenty of tracks that combine euphoria with soulful vocals, so if that’s your kind of thing then this album is for you. Of course, Ekali being the artist he is, he couldn’t resist adding in a hint of pure energetic, punching beats in the form of ‘Power’ with Nitti Gritti and ‘Runaway’ with Reo Cragun (who you may know from Flume’s ‘Quits’ and ‘Friends’).

Overall, Ekali has hit the nail on the head with ‘A World Away’ and it is the perfect encapsulation of who he is as an artist. Listen to the album in full below and grab tickets to his new tour here.