Alt-J formed in Leeds, England in 2007 while the members were university students, building an art rock sound from close harmonies, counterintuitive percussion, and folktronica textures. An Awesome Wave (2012) won the Mercury Prize and remains the place to start; This Is All Yours (2014) is the natural follow-up. Explore Alt-J vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
Alt-J formed in Leeds, England in 2007 while the original four members were students at the University of Leeds. The band's name is the Mac keystroke for the delta symbol, hence the visual representation ∆. The original lineup featured Joe Newman, Gus Unger-Hamilton, Thom Sonny Green, and Gwil Sainsbury; Sainsbury departed in 2014, leaving the trio that has continued since. The debut album An Awesome Wave (2012) won the Mercury Prize, the UK's main album award.
Alt-J's sound combines indie rock, art rock, folktronica, and electronic music with close vocal harmonies and unusual instrumentation. The band's recordings frequently feature counterintuitive percussion choices, vocal interplay between Newman and Unger-Hamilton, and literate, allusive lyrics.
Infectious pressings of An Awesome Wave have been issued in multiple variants and anniversary editions. The catalog has also appeared in colored vinyl limited editions through retailer-exclusive pressings.
Listeners new to Alt-J typically start with An Awesome Wave (2012). This Is All Yours (2014) is a common second entry point.
