Amirali - Melancholia EP (CRM109)

Last year Amirali burst onto the scene with the style defining debut album ‘In Time’, and several stand out singles for the label that discovered him, Crosstown Rebels. Fast-forward to 2013 and the producer/musician/singer is evolving his sound with killer craftsmanship. Next release ‘Melancholia’ aims straight for the heart of the dancefloor with a pair of moving remixes from club weapon veteran Deetron.

 The original mix of ‘Melancholia’ is pulsing with an epic, cosmic force, where an intoxicating combination of shuddering bass and moody, spooky disco grooves meets starry-eyed vocals and haunting minor keys. Providing further proof of Amirali’s on-point and immaculate production, ‘Melancholia’ is also full of soul, emotion and dark elegance.

Deetron takes the reigns on the B-side, lending his distinctive warm and emotive style to his ‘Main Mix’. Propelled forward with rising synths and a mounting tension, the Swiss wizard allows Amirali’s refrain to take centre stage underpinning the melody with an intricate percussive groove that leads to a vocal breakdown and style-shifting bassline drop. Deetron also delivers a techno twist on the ‘Club Instrumental Mix’.

Israeli born and Toronto raised, Amirali is now firmly based in London where his musical career was set in motion towards full on superstardom. Already winning over legions of fans with his blend of gothic vocals and moody emotive house, massive tracks from the album including ‘My Way’,‘Beautiful World’ and ‘Just An Illusion’ were signs that a genuine, forward-thinking musical talent had arrived. Now incredibly in-demand as a DJ on the global circuit with a South American tour behind him this year already and a North American tour about to begin, somehow Amirali has found time to begin creating a second album and cultivate a bona-fide band featuring live drums, guitar, saxophone and the man himself on keys and vocals. An exciting 2013 lies ahead…

Released by: Crosstown Rebels 
Release/catalogue number: CRM109 
Release date: Apr 1, 2013 


LINK TO THE TRACKS

Amirali - Just An Illusion (CRM097)

Having just released Amirali’s slick, diverse and immaculately produced debut album ‘In Time’, Crosstown Rebels presents the single ‘Just An Illusion’ featuring a trio of distinct remixes from Real Tone boss Franck Roger, 90s house master MK and the genre flipping Appleblim.

Amirali has certainly made a rapid ascent in electronic music over the past year and stellar debut ‘In Time’ has marked out the Iranian/Canadian producer as a true musician at heart. Playing every instrument and implementing his own evocative voice, Amirali shapes his songs in mysterious patterns, leaving his listeners hypnotised. Clash Magazine described ‘In Time’ as “an incredible revision of house music”, with “basslines melodic enough to have Herr Kruder snogging Mr Dorfmeister’s face off”. Chiefly supported and championed by Damian Lazarus and therefore getting his music heard by thousands of ravers around the globe at Get Lost and Rebel Rave events, the London-based Architecture student is now one of the most buzzing underground artists on the scene.

Released here as an extended version, ‘Just An Illusion’ is one of the more pulsing, housey cuts from the album, not forsaking Amirali’s texturally deep and emotive undertones, this is set to be a favourite for the DJs and a guaranteed dancefloor destroyer. French producer Franck Roger alleviates the eeriness and delivers a more rolling drum-heavy remix with bouncing bassline and alternative melody with soaring pads and high-pitched chimes. Marc Kinchen aka MK next offers up a slice of moody sexy house, at first illuminating Amirali’s melancholic vocal and then dropping a dubby bassline and 90s snare kick hat groove. Lastly, Appleblim gives ‘Just An Illusion’ an experimental edge with ice cool cosmic bleeps and futuristic stripped back feel, steeped in murky atmosphere.

Label: Crosstown Rebels

Cat no: CRM097

Web: www.crosstownrebels.com

Distribution: Above Board Distribution

Released: Mon Jul 2nd, 2012

LINK TO THE TRACKS

Amirali's interview for i-D Online

Until recently Amirali was a little-known musician, toiling away on his productions whilst studying architecture at university in London. Then Crosstown Rebel’s visionary Damian Lazarus heard his music and signed him up.

