1. A British alternative indie pop quartet, formed in 2007.
The History
∆ (Alt-J) ‘Breezeblocks’

2. 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.

3. 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'.

4. 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.

5. 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.