Interview: Frankie Alpha on seasonal storytelling, sonic fingerprints and the art of genre-defying house music

There’s a particular kind of artist who treats electronic music not as a formula to be replicated, but as a language to be bent, stretched, and whispered through. Frankie Alpha is one of those artists.

With his debut EP “Fragrances” arriving this November, Alpha has spent 2025 carefully unveiling a body of work that feels less like a collection of singles and more like chapters in an emotional almanac. Each track is tethered to a season, a memory, a fleeting sensation—the way a scent can collapse time and place into a single, involuntary moment of recognition.

“Coma Toes (Yay),” his latest single, captures late summer’s bittersweet fade with swing-heavy rhythms and live piano that feels both wistful and gloriously alive. It’s the sound of transition—of holding onto warmth even as the air begins to cool. And it’s emblematic of Alpha’s broader artistic philosophy: no two tracks will sound the same, but you’ll always recognise the fingerprint.

In the conversation that follows, we explore the stories behind “Fragrances”, the intentionality of his seasonal release strategy, and what it means to build a sonic identity that resists easy categorisation while remaining unmistakably his.

 

You describe “Coma Toes (Yay)” as capturing “the bittersweet magic of late summer.” What specific memories or moments were you drawing from when creating this track?

No particular moments. But whenever I’m playing along to a shuffly beat, I’m drawing from my collective experiences; all those times enjoyed, listening to good house music with others. Like when it’s almost too early in a cafe to be blasting out rich, pumping grooves but everyone’s digging it, as the summer sun spills in. Or when a friend puts on a great house track during golden hour on holiday. Listening to those special tracks made with feel, with chord progressions that make you reflect and smile, while you’re taking a walk through the park. And the chills you get when sub bass creeps into a DJ set at a festival, as the light begins to fade and the music takes a darker turn. 

 The track features a notable UK Bass–influenced drop that shifts its direction entirely. How did you balance that heavier element with the intimate piano melodies, and what inspired that unexpected turn?

Actually, my favourite thing about Coma Toes is (how) it yo-yos between light and breezy, and deep and dirty. Making those transitions fluid and balancing out those components is what takes time and experimentation. But it’s a pure joy process. The track’s gear shifts between playful and uplifting into a bassy roller for those at the back of the dance tent, I suppose brings some ambiguity to where a DJ might place it within a set, but I like that. 

Musically, I’m conveying day turning into night; the last of summer light fading into winter. Joining up those  juxtaposing feels in music helps me steal some of that warm-weather-vibe, in preparation for the darker months.

 Looking at your previous releases like ‘Pisco Biscuit’ and ‘I’m All Over The Place Right Now’ there’s clear genre diversity. Do you consciously resist being pigeonholed, or does this variety come naturally?

It comes natural to me. I’ve always been absorbed by the spread of sub-genres within electronic music. Electronica grabbed me from a young age. But uni in Brighton was my honeymoon period with dance music, where I was exposed to great house music, breakbeat, an abundance of hip-hop and (some decent) dubstep, it being the mid-late noughties. Throughout that time, I developed a soft spot for minimal techno and the incredible standard coming out at the time, when Space was still Space, and Ibiza was still…well, you know. Later trips to Berlin solidified that love for minimal. 

But I was studying Music and Visual Arts at that time and listening to everything from John Cage, to Battles, to Autechre. So there’s always been various music forms pulling me in different directions electronically.  

Sometimes, I set out to make a specific genre of track, but mostly I just attempt to render whatever idea’s in my head, inspired by the range of stuff I’ve listened to through the years.   

You’ve timed each single release to align with UK and European seasonal patterns. How important is that geographical and seasonal specificity to you as an artist?

It’s not too important, as I myself rarely need to be in a particular mood to listen to a music type. I’m a big fan of whacking on an album because it suddenly pops into your head, or playing melancholic music when you’re happy. Meaning, none of these tracks will necessarily land better, due to the season and weather in Europe.

But I thought it was a playful idea with my EP, as the tracks lined up with feel, starting in spring, heading through to autumn. Coma Toes’ textured, nostalgic feel certainly lends itself to summer, and the EP’s focus track, ‘Leave My Bones’ – coming out Nov 19th – should hit harder with its deep-feel, emotive edge, as the nights get colder

You’ve said “no two FA tracks will be the same, but you may well recognise a distinctive feel.” What do you consider to be your sonic fingerprint—what makes a track distinctly “Frankie Alpha”?

It’s difficult to hear your own music from a fresh or unbiased perspective, so I suppose I go off my friends telling me I’m developing my own style. I think my attention / approach to programmed percussion, coming from a drumming background, offers up some consistency in feel, between FA tracks. People sometimes describe my style as busy, but I’m consciously moving away from this in some of my newer, unreleased work.  

Your influences range from The Chemical Brothers to Radiohead and Deftones. How do you reconcile such diverse influences into a cohesive electronic sound?

These are my early music influences, though Deftones are obviously lifelong favourites (if you know, you know). Naturally, plenty of more modern, electronic outfits have inspired my sound. Why not list a few…Clark, Trentmoller (the early days, before he turned into a band), Minilogue, James Zabiela, Dauwd, Fever Ray, Bonobo, Âme, Moderat, Factory Floor, Roman Flügel, Max Cooper, Nosaj Thing, Nathan Fake, Pantha Du Prince, Mount Kimbie, Andrew Weatherall, Boards of Canada.

That said, I wouldn’t make electronic music the way I do without those teenage years of sonic-taste shaping. When you grow up on metal, you’re drawn to a guitar riff, which is the musical hook that later becomes your catchy bassline or melodic phrase in dance music. Add in some hypnotic rhythm and subtle development and I’m sold. 

 With Fragrances being your debut EP, what do you hope listeners take away from experiencing it as a complete body of work rather than just individual singles?

I hope it’s an enjoyable, tight listen for those sitting down to the EP. I’ve ordered the tracks with flow in mind. But mostly, I want it to offer a taste of what’s to come, regarding an explorative approach. It’s got vocal experimentation, a discoesque number, a bit of a mad one for the after party, a textured house roller and a deep “short epic” featuring Giulia Poppy of ‘Dope Rooms’ on vox. I plan on doing some conceptual bodies of work in the future with FA, but at present, each track I make is a separate study, if you like. I will say, this EP’s quite vibey in places, whereas a few of my upcoming releases are dark AF.

After Fragrances drops in November, what’s next for Frankie Alpha? Will you be exploring this concept further, or are you already moving in a different direction?

Two things are next. An album, early next year, which is a mix of experimental pieces and DJ-set-ready belters for the big sound systems. In addition to that, I plan to release, release, release. So far, I’ve put out nearly 20 FA colour-coded singles. Watch this space for that number to double in a relatively short space of time. 

 

Stream the new single in the player below