With such a hefty vote of confidence Amirali’s profile was boosted instantly and he’s since produced his debut LP, ‘In Time’, and put together an hour-long live show which he’s taking on tour around the world. After seeing his brilliant show at Get Lost in Miami this year, we thought it was about time we met – and he’s been kind enough to prepare an exclusive selection of his influences past and present for your ears only.

How did you start making music? What first sparked your interest in becoming a musician? I’ve been playing the piano since I was about five. I had several piano tutors over the years and played classical pieces. My parents always knew that I had a very strong ear for music. I remember sometimes I wouldn’t play the pieces my tutor had told me to practice and I would end up just playing what I liked. So I was always involved and into making music even before getting my head into electronic. My father has always been into music too and I think he is the reason I am here now. My family and I moved to Toronto when I was about sixteen and it was there and then I realised my passion for making electronic music. I never made the decision to become a musician it just happened naturally.

When did you decide to add your own vocals to your music – did you find it difficult to start singing? The first track that I made and added my own vocals to is ‘Story Of Us’ which is included in my album and it was an experiment for me since I had never done anything like it before. I think my whole album was a complete experiment on my sound and myself. It seemed like I was testing myself in every way I could think of and I’m very pleased with the result.

What’s the inspiration behind your lyrics? Well, each one of my songs has something different to say. Some of them are sad, blue, and heartbreaking and some are happy and hopeful. The inspiration behind the lyrics came from the music itself, the harmony and mood of the tunes while I was making them. Like every piece of art, my own mood and state of mind played a significant role. There were days last year when I felt moderately depressed therefore affecting my music mood and shaping my lyrics in such a way.

Have you found it difficult juggling your studies in architecture with making music/performing? Sometimes it was really hard and hectic to keep up with them both. Architecture is an extremely demanding field of study. I had to constantly work on projects and assignments and meet tight deadlines but since I was already familiar with the subject from college, it was easier for me to deal with and I knew how to study and apply my skills to it.

What’s the best thing about performing live? Performing live is a whole different experience, it has a different beauty and feel to it. A dream of mine came true last week when I played Fabric room 1. It really was an amazing experience for me; seeing what the power of singing and playing keys and melodies live can do to a crowd. Playing in that room was like playing a proper concert. Months of work in the studio had been worth it within a matter of minutes. Luckily, so far, nearly every gig I have played has been great, but that gig in particular really stood out and was definitely one of the highlights of my career.

What are your plans beyond touring this year? Are you working on more music? From the time I completed my album which was four months ago, I wanted to get away from the studio and focus on my live pa but now I think it’s time to get back in the studio and start working on some fresh material. I’m currently working on a remix for my homeboy’s label ‘My Favorite Robot’, I’m also releasing two more singles on Crosstown.

soundcloud.com/amiraliofficial

Text: Marcus Barnes

Amirali - In Time (CRMCD017)

How do you follow up a year of delivering some of the best music on the planet? Find some thats even better. Crosstown Rebels do it again and discover a true talent in Amirali unleashing his longplayer ‘in Time’ as their first entry into 2012.

Amirali goes beyond your average dance music producer. A musician at heart, every instrument heard on ‘In Time’ was played by the Iranian-come-Canadian producer. He shapes his songs in mysterious patterns and subtly hypnotises with his dexterity. The album passes swiftly and stops time in its path, leaving a deep longing to hear it again and yearning to unravel its secrets

Amirali’s voice is mysterious and evocative, a futuristic hybrid of indie idols (think a sombre Ian Brown or intoxicated Radiohead) while tainted with the auras of favourite 80s synth heroes Depeche Mode amidst the current energy of dance enigmas Art Department and Underworld. Forging a strong element of surprise in his tactics, he takes a bold course, daring to create subtle complexities in house music.

The pensive buds of ‘The Harmonious Song’ softly open this quiet masterpiece. Tinkering on weightless pads, Amirali expresses a need to be taken seriously. In ‘Missing’ he spins out swirls of instrumentation and throbbing basslines while his singing curls and smoulders within its light textures.

