ALFA MIST - ROULETTE

In the organizer's words:

ALFA MIST

ROULETTE

Presented by Emerged Agency
01.02.2026 Cologne, Die Kantine
Admission: 19:00 hrs | Start: 20:00 hrs

Putting feeling above perfectionism - that is the credo that drives the restless creativity of multi-instrumentalist, rapper and producer Alfa Mist.
Since the release of his first long-form project Nocturne in 2015, Alfa has established himself as one of the most focused, sought-after and independent voices on the UK music scene. He has collaborated with artists such as Jordan Rakei and Tom Misch. Musicians seek him out for his unique blend of intimate 'bedroom production' and wide-ranging jazz ensemble orchestration, as Alfa still refuses to be pigeonholed into a fixed genre. His music ranges from hip-hop beatmaking and productions for rappers such as Loyle Carner to neoclassical compositions for the London Contemporary Orchestra and reinterpretations of works by composer Ólafur Arnalds and the legendary jazz label Blue Note.

Growing up in East London, Alfa's path to jazz led in an unexpected way.
"Where I come from, there is no access to jazz," he says.
"Society made us believe that there were only three paths to success for black kids with the same financial means as me: to become a musician, an athlete or a criminal."
Alfa was immediately drawn to the energy of the grime scene that was spreading through the capital. During breaks at school, he played with music production software and learned to put together quick grime instrumentals. As he delved deeper into UK rap and hip-hop, he became curious about the samples that producers like Blackstar, Madlib and J Dilla were using.
"These producers were my gateway to jazz," he says. Ultimately, this led him to teach himself to play the piano in order to understand the harmonic subtleties of their influential tracks.

In 2017, Alfa wrote, arranged and produced the eight tracks that make up his debut album Antiphon. He was joined by bassist and singer Kaya Thomas-Dyke and guitarist Jamie Leeming, who are still part of his band today. Alfa combined snippets of conversation with his two older brothers about the importance of family with complex, driving instrumentals and lush acoustic arrangements. The album was a resounding success, reaching over 10 million views on YouTube and millions more on Spotify - and establishing Alfa as a fresh talent with remarkable maturity and confidence in the studio.

The following albums, Structuralism (2019) and Bring Backs (2021, first release on the ANTI- label), continued Alfa's musical self-reflection. Structuralism contained nine profound yet soulful tracks that explore how we form our identities, based on Alfa's experience of being raised by his Ugandan mother. Bring Backs, on the other hand, presented groove-oriented soundscapes and interwoven fragments, held together by an impressive poem by Hilary Thomas, which describes the sensual reality of building a community in a new country. Always drawing on his own experiences, Alfa shows himself more exposed than ever on Bring Backs - with the constant worry of not being able to escape the uncertainty of poverty, even when success is already knocking.

Where his earlier works often wallowed in mid-tempo, self-analytical instrumentation, Alfa's fifth album Variables took him in a new direction - more driving, more intense, more focused.
"The whole album is faster, more energetic and inspired by the freedom of being able to perform live again," explains Alfa.
"It felt like a return to my early days of grime beatmaking - to tracks that immediately had me nodding my head."

The return to live shows was a gift for Alfa as well as his fans: his first US shows sold out immediately, plus headline appearances at London's Barbican, Outernet, Cross The Tracks festival and the world-famous Sydney Opera House. The immediate energy of his five-piece band is not only transferred to the audience, but also to the work in the studio.
"We only ever have a limited amount of time and we record to tape - that means we can only do two takes. If we want a third, we have to delete one," says Alfa.
"That forces me to make very deliberate decisions before recording. But as soon as I hand the music over to the band, I give them the freedom to express themselves in the moment."

This balance between emotion and perfectionism is what gives Alfa's music its depth and replayability. It is also the attitude that enables his remarkable zeal for work.
"I've never been someone who only releases an album every four years - I want to release a new project every year," he says.
"Music is an extension of my life; it's the practice of creating."

That creation is rich indeed: Alfa runs his own label, Sekito, and continues to co-host the podcast Are We Live with Barney Artist and Jordan Rakei. As label boss, he has released albums by musicians such as Jamie Leeming, Rudi Creswick, JSPHYNX and Kaya Thomas-Dyke as well as collaborations with Lester Duval under the name 2nd Exit.

For his latest Sekito release, Alfa returned to his celebrated 2024 concert with the extraordinary string quartet Amika Quartet at London's Kings Place venue - an evening that has now been captured in an impressive live album. Recurring presents a series of new, previously unreleased pieces as well as extended versions of well-known tracks. Inspired by classic jazz live recordings, Alfa captures a unique moment that can never be repeated.

Now Alfa Mist continues his creative vision: On October 3rd, his new album Roulette will be released on Sekito Records. Roulette is a science fiction concept album set in a near dystopian future where reincarnation has been scientifically proven. The work was conceived, written and produced entirely by Alfa and features guest contributions from New York rapper Homeboy Sandman, British soul singer Tawiah and Kaya Thomas-Dyke. Alongside the album announcement, Alfa unveiled a special headline show at London's prestigious Royal Albert Hall on November 25th - a unique home show where he will perform tracks from previous releases as well as new songs from Roulette.

"Music is the gift that will never stop giving because I'm always trying to figure out something new," he says.
"There will always be a question - and I'm just looking for new ways to answer it."

We are the lucky ones who get to hear Alfa's soulful answers.