I'll admit electronic music doesn't always grab me—too often it feels like surface without substance. But Frankie Alpha's work over the past year has been an exception worth following. His debut EP 'Fragrances' arrives with an unusual premise—tracks structured around seasonal moods and sensory memory—that initially sounds like marketing speak but turns out to be the real deal.
Strip away the concept and what remains is a collection of tracks with actual substance. Alpha's background as a multi-instrumentalist shows in the construction; these productions breathe and move in ways that suggest human hands rather than grid-locked programming. There's space in the arrangements, room for ideas to develop naturally rather than hitting you over the head.
The collaboration with vocalist Giulia Poppy on 'Leave My Bones' demonstrates what happens when Alpha has strong material to work with. Poppy's performance cuts through without dominating, and the production shifts around her voice in ways that feel considered rather than showy. It's the EP's most complete statement. The instrumental 'I'm All Over The Place Right Now' takes a different approach—jittery and deliberately unsettled—while 'Pisco Biscuit' stretches out with basslines that actually groove rather than just thump.
What keeps this interesting is the attention to detail. These tracks have layers that don't announce themselves immediately. Second and third listens reveal textural choices and melodic fragments you missed the first time through. It's the kind of depth that suggests Alpha is thinking beyond the immediate impact, building tracks that might actually last beyond their release cycle.
The stylistic range could feel scattered, but there's enough of a through-line—something in the production approach, the way frequencies are balanced—that holds it together. This isn't chasing trends or ticking boxes. It's someone working out their own sound in real time, which makes 'Fragrances' more compelling than it has any right to be.
Stream the full collection below