‘Just An Illusion’ skips with the heartbeat of house music as Amirali fiirts with a higher tempo. But soon enough ‘Painting On A Canvas’ and its successor ‘Last Words’ revives the buoyant space of before, sketching bright skies and pregnant moods within Amirali’s sunken gothic bells, charged guitar strums and reflective keys.

Other highlights in Amirali’s maiden voyage include his first single, ‘Beautiful World’, unleashed on Lazarus’ own Crosstown Rebels label in early 2012. A pop-infused bomb that captivated the dancefloor, it was an apt introduction for this multifaceted talent and powerful signal of the swells and surges of ‘In Time’ and of the great new talent in our midst.

“Making this album was a period of self discovery in which I got to know myself aa deeper level. ´In Time´, the year and a half journey into an experimentation of myself and my sound consists of 13 tracks. Each track has a different story to tell and is a reflection of my past. It’s the most honest and personal I have ever been with my music, like I´m giving a part of my soul to the listener. I hope they enjoy.” Amirali 2012

Damian Lazarus has a sharp ear and talent for A&R and he illustrates this with great clarity through his latest introduction. He went on a scouting mission for something more alternative for the label, and uncovered the Iranian music maker. Amirali’s heritage from Iran hangs heavy in the atmospheres of ‘In Time’ but Toronto is where he evoked the spirits of dance music into his style. Currently residing in London, Amirali will tour his new and exclusive live set this year to mark the launch of the album including vocals, live keys and a visual exploration into his weird and wonderful mind.

Following a year that the label was crowned the leader of the pack, spawning albums from the biggest artists of the year such as Art Department, Deniz Kurtel and Maceo Plex and coming top of the charts in many end of year charts, Crosstown Rebels dare to introduce another raw talent with unique dimensions. Later this year they have aligned new album material from their homegrown team including Resident Advisor’s no 1 DJ of the year, Jamie Jones, Maceo Plex plus new collaborations and signings Fur Coat, Mother Of Seven and more.

Label: Crosstown Rebels

Cat no: CRMCD017

Web: www.crosstownrebels.com

Distribution: Above Board Distribution

Released: Mon May 14th, 2012

TRACKLIST:

01. The Harmonious Song
02. Missing
03. Just an Illusion
04. Painting on a Canvas
05. Last Words
06. Midnight Train
07. My Way
08. Beautiful World
09. Whisper
10. No Doubt
11. Hear Me
12. Story of Us
13. The Sounds of My Life

LINK TO THE TRACKS

Fur Coat (Feat. Cari Golden) - You And I (CRM092)

Venezuelan production duo Fur Coat is back on Crosstown Rebels, this time armed with the sultry West Coast tones of Cari Golden and bomb of the season, ‘You and I’. Calling in rising star Amirali for remix duty, this essential release has got prime Miami anthem written all over it.

The original ‘You And I’ has long been slaying dance floors at the hands of Damian Lazarus, cloaked in mystery until Art Department let the cat out of the bag at Mexico’s BPM Festival, cementing the track as highly sought after DJ weapon, and leaving ‘Fur Coat’ and those suggestive lyrics on everyone’s lips. A-grade addictive groove, ‘You And I’ is the epitome of deep and sleazy bassline house with the added distinction of Cari Golden’s velvety vocals building an allegorical story of chemistry and intoxicating love.

Exploding onto the scene this year is Iranian/Canadian producer Amirali, already winning over legions of fans with his first two tracks ‘My Way’ and ‘Beautiful World’ and about to secure his place amongst stars of 2012 with debut album ‘In Time’ – out on Crosstown Rebels this Spring. His sound, a heady mix of tech, funk and electronica, Amirali takes ‘You And I’ into a deeply emotive dream world of epic synth-laden melodies whilst Cari’s voice becomes airborne and ethereal.

Fur Coat have been buried deep in the studio of late, crafting their debut LP out on Crosstown later this year. If ‘Space Ballad’ and ‘You And I’ are anything to go by, it will be a seamless collection of tracks to feed the dancefloor all summer long. Growing up streets apart in Venezuela, Sergio Muñoz (Delete) and Israel Sunshine aka Fur Coat joined forces in 2010 after meeting on South America’s blossoming dance music scene and have together mastered the art of dancefloor sorcery.

