Alpha (band)
Encyclopedia
Alpha is a trip hop
/electronica
group, comprising founding member Corin Dingley, vocalist and lyricist Wendy Stubbs and Hannah Collins; other founding member, Andy Jenks, left the group before the release of their 2007 LP "The Sky Is Mine
". Originally working under the name "Ariel", the duo of Dingley and Jenks came together in 1995 after both had worked on various projects in the Bristol
area, home of trip-hop groups Massive Attack
and Portishead. Like Massive Attack, Alpha recruited singers to add vocals to their downtempo, beat-driven compositions of the late 1990s, which led to them being included in the category of "Post Trip-Hop". "ComeFromHeaven
", their debut LP was the first release on Massive Attack's Melankolic label in 1997. They are currently on Don't Touch Recordings, a label they founded. Their most recent release is a collaboration with Reggae
icon, Horace Andy
, entitled 'Two-Phazed People', which was released in August 2009.
Trip hop
Trip hop is a music genre consisting of downtempo electronic music which originated in the early 1990s in England, especially Bristol. Deriving from "post"-acid house, the term was first used by the British music media and press as a way to describe the more experimental variant of breakbeat which...
/electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
group, comprising founding member Corin Dingley, vocalist and lyricist Wendy Stubbs and Hannah Collins; other founding member, Andy Jenks, left the group before the release of their 2007 LP "The Sky Is Mine
The Sky Is Mine
The Sky is Mine is Alpha's sixth, original studio LP and eighth general release. It was released on September 18 2007 in the United Kingdom and Europe, and on February 19 2008 in the United States...
". Originally working under the name "Ariel", the duo of Dingley and Jenks came together in 1995 after both had worked on various projects in the Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
area, home of trip-hop groups Massive Attack
Massive Attack
Massive Attack are an English DJ and trip hop duo from Bristol, England consisting of Robert "3D" Del Naja and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall. Working with co-producers, as well as various session musicians and guest vocalists, they make records and tour live. The duo are considered to be of the trip...
and Portishead. Like Massive Attack, Alpha recruited singers to add vocals to their downtempo, beat-driven compositions of the late 1990s, which led to them being included in the category of "Post Trip-Hop". "ComeFromHeaven
ComeFromHeaven
ComeFromHeaven is Alpha's debut LP. It was the debut release on Massive Attack's Melankolic record label in 1997. Combining trip-hop with downtempo, the album features the vocals of Wendy Stubbs, Helen White and Martin Barnard...
", their debut LP was the first release on Massive Attack's Melankolic label in 1997. They are currently on Don't Touch Recordings, a label they founded. Their most recent release is a collaboration with Reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
icon, Horace Andy
Horace Andy
Horace Andy is a roots reggae songwriter and singer, known for his distinctive vocals and hit songs such as "Government Land", "Angel", "Five Man Army" and a cover version of "Ain't No Sunshine"....
, entitled 'Two-Phazed People', which was released in August 2009.
Discography
- ComeFromHeavenComeFromHeavenComeFromHeaven is Alpha's debut LP. It was the debut release on Massive Attack's Melankolic record label in 1997. Combining trip-hop with downtempo, the album features the vocals of Wendy Stubbs, Helen White and Martin Barnard...
(30 September 1997) - Pepper: Remixes & RaritiesPepper: Remixes & RaritiesPepper: Remixes & Rarities is a 1998 EP by Alpha, featuring remixes of five tracks from their debut album, ComeFromHeaven plus three previously, unreleased tracks, "Honey", "Pepper" and "Over".- Track listing :# With - 4:43...
(22 September 1998) - The Impossible ThrillThe Impossible ThrillThe Impossible Thrill is Alpha's second LP. It was released on March 20, 2001, on Massive Attack's Melankolic record label. Combining trip hop, downtempo and acid jazz, the album features the vocals of Wendy Stubbs, Helen White and Martin Barnard....
(20 March 2001) - StargazingStargazing (album)Stargazing is Alpha's third studio LP, released on March 23, 2004 on the Nettwerk Records record label. Combining Trip Hop with Downtempo the album features the vocalists Wendy Stubbs, Helen White, Martin Barnard and Kelvin Swaby...
(23 March 2004) - Made In Space (Instrumental album, web released only)
- Lost In A Garden Of Clouds (Part 1) (Second instrumental album)
- Lost In A Garden Of Clouds (Part 2) (Third instrumental album)
- Without Some HelpWithout Some HelpWithout Some Help is a 2006 LP by Alpha. Primarily composed of songs by other artistes, which were remixed by Alpha, it also features four collaborations between Alpha and guest vocalists...
(2006) - Without Some Help. Net EditionWithout Some Help. Net EditionWithout Some Help is a 2006 Internet download release by Alpha, which was available only through their website; a 12 track edition of the LP was available in mainstream music shops...
(2006) - The Sky Is MineThe Sky Is MineThe Sky is Mine is Alpha's sixth, original studio LP and eighth general release. It was released on September 18 2007 in the United Kingdom and Europe, and on February 19 2008 in the United States...
(4 September 2007) - Ariel (2009) - EPExtended playAn EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
featuring previously unreleased tracks written when the band were called 'Ariel'. - Two-Phazed People with Horace Andy (1 August 2009)