Introducing Frankie Alpha

Frankie Alpha isn’t here to play it safe. The UK-based electronic producer makes his boldest move yet with ‘Bludgeoning On The Dancefloor’ — a frisky, genre-defying single that crashes together house, IDM, ambient, and techno with playful precision. Out June 3rd, it’s the first taste of his upcoming debut EP and a clear signal that Alpha is carving out his own lane: unpredictable, technically tight, and always ready to flip the script.

1. ‘Bludgeoning On The Dancefloor’ is described as “frisky and a little tongue-in-cheek.” What inspired that playful energy, and how do you strike the balance between technical precision and irreverent fun in your productions?

I think there's always a playful energy lurking about when I'm making dance music. Whether it's Saturday morning and I'm energised by the first few rays of sunlight, or a weeknight after dark, my buzz is never just from the caffeine or first beer. I find 4/4 electronic music playful by nature. I often put together melodies whilst looping a section of a beat I've just programmed. Sometimes, I could mess around with that melody line and its iterations for hours. I find the repetition and the act of gradually building on it, hypnotic. It's true escapism. I'm a perfectionist as well, so I like to work an idea until I think I've got the most out of it. And by sitting with it for a duration, I'm testing out its strength and stamina. If I get bored quickly, it's no longer play, and I move on. 

Balancing out the playfulness found in discovering that simple idea and maximising the execution without too much tinkering can be tough. But it's all part of the process, for me. And sometimes little gems can be found through 'overworking' a section. Regardless, I tend to always keep a recording of my initial idea on file, so I can refer back to it and never lose track of that original grit. 

I analyse my music quite intensely. And often what I'm analysing - aside from the production aspects and frequencies - is do I have the balance right between flow / space for a groove, and interesting detail and texture. You never know who's going to be listening to your music - musicheads, who might appreciate a well engineered drum fill, or the passive listener who's just there for the love of music. Ultimately, you have to make music for yourself and I'm both of the above so I try to find that balance, without worrying about it too much. 

2. The track takes a sharp turn midway, flipping into a silky bassline. Can you talk us through the decision to include such a structural shift, and what you hope it does to the listener’s expectations?

Most Frankie Alpha tunes are DJ ready and mix appropriate, with a few exceptions - this perhaps being one of them. You could absolutely work it into a set, but it's almost two different songs in one, in terms of vibe and genre. And I never like to constrain myself by thinking, would a DJ play this? It's hard to not get sidetracked by this, when you come from a DJ background. But it's important to sometimes treat a song as an entity unto itself - let the track go where it wants to go! After all, each musical brain is unique, so let it speak. 

In terms of Bludgeoning... 's midway structural shift, it's lovely if you can surprise the listener. It doesn't matter if they're sitting at home, listening on their cans, or if the track's dropped at a festival, flooring everyone unexpectedly. It's always nice to excite an audience. I also think it's one of those basslines and grooves that almost needs a juxtaposing style beforehand to mean that they combine well and fully deliver. 

3. You’ve said that no two Frankie Alpha tracks will be the same. What ties your sound together across such a wide range — is there a through-line that connects even your most genre-bending moments?

Some very kind friends have told me that I'm developing my own sound and that it's distinctive across all of the singles. My music can be busy in places, particularly within the percussive elements. That's most likely from my drumming background. In my day-to-day life, I'm always drumming on furniture, etc. Though I've somehow cracked how not to do so relentlessly in the company of others! So I guess I see spaces within compositions as windows of opportunity for playful fillers.

I am more attentive these days, when it comes to using space and even silence within my music. I think we all know, some of the best, solid grooves are simple. 

But I like melodic fills, musical flourishes, catchy licks and plinky plonky shit too. 

4. As a drummer and multi-instrumentalist, how do your roots in live instrumentation inform your approach to electronic production? Do you still start with rhythm, or has that evolved?

These days it really varies. I'm often recording hilarious little voice memos as I walk down the street, as an idea pops into my head. To my friends, these off the cuff renditions are nonsensical and untranscribable. But I know what I was trying to convey when I listen back. 

My strongest melodic ideas often come off the back of a good beat. And for me, it's important that that beat sounds tight before I start recording patterns over the top of it. A solid base inspires even better layers, as far as I'm concerned. So if I've spent a while working on the production and overall sound of a beat, feeding off the quality of that groove, helps pull out a stronger melody. I want to match its character and capacity. 

Recently, I've found I'm coming up with complete compositions or choruses, at least, in my dreams. I've done this in the past but not remembered them, once awake. Now, I'm starting to remember them entirely, including the lyrics, and I'm jotting them down when I wake. I've not recorded any of these yet - hopefully they're not just carbon copies of other people's music that my brain's logged, subconsciously. I guess we'll see.  Generally though, my favourite way to write is sitting down at my Roland FP-90 - best thing I've ever bought. 

5. You’re aligning single releases with seasonal vibes — how does the environment and time of year influence your creative decisions, and what can we expect from the EP as it unfolds?

My environment absolutely inspires my music making. I've been moving around a lot lately, living between rural parts of the UK and Spain - I'm in Valencia currently. I can be galvanised by a random piece of music I hear out and about, blasting out a car stereo. Then I'm straight back to my keyboard, recording a voice memo of the idea on route.

But I tend to circulate a ton of ideas always, and then gravitate towards a particular one, vibe dependent. The seasons play a part in this - if I start writing something dark or melancholic in the summer, I might put it on ice until the autumn draws near, when it feels more fitting to be refining it. And mood - naturally if I'm feeling happy, I might lean towards a piece that's effervescent and joyful. With all of that said, the darker stuff can comfort me all year round and certainly tops up my dopamine levels.  

This EP offers a few different styles for those vibe-seeking. I'm very excited for the release of the second single on July 3rd. This one is designed for the big systems, for sure, with lots of low end and sub smoothness. It's got a solid groove, sitting behind a big beat, with more than a nod to disco and its forever evolving sub-genres. 

The middle single is a mad track, with lots of surprises in store as it unfolds, offering up Aphex Twin style saw bass, Caribou-esque feels as it progresses and lots of energy in the form of rising, hectic, sonic fun. 

There's a 'suited-for-summertime', steady roller with lots of bass and a smattering of jangly hooks. And a Bicep-inspired, emotive deep number set for the autumn, featuring the glorious vocals of talented singer, Giulia Poppy - one part of the international alt/indie duo, Dope Rooms.