Following a summer in which her formidable DJing won her new fans the world over, Deena Abdelwahed delivers her debut album amidst a mixture of anticipation and surprise. The potency of her artistic flair leaves first-time listeners scrabbling for clues as to where this new talent has come from (France via Tunisia, as it happens).

After 2016’s Klabb EP, Abdelwahed returns to InFiné with a collection dripping with intrigue and vitality. Her approach swerves from the bludgeoning low-end pulses of Fdhiha and the dubstep mysticism of Klabb to the deconstructed electronica of A Scream in the Consciousness. The mixture is intoxicating – not only is the music incredibly fresh and forward-facing, but it also seems to transcend temporal and geographical boundaries. For all the stylistic trysts, it’s Abdelwahed’s personality that comes through as the fundamental ingredient. From her arresting vocal on Al Hobb Al Mouharreb to the distinctive melodic strokes and accomplished sound design elsewhere, the record feels like a bold statement of identity.

Oli Warwick