Alfa Mist - Roulette

Putting feelings before perfectionism. This is the creed that drives the tireless creativity of multi-instrumentalist, rapper, and producer Alfa Mist. Since the release of his first album "Nocturne" in 2015, Alfa has established himself as one of the most focused, sought-after, and distinctive musicians in the UK. His music spans from hip-hop beats and productions for artists like rapper Loyle Carner to neoclassical compositions for the London Contemporary Orchestra and reinterpretations of pieces by composer Ólafur Arnalds and the pioneering jazz label Blue Note.

Alfa grew up in East London and found his way to jazz in an unexpected manner. "Where I come from, there is no access to jazz," he says. "Society made us believe that for black kids who had as much money as I did, there were only three ways to succeed: to become a musician, an athlete, or a criminal." Thanks to the vibrancy of the grime scene that spread in the capital, Alfa was naturally drawn to music and experimented with music production software during his school breaks to learn how to create fast grime instrumentals. As he delved deeper into British rap and hip-hop, he became curious about the samples used on records by Blackstar, Madlib, and J Dilla. "These producers were my entry into jazz," he comments. They eventually prompted him to teach himself to play the piano by ear to decipher the harmonic nuances of their formative tracks.

By 2017, Alfa had written, arranged, and produced the eight tracks of his debut album "Antiphon." Together with bassist and singer Kaya Thomas-Dyke and guitarist Jamie Leeming, who are still members of his band today, Alfa combined snippets of conversations with his two older brothers about the importance of family with complex, driving instrumental pieces and lush acoustic arrangements. It was a groundbreaking success that marked Alfa as a new talent with a remarkably mature and confident presence in the studio.

Alfa Mist continues to evolve his creative vision and has announced his new album "Roulette," set to be released on October 3 under his own label Sekito Records. "Roulette" is a science fiction concept album set in a dystopian near future where reincarnation is a scientifically proven fact. The album, conceived, written, and produced by Alfa, features contributions from New York rapper Homeboy Sandman, British soul singer Tawiah, and singer and multi-instrumentalist Kaya Thomas-Dyke. Along with the album announcement, Alfa has presented a special headline show at the renowned Royal Albert Hall in London on November 25. This performance in his hometown will be a unique opportunity for fans to experience him with material from his previous releases as well as several new songs from "Roulette." "Music is a gift that never stops giving because I am always trying to discover something new," he says. "There will always be a question, and I am simply looking for new ways to answer it." We are the lucky ones who get to hear Alfa's heartfelt responses.