East London artist, producer and label founder, Alfa Mist releases his highly anticipated new album and second release via Anti-, Variables along with focus track “Foreword”. Bringing absolute sublime jazz bliss, “Foreword” sees Alfa Mist deliver what fans and critics love him for. Jazz guitar traverses intricate drum rhythms and cascading piano that demonstrates the buzzing jazz artist’s grand ability to orchestrate challenging yet easy-to-love compositions.
To accompany the release of the album, filmmaker SPOD has made a visual for the full length of Variables based off of the album artwork by Kaya Thomas-Dyke.
“I’ve been focused on who I am in my music, but now I’m exploring where I am,” Alfa Mist says. “I’m asking: how did I get here?” This is the journeying question that underpins Alfa’s fifth album, Variables. Traversing luscious, big band swing, head-nodding boom-bap rhythms and yearning vocal melodies, the record is expansive, soulful and moving, in both body and spirit. On Variables, Alfa achieves his most fully-realised, expressive musical work to date, coupling his keen ear for looping, memorably emotive piano melodies with intuitive grooves and a free-flowing jazz improvisation.
Variables sees Alfa Mist offer a diverse listening experience, as he dives into the argument of nature versus nurture on the rhythmic ‘Borderline’ to the airy, crystallic sounds of ‘Cycles’. The album’s standout features are captivating, with long-time collaborator and band’s bass player Kaya Thomas-Dyke’s gentle vocals adding an ethereal essence on ‘Aged Eyes’, whilst the South African folk singer Bongeziwe Mabandla drapes the vibrant backdrop and Jas Kayser’s frenetic drum playing with his crystalline falsetto on ‘Apho’. “4th Feb (Stay Awake)” is a lofi offering that pairs Alfa’s reflective bars with a groove-heavy production and “BC” is a colourful swell of expressive and unrestrained percussion, demonstrating the ingenuity of Alfa Mist and his close knit band.
Since the release of his first full-length project Nocturne in 2015, Alfa has established himself as one of the UK’s most focused, in-demand and distinct musical voices. He has worked with the likes of Jordan Rakei and Tom Misch. Artists look to him for his unique blend of intimate bedroom production and expansive jazz group orchestration, since Alfa is yet to be boxed into a specific genre. His music spans everything from hip-hop beat-making to producing for artists such as rapper Loyle Carner, composing neo-classical works for the London Contemporary Orchestra, and reworking tracks from composer &Ocute;lafur Arnalds and pioneering jazz label Blue Note. The return to live shows has been a welcome one for Alfa and he will be touring the world stopping in the US, Japan, Australia, EU and the UK, playing at some of the most prestigious and iconic venues across the globe this year. He’ll take the stage at LA’s Fonda Theatre, Sydney Opera House and La Cigale in Paris to name a few before closing this epic run of dates at one London’s most exciting new venues, The Outernet on Wednesday, 22nd November.
Alfa Mist – Global tour dates:
27 April - The Ardmore Music Hall - Philadelphia, US
29 April - Music Hall of Williamsburg - New York, US
30 April - Racket - New York, US
02 May - Thalia Hall - Chicago, US
04 May - The Fonda Theatre - Los Angeles, US
05 May - August Hall - San Francisco, US
13 May - XJAZZ! Festival - Berlin, Germany
20 May - Norfolk & Norwich Festival - Norwich, UK
25 May - Jazz a Liege Festival - Liege, Belgium
28 May - Cross The Tracks Festival - London, UK
31 May - Sydney Opera House (Vivid LIVE) - Sydney, Australia
02 Jun - Burnside Ballroom - Adelaide, Australia
03 Jun - Croxton Bandroom - Melbourne, Australia
05 Jun - Billboard Live (2x) - Osaka, Japan
07 Jun - Billboard Live (2x) - Tokyo, Japan
08 Jun - Billboard Live (2x) - Yokohama, Tokyo
09 July - İstanbul Caz Festivali - Istanbul, Turkey
20 July - Palp Festival (Schlösser) - Sion, Switzerland
22 July - Théâtre Silvain - Marseille, France
04 Aug - Newport Jazz Festival - Newport, US
04 Oct - La Cigale - Paris, France
09 Oct - Paard - The Hague, Netherlands
10 Oct - Doornroosje - Nijmegen, Netherlands
11 Oct - SPOT/De Oosterpoort - Groningen, Netherlands
27 Oct - House of Music - Budapest, Hungary
28 Oct - Mladi ladi jazz Festival - Prague, Czech Republic
16 Nov - Opium Rooms - Dublin, Ireland
18 Nov - BAaD - Glasgow, UK
19 Nov - RNCM Concert Hall - Manchester, UK
20 Nov - Trinity - Bristol, UK
22 Nov - HERE at Outernet - London, UK
