Rival Consoles @ Belgrave Music Hall, Leeds, 17 Mar

Sounds Like THIS, Leeds’ newest music festival, celebrates “bold new sounds” in electronic music, electroacoustic, opera and visual installation. Created by Leeds College of Music, the festival is determined to push boundaries with its eclectic bill, and if tonight at Belgrave Music Hall is anything to go by, the festival's inaugural outing seems set to firmly make its mark.

First up is Manchester’s critically acclaimed Danny Saul, who creates a layered soundscape utilising MAXMSP coding, all mesmeric, pulsating underbelly, punctuated with mischievous glitch. Although renowned for his powerful collaborations, his solo show is equally compelling, and perfectly sets up tonight’s sonic journey.

Pioneering electronic power-duo A Man Called Adam are up next; former residents of Gilles Peterson’s Acid Jazz label, and they can certainly knock out some beats. Clever reworking of their original Ibiza-club-catalogue, using contemporary MIDI-controllers, real-time sequencing and processing, has given their sound a new context. However, it’s poetic storytelling that’s AMCA’s forte – stunning visuals take the audience on a scenic journey from the city to the sea, whilst the beat peaks and troughs gently on our way.

Ryan Lee West, aka Rival Consoles, is an electronic producer renowned for his treatment of synths to create a sound that is human, atmospheric and thoughtful. A formative rock music fan, his approach to song-writing often begins acoustically, making initial shapes on guitar or piano, giving an organic musicality to his finely crafted electronica.

In a live setting the sound is all-consuming; warm, lush tones pervade the room like the Holy Spirit. There’s a hypnotic feeling to the tracks from latest album Night Melody, which derives inspiration from the magic and mystique of the twilight hours. The visuals are mesmerising, and a shape-shifting, mind-bending light show provides the perfect backdrop to this thought-provoking sound. The Rival Consoles live show makes it abundantly clear that his reputation as one of the most talented producers in UK electronica is well deserved.