Alias & Tarsier
BIOGRAPHY Unfazed by the demise of the British trip-hop scene in the late 90s, West Coast-based rapper/producer Alias and New York vocalist Rona ‘Tarsier’ Rapadas who made her name with the acclaimed cinematic duo Healamonster & Tarsier both retained a faith in the untapped possibilities of smoky, narcotic beats and ethereal vocal stylings, and since Alias first emailed Tarsier to suggest a collaboration in 2004, the pairs bicoastal work has developed apace. While internet-based collaborations have often lacked cohesion or impact, for Alias & Tarsier the medium has served as a source of inspiration, as evinced by the title of their 2006 debut 'Brookland/Oaklyn' the pair never even met for the first 21 months in which they worked together, but this anonymity and distance manifested itself on the record as a source of mystery that only made things more compelling.
Drawing favourable comparisons with Four Tet, Lali Puna and Bjork, Plan B praised the record for "wheedling out near-invisible non-MOR parts of Portishead and hitting Bjork levels of other-worldly luxuriance" Alias & Tarsier continue the tentative explorations of the subtle boundaries of trip-hop that began on 'Brooklyn/Oakland' with their latest release, the EP /Plane That Draws a White Line/. Remixes from Boom Bip and Odd Nosdam, among others, hint at the duo's eclectic tastes and determination to take their noirish, atmospheric sound to new places. There may be a continent separating them, but Alias & Tarsier's bond appears to be growing ever stronger.
