Photos of alt-J at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, NY on June 15th, 2018
Photos of alt-J at 2017 Lollapalooza in Chicago, IL
Photos of alt-J at 2017 Hinterland Festival in St. Charles, IA
Photos of alt-J at 2015 Austin City Limits Music Festival in Austin, TX
Photos of alt-J at 2015 Landmark Music Festival in Washington, D.C.
Photos of alt-J at 2015 Boston Calling in Boston, MA
Photos of alt-J at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY on March 30th, 2015
Potos of alt-J at Beacon Theatre in New York, NY on November 16th, 2014
Photos of alt-J Hammerstein Ballroom in New York, NY on September 14th, 2013
Photos of alt-J at 2013 Osheaga Music Festival in Montreal, PQ, Canada
Photos of alt-J at 2013 Governors Ball in New York, NY
Photos of alt-J at Terminal 5 in New York, NY on March 24th, 2013
Alt-J have been an unusual act since they first started, from naming themselves after the key sequence for the capital delta symbol “∆” on forward. Their success took even them for a shock, leading them into non-stop touring & recording, only finally taking a break after something like five years. Reunited, RELAXER finds them as experimental and diverse as ever.
What’s on RELAXER? There are many stripped, intimate moments, which often get much bigger. Traditional “House of the Rising Sun” goes from storytelling to strings-led tragedy. “Last Year” is slow and haunting, but then “Hit Me Like That Snare” comes off as a punk-jangle akin to The Black Lips, and “In Cold Blood” is binary electronic rock. Closer “Pleader” maybe sums it up best, being a mix of quiet instrumental, old Anglo choral, and more.
Despite their success, alt-J have not lost their mystifying edge.