Cari Golden is a classically trained musician from Los Angeles California where she works as a studio vocalist and songwriter. She began collaborating in the EDM world four years ago and has since had several critical successes with Pan-Pot’s Captain ‘My Captain’, DJ T’s ‘City Life’. With this imminent Fur Coat smash, Cari Golden could also be the voice of Miami WMC 2012.

Label: Crosstown Rebels

Cat no: CRM092

Web: www.crosstownrebels.com

Distribution: Above Board Distribution

Released: Mon Mar 19th, 2012

LINK TO THE TRACKS

Fur Coat (Feat. Cari Golden) - You And I (CRM092)

[Forthcoming Release] According to Damian Lazarus’ Twitter account, the track that everyone has been talking about since BPM is set to release on Crosstown Rebels within the next few months. Crosstown up and comers Fur Coat collab with Cari Golden to create a deep, quirky, chilling, masterpiece that will be crushing dancefloors everywhere in the near future! Can’t get this one out of my head today, so keep checking back for more info as it comes in!
Artist: Fur Coat feat. Cari Golden
Track: You and I
Label: Crosstown Rebels
Cat#: CRM092
Release Date: April 9th (to be confirmed)




LINK TO THE TRACKS

Amirali - Beautiful World (CRM090)

Amirali
Beautiful World

Emerging from the Crosstown Rebels camp and into the limelight, Iranian/Canadian producer Amirali is heading for big things in 2012. Launching the year with first single ‘Beautiful World,’ this dynamic pop-infused bomb will instantly captivate the dancefloor along with its trio of potent reincarnations.

Laced with the gothic sound of Depeche Mode colliding in the future with the spawn of Art Department and Underworld at Burning Man’s Robot Heart, the original cut of ‘Beautiful World’ is a seductive, space-age concoction of weird and groovy magnitude to enliven the body and feed the soul. Driven by bass swagger and imbued with an air of cinematic harmony, the penetrating vocal injects a gothic pop sensibility and marks out Amirali as the new voice in dance music. In this near epic package, the song is given cubic dimensions by a pool of current world-class talent.

Suol-mate Daniel Bortz delivers a percussive treat in his remix with bongos and shakers rolling over a deep disco house groove as moody inflections on the vocal and slower swirling pads create lush space between the original elements. Bortz has made a meteoric rise in dance music since his RnB inspired EP ‘The One’ dropped on Suol Music last year. The German producer is also known for his huge re-edits of James Blake, Nirvana and Unkle.

Next up, the queen of atmospheric house Deniz Kurtel is back on Crosstown ahead of the release of her second artist album later in the year. Bringing down the pace, allowing for plenty of spooky spaciousness, Kurtel’s rework is one of those holy end-of-the-night records, effortlessly gliding from futuristic bleeps to funky licks and utilising the melody to devastating effect. Taking things in an entirely fresh direction, Canadian producer and brother of Mathew Jonson, Nathan Jonson aka Hrdvsion (Wagon Repair) creates a more spikey electro version in the final remix that’s offset with the warping futuristic pads and metallic beats.

Since opening the Get Lost 4 compilation with the track ‘My Way’, Amirali has been as bubbling talent just waiting to blow up the Rebels camp in 2012. Having been working closely with Damian Lazarus over the past year, the completed album is set for a release this Spring and will see the development of this true musicians unique sound, blurring the lines of techno/disco/funk and electronica along with that mysterious and haunting voice.

 

Label: Crosstown Rebels

Cat no: CRM090

Web: www.crosstownrebels.com

Distribution: Above Board Distribution

Released: Mon Feb 13th, 2012

LINK TO THE TRACK

Listen :

A1. Beautiful World by Crosstown Rebels A2. Beautiful World (Daniel Bortz Remix) by Crosstown Rebels B1. Beautiful World (Deniz Kurtel Remix) by Crosstown Rebels B2. Beautiful World (Hrdvsion Remix) by Crosstown Rebels