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Ibrahim Alfa Jr: From Nigerian immigrant to UK rave scene, prison, and near-death — the survival story of a British techno artist

Alexis Petridis

2h ago· 9 min readen

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Summary

Ibrahim Alfa Jr, a British techno musician originally from Nigeria, recounts his extraordinary journey from being swept up in the UK rave scene to surviving incarceration and a near-fatal pulmonary embolism. While in prison, he mentally composed over 500 tracks by creating a "little studio in his head," surviving on porridge and lettuce. His story is one of resilience, creativity, and survival against overwhelming odds.

Key quotes

· 3 pulled

In prison, I made a little studio in my head. It kept me sane

I thought: oh my God, that's literally what killed Andy Weatherall

I made 500 tracks while living on porridge and lettuce

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He moved from Nigeria to middle England and was swept up into the rave scene – then battled through incarceration and near-death illness. After making 500 tracks while living on porridge and lettuce, he explains how he kept going

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