Robert Alfons, the enigmatic force behind TR/ST, returns with a sharpened edge and a soaring new sound. His latest single, “All At Once,” serves as a tantalizing precursor to the upcoming album, Performance, slated for a September 13 release via Dais Records. This announcement is paired with the news of an autumn European tour, ensuring that Alfons’ momentum shows no signs of slowing.
Exploding onto the scene in 2010, Alfons quickly defined his space with a brooding blend of electronic pop infused with dark elegance. “All At Once” sees him drawing inspiration from the suave stylings of Bryan Ferry, ABC, China Crisis, Style Council, and Scritti Politti. This track is a stylish deviation, spotlighting Alfons’ intricate synth-pop psychodrama and his distinctive swagger.
TR/ST’s vocal delivery, though firmly rooted in contemporary sensibilities, resonates with the earnestness of 80s new wave, punctuated by a potent synth-pop backdrop. It’s a visceral hit that transcends time.
Listen to “All at Once” below:
Recorded in the sprawling, light-polluted labyrinth of Los Angeles, Performance is an album simmering with themes of dread, lust, reckoning, and abandonment. Co-produced with the multifaceted Night Feelings, the album achieves a smoky, dense atmosphere with eerie synths, profound bass, and Alfons’ bruised, crooning vocals.
Performance takes its name from a friend’s offhand remark about Alfons’ inherently performative demeanor. The music oscillates between beauty and bitterness, anthem and anguish, capturing the grandeur of melancholia. Each track brandishes pop dynamics and somber production like a weapon, spiraling through a series of hits. The album is a chronicle of emotional turmoil, marked by guilt, ghosts, and unresolved tensions.
Performance stands as a compelling, immersive, and intoxicating work, balancing on the knife-edge of stirring and unsettling. Alfons’ voice anchors the tumult, weaving together impressions and confessions with a fluid, stream-of-consciousness approach. He plays both observer and provocateur, performer and playwright, liberated by the stage and the nocturnal backdrop.
Pre-Order the album here
TR/ST Live Dates:
Sep 30: Prague, CZ – MeetFactory
Oct 2: Krakow, PL – Kamienna
Oct 3: Warsaw, PL – Progresja
Oct 5: Leipzig, DE – Conne Island
Oct 6: Munich, DE – Rote Sonne
Oct 7: Cologne, DE – Gebaude 9
Oct 10: Antwerp, BE – TRIX
Oct 11: Amsterdam, Netherlands at Melkweg
Oct 12: Paris, FR – L’Olympia
Oct 15: Berlin, DE – Festsaal Kreuzberg
Oct 17: Stockholm, SE – Slaktkyrkan
Oct 18: Oslo, NO – Parkteatret
Oct 19: Copenhagen, DK – Loppen
Oct 23: London, England at Evolutionary Arts Hackney (EartH)
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