Alpha

.au 
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Hear the entire 'Impossible Thrill' album

Alpha have created a sound that is delightful at night and mainly due to the heartbreaking blend of moist-eyed film scores and torch songs. Bristol is a city full of raw talent, and has produced several class acts including Alpha's label bosses Massive Attack whom they did a string of live dates and Portishead. There's no doubt that it's Britain's capital of gorgeous spectral-blues and retro futurists. Jenks adds 'I can hear both - old and modern'. 'The Impossible Thrill' is the latest offering from Alpha and very different from 'Come From Heaven' as Jenks and Dingley have preferred to create new sounds using a different approach.

Rather than using a mass of samples and lots of high tech studio trickery, they've decided to use real instruments and become a 'proper band' (in their own words). After doing several live dates, Alpha realised that what they had done in the studio had put certain limitations on their stage performance so they have gone back to basics. Alpha have known Massive Attack since the mid 1990's and met through mutual friends. 'They're great' enthuses Jenks 'They keep out of our hair'. Second time around and Alpha are still working with the same vocalists including Martin Barnard, Wendy Stubbs and Helen White.

Paris is the place where Alpha's sound is truly exposed and they have even gone onto craft a five-track EP with three French singers. The 'Impossible Thrill' is a long player full of exquisite vibes, pianos and guitars and quite different from the first album. They have both worked on basic instrumental parts which have been tightened later by bassist Alex Locke and Suede guitarist Alex Lee amongst others. Some changes have been made to the Alpha sound and it highlights a more mature and polished direction in which they are heading.

Alpha Hit The European Festival Circuit

Throughout July and August this year, Andy and Corin from Alpha will be going on tho raod to perform in cities across Europe so check out the following tour dates:

July

5th - Dour Festival, Belgium
7th - Meco Festival, Portugal
12th - Montreux Festival, Switzerland 14th - Essential Festival, Hackney Marshes
15th - Community Festival, Bristol

August

5th - Witness Festival, Ireland
12th - St Malo Festival, France
18th - Town Square Festival, Newcastle
19th - Ronnie Scotts, London

massive attack

air

the chemical brothers