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Few blend shimmering arpeggio and dissonant experiments with the precision of altopalo. While studying at New York University, bassist Jesse Bielenberg, guitarist Mike Haldeman, vocalist Rahm Silverglade, and drummer Dillon Treacy met participating in a mutual friend’s performance project. Synergy inspired them to continue creating together under the name “ALT DZNY,” and they began working as a backing band for frequent collaborator Kiah Victoria.

After changing their name to altopalo, the group released their debut album noneofusscared in 2015, full of intense, claustrophobic production and vocal intensity. Both 2018’s frozenthere and 2020’s farawayfromfromeveryoneyouknow trade the punchy and primal sounds for mystery and melody, while staying true to a distinct use of glitchy voices and sounds.