Ibrahim Alfa Jnr. - Infinite Black Inside

FO, the fledgling label operated by Kranky/Peak Oil/False Aralia affiliate Brian Foote, makes a big swing for the fences with their second official release, the latest from long-standing British techno producer, Ibrahim Alfa Jr. The music alone is reason for your attention, a supple investigation into dancefloor sonics that employs an almost incomprehensible array of influences and experiments, ranging from breakbeat, jazz, dub, IDM, ambient and beyond. Its origin story, however, passes Infinite Black Inside into the realm of legend - Alfa Jr. had recently returned to Brighton and sobriety when he suffered a series of crushing health problems (and honestly, terrifying ones too - at one stage he was displaying allergies to water) which forced him to retreat into convalescence. It was at this point he slowly but steadily began to amass a bank of the 500+ recordings that this album would eventually be drawn from. There’s a few features online detailing his experiences in much greater depth than is possible here (and these experiences extend much further back in his history than the present moment, taking in prison terms, addiction, connections with the Nigerian dictatorship and associations with Christian Vogel amongst others), though it’s certainly no exaggeration to consider this a true Lazarus story, the record both a product and symbol of his slow recovery. The biography is close to fantastical, and the music of a similar formidable quality, so inquisitive and restless is Alfa Jr.’s approach, referencing the inherent Black Futurism of Detroit techno and footwork while retaining a distinctly British sensibility that speaks to the rich history of bass culture that runs through these Isles - Alfa Jr. has long been connected with Brighton but you can hear the ghosts of 90s Bristol in here in the shuffling drums and midnight blue synths of ‘Capture’ and the deep concessions to dub production that shape a track like ‘Black.There’s much more in here besides. Very few British records this year, whether electronic or otherwise, will get close to the depths of experience and invention displayed here. This isn’t just a comeback - this is a refusal to lie down, and with it a true display of character and ingenuity. Legendary stuff, top to bottom.