Vancouver, B.C. native Ekali has been a northwest favorite for years now. Since his first dive into electronic music in 2014, real name Nathan Shaw has risen in popularity for his meticulously layered tracks and bubbling live sets. Shaw was in the middle of his debut album tour when the pandemic forced an indefinite postponement. But it appears he’s taking advantage of the time surplus to stockpile new music. In a recent Tweet, Ekali confirmed his full-length side project album is due sometime this year.
While it’s not abundantly clear what style his new album will be, fans anticipate a house project. This seems to echo some of his recent live stream sets and prior hints. Towards the end of 2019 Ekali confirmed a house project was underway, but with a “different twist.”
Other new music on the way
That’s not all the producer has up his sleeve. Ekali also promised the eighth installment of his Awakening mix series. Massively popular, fans have been waiting since April 2019 for the next mix. Some were removed from SoundCloud a few months ago due to copyright issues, but it appears they’ve all been re-uploaded to his profile. Although there’s no release date quite yet, Ekali forecasts it’ll be finished up over this weekend. Check out the other seven mixes below.
In addition to the next mix, and a side project album, Ekali also teased a tour set premiere. Interrupted by COVID-19 with a few dates left, the A World Away tour luckily made it to the PNW just in time. If you couldn’t attend or want to relive the magic, keep your eyes out for the official release date for the 90-minute set.
Not only about the music, Ekali also promotes activism
Among promising a massive wealth of music, his advocacy for social justice issues also reaches fans. He’s supporting the Black Lives Matter movement both financially and utilizing his platform to reach fans worldwide. Ekali also released a statement following sexual assault allegations against his former tour support, Graves.
After a few busy weeks of creating and advocating, we can’t wait to hear what Ekali has in store for listeners. With so many projects on the docket it may be difficult choosing which to listen to first. Rest assured, his previous discography dictates whatever comes out will be masterful.
Important things happen in Pacific Northwest nightlife, and DMNW will send you alerts!
