∆ (Alt-J) The History

A British alternative indie pop quartet, formed in 2007.

‘Breezeblocks’

Background- ∆ was formed when Gwil Sainsbury (guitarist/bassist), Joe Newman (guitar/vocals), Gus Unger-Hamilton (keyboards) and Thom Green (drums) met at Leeds University in 2007.

- Their debut album was recorded in Brixton after they graduated.

- They recorded in their rooms with Gwil acting as producer on GarageBand.

- The band spent two years rehearsing before signing a deal with Infectious Records in 2011.

Background-∆’s name is pronounced Alt-J, which is the command used on a Mac keyboard to achieve the Greek letter Delta.

- In equations it's used to show change and the band’s relatively new name came at a turning point in their careers.

- ‘Alt-J’ were formerly known as both 'Daljit Dhaliwal' and 'Films'.

Inspirations-Alt-J has been repeatedly compared to artists such as Everything Everything, Wild Beasts and Hot Chip.

- The groups blend of folk, dub-pop and alternative rock being the comparison factor.

- ∆ went on to support Wild Beasts in April 2012.

Music- Their first release was a 4-track EP titled "∆“.

- This was recorded in London with the bands producer Charlie Andrews and showcased the tracks ‘Breezeblocks’, ’Hand-Made, ’Maltilda’ and ‘Tesselate’.

- It was released in October 2011.