ALT BLK ERA return with their new EP Our World, a bold and electrifying release that captures the duo pushing their genre-blurring sound into exciting new territory.
With Our World, sisters Nyrobi (21) and Chaya (18) Beckett-Messam continue their rapid rise, delivering a confident and fully realised body of work that fans have been eagerly awaiting. Across the EP, the duo expand on the explosive blend of rock, pop and EDM that has become synonymous with ALT BLK ERA, pushing their sound further while retaining the raw energy and sharp songwriting that first set them apart.
Songwriters, producers, and the creative visionaries behind both their music and visual world, Nyrobi and Chaya have built a reputation for crafting something greater than the sum of its influences. Characterised by heavy basslines, distorted guitars, punchy electronic production and vivid storytelling, their music is driven by the powerful contrast between their yin-and-yang vocal styles.
Beyond their music, ALT BLK ERA are passionate advocates for hidden disability awareness and inclusivity in the music industry. Nyrobi, who lives with ME/CFS, is working closely with BBC Introducing to help provide safe backstage spaces for artists with disabilities at festivals – a mission inspired by her personal journey and one that continues to inform the duo’s creative world.
We had a chat with the girls all about Our World, their creative process, live show and more. Read the full Q&A below.
Hi guys! How are you?
“We’re really well thank you! We’re all buzzing at the moment because our tour starts in a few days, along with the drop of our new EP!!!”
ALT BLK ERA has really blown up since your breakout debut album Rave Immortal last year. That must be so exciting!
“It’s been an incredible year for us! Rave Immortal was an incredibly personal story about hidden disability that we nestled into some of the fiercest drum beats and guitar riffs. We wanted the message to hit for those who know us well and we wanted the music to feel good for those who first find us. So I guess the overall highlight was that an album about hidden disability was received so well.
“There are also stand out moments – a No.1 in the rock and Metal album charts, a MOBO win for best Alternative Music Act. We also played ‘My Drummer’s Girlfriend’ live on Later… with Jools Holland and had a TV appearance on Sunday Brunch. We were also the main support for Pendulum on their UK and EU tour which was out of this world!
“And there’s also our advocacy work has been a big one for us. We’ve been working closely with BBC Introducing to make their festival spaces more accessible for artists. That was rolled out last year at Glastonbury and the work is continuing this year too.”
I saw you guys support Delilah Bon at The Bodega back in 2022 and it’s so brilliant to see how far you’ve come!
“Oh wow! That was a great show!!! Delilah Bon was so supportive of us when we were starting out and we were thrilled when she asked us to collaborate with her on ‘Witch’. That track has so many powerful messages sitting within it too. Delilah Bon is a great activist.”
What can you tell us about Our World?
“Well, we were actually in the middle of writing our second album which is a continuation of the Rave Immortal story, but we needed to stop and address how we were feeling about the world events that are happening around us. Our World is another story and charts our emotions as we try to process all of the hate and exploitation that we are seeing on a daily basis. We don’t want to become numb to it and we don’t want to accept it as our new normal. Our World is about processing that and reclaiming our world for how it should be.”
You’re exploring more of the rock and EDM sounds – what has been your inspiration sonically?
“Rock music sits behind most of what we do but we weren’t brought up listening to rock music so we bring in the other genres that we love into our sound – Rap, DnB, alt pop and this EP we went more with the EDM vibes. We used to get a lot of backlash because we crossed genres so much but we don’t believe there has to be strict borders between music where we have to fit into other people’s boxes. We make music that makes sense to us and we find fans of our music because it makes sense to them.
“For the harder music, Prodigy is a massive influence for us. We make music to move people like they do in the crowd. We love how all ages, races, different music genre lovers come together under their banner. That’s what we love to see at our shows.”
What do you hope fans/listeners take away from it?
“For this EP we hope they enjoy the music first. We’ve actually been surprised by how many Metal Heads love our track ‘Okay! Cyber Racing’. We then want them to hear the message which is about feeling the overwhelm of this world and then coming together as a community to shape what we want. We’re the resistance even when we feel helpless.”
Please take us through your songwriting/creative process for Our World. What was your favourite part and what did you find most challenging?
“Our World was like a release for us. We had to pause work on our second album because we couldn’t just ignore what is happening without commenting through our art. Writing music isn’t a challenge at all for us but everything that comes around putting music out can be. There are so many moving parts so the business becomes the challenge. Writing and creating is beautiful for us. The dream would be to create all day and everyday.”
You also have a headline tour planned for the album. What can someone expect from an ALT BLK ERA show?
“Expect an energy that will have you swaying and singing along to some songs and moshing hard to others. We’ve just been in band rehearsals and we’re buzzing for this tour! We’re really looking forward to seeing our fans who have been supporting us from the start and we’re looking forward to meeting new people and seeing new faces.”
How do you want fans to feel after leaving one of your gigs?
“We want them to feel like they’ve had an experience that has brought them closer to us and to others in the room.”
Finally, what’s next for Alt Blk Era? Any goals for the future or anything else you want to share?
“So many plaaaaannnnnss! You’ll have to keep connected with us because for now we’re totally focused on giving our best for the Our World EP and tour – xx”
