When Alfa Mist was a teenager, he w… Read Full Bio ↴Alfa Mist is a British musician.
When Alfa Mist was a teenager, he was dabbling in hip-hop and grime. By the time he got to college, he was teaching himself the piano and getting deeply into jazz.
βA huge part of hip-hop is sampling, so I just used to dig around and learned about so many different genres,β he explains. βI discovered jazz and started to listen to that.β
As well as falling head over heels for the visionary work of Miles Davis, he became obsessed with the atmospheric film scores of German composer Hans Zimmer. Alfa Mistβs own work is similarly soundtrack-worthy, creating a soulful vibe packed with heady emotion. βIβm pretty dark as a person I guess, so everything ends up sounding melancholy and reflective,β says Mist. βI want to make people feel something.β
Growing up and still living in Newham, thereβs a real sense of place in Mistβs moody music. βThereβs something very distinctively London about the stuff Iβm making now,β he says. βItβs to do with where I grew up. Itβs not like LA; all sunny, crazy and happy.β Last yearβs conceptual βNocturneβ EP β which featured a run of guests, including β¨Tom Misch, Barney Artist and Jordan Rakei β was a case in point. Made largely at night, it was concerned with the things people think about just before they fall asleep. βProblems you have, things youβre grateful for or unsure about β I tried to bring them all out,β he says.
Mulago
Alfa Mist Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah, communication, we get taught about debatin' and all that stuff
We don't actually get taught about how to communicate with another person
We are not shutting them down
Or you, or you are not hijacking
Or you're not taking their experiences and, and
Takin' it into something completely different
You know when you're shutting down
like I'll be in a conversation with someone
And I will, I will shut down
I so took this person, and they don't even realize
The lyrics of Alfa Mist's song "Mulago" speak to the challenge of true communication and the limitations of what is taught in formal education. The opening lines reference the GCC (presumably referring to the General Certificate of Education), indicating that the education system fails us by neglecting to teach practical communication skills. Instead, we are taught about formal debate, rather than real-life conversations with others.
The following lines describe the dangers of ineffective communication - shutting someone down, hijacking their experience, or misinterpreting their words. The singer recognizes that they have struggled in conversations themselves, shutting down and failing to truly connect with the other person. The song highlights the need for more empathy, openness, and true communication in our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
That's not a topic that comes up in, you know, GCC
The topic of communication is not covered in the GCC curriculum
Yeah, communication, we get taught about debatin' and all that stuff
Students are only taught about debating in regards to communication
We don't actually get taught about how to communicate with another person
Students are not taught how to communicate with individuals on a personal level
We are not shutting them down
It is important to not silence others when communicating with them
Or you, or you are not hijacking
It is important to not take over someone else's thoughts or ideas in a conversation
Or you're not taking their experiences and, and
Don't take someone's experiences and use it for your own benefit without their permission
Takin' it into something completely different
Changing the topic of conversation after taking someone's experiences is not acceptable
You know when you're shutting down
Recognize when you are closing off during a conversation
like I'll be in a conversation with someone
For example, when in a conversation with someone
And I will, I will shut down
The artist may close off during a conversation
I so took this person, and they don't even realize
The other person may not even realize that the singer shut down during the conversation
Lyrics Β© O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Alfa Sekitoleko, John Woodham, James Creswick, Jamie Houghton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Marra48
This is nectar - as in food for the gods. What an ear this young man has! The fact that heβs a producer, arranger Β and a player rolled into one makes it special.
Heβs self taught. Started with rap and grime and then listened to lots of JAZZ which makes his music so much more varied. Get that trumpet solo he builds in. Music for grown-ups young and old.
He was great live in London -Β in the after show, an unassuming young man ; no big show and pumping himself up - Β Β perhaps this gives his music a deeper sincerity: this piece, βMulagoβ, Β Β and βGlad I Livedβ as well,Β being the stand-out pieces on what is a very good album.
He needs to be cherished!
Jason Goldstein
NECTAR!
Maia BrennΓ₯s
β€β€β€β€β€β€β€β€β€β€β€
Leonardo Perantoni
This is so ridiculously good. I wish this song was 15min long.
Jonathan Færgemand
Yes! Absolutely! Btw, awesome drum cover you did, keep up the creativity brother
Kevin PiΓ±on
This song should have lasted at least 8 min. I need more of this... GREAT JOB!
Wesley Ayliffe
Antiphon has been my favorite album for a while now, but this just takes it to another level. Loving those Rhodes tones too.
Amon Bokako
Alpha Mist! Never disappoints. Always on point. Cant wait to hear the whole album.
MusicDiscoveryNet | MDN
alFa
MrKitestramurt
Pure shining brilliant class. Thanks for spreading musical quality in these times.