Amirali

For debut album In Time, Iranian-Canadian producer Amirali draws on influences as diverse as synth-pop, house, downtempo and ambient. Take the first three tracks as an example: "The Harmonious Song" evokes Radiohead, whereas "Missing" sounds more like a Leila production and "Just An Illusion" has more in common with the work of Dial ex-pat Pantha Du Prince, with an added touch of Dave Gahan. Amirali's low-key vocal style and keyboard playing have as much indie influence behind them as dance, fitting in fairly comfortably with the later work of Germany's Apparat. There are also strong echoes of the experimental, ambient textures of Brian Eno and David Bryrne, especially on "Painting On A Canvas," which is also layered with some surprising Iberian tonalities. In Time is an accomplished and accessible record that despite incorporating multiple styles of electronic music, from Depeche Mode to Ricardo Villalobos, doesn't let its eclecticism overpower the songs, making sure that all 13 tracks have the common thread of sounding like Amirali. In fact, the album follows a slow and confident arc, gradually ramping up the BPMs as it progresses, making for a coherent and satisfying listen.

Read an interview with Amirali here.