Mura Masa

Mura Masa

Mura Masa is the stage name of Alexander Crossan, a Guernsey-born electronic music producer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is associated with electronic, future bass, trap, chill trap, lovestep, alternative R&B, contemporary R&B, dance and hip hop.

Early life and work

Crossan is born in Guernsey in 1996 and is raised there. Before working under the name Mura Masa, he plays guitar, bass, drums and sings in local punk, hardcore, deathcore and gospel bands. He begins self-producing at the age of 15, using samples found on YouTube and elsewhere online. He enters electronic music after discovering Hudson Mohawke, James Blake, Cashmere Cat and SBTRKT through streamed music and YouTube. His influences also include Gorillaz and The Smiths, which encourage him to write music and learn more instruments.

At 16, he starts making electronic tracks in Ableton Live, and at 17 he uploads his first tracks, remixes and bootlegs to SoundCloud under the name Mura Masa, taken from Japanese swordsmith Muramasa Sengo. He later leaves Guernsey to study English literature at the University of Sussex in Brighton, and begins playing live there, including sold-out shows at Green Door Store in Brighton and Electrowerkz in London.

Releases and collaborations

Crossan begins his career with the SoundCloud mixtape Soundtrack to a Death in 2014, which is later distributed globally by Jakarta Records. In 2015 he signs to his own label, Anchor Point Records, in partnership with Polydor Records and Interscope Records, which handle distribution in the UK and North America respectively. Anchor Point also releases music by Bonzai and Jadu Heart.

His debut EP, Someday Somewhere, appears in April 2015 on Anchor Point. It includes UK vocalists Nao, Denai Moore and Jay Prince, and its lead track “Firefly” is selected for BBC Radio 1’s In New Music We Trust playlist. The track “Lovesick” from the EP reaches number one on the Spotify viral charts in the UK and the US. He also broadcasts a 60-minute mix on Diplo and Friends on BBC Radio 1 in April 2015. In December 2015 he is long-listed for BBC Sound of 2016 and reaches fifth place in the shortlist in January 2016.

In March 2016 he releases “What If I Go?” as the second single from his upcoming album. Later in 2016 he releases “Love$ick”, a collaboration with A$AP Rocky, through Anchor Point and Downtown/Interscope Records; it is a new version of his 2015 single “Lovesick Fuck”. He arranges the collaboration when Rocky is in London for several days, and the music video appears on his VEVO channel on YouTube in November 2016.

Debut album and later work

Crossan co-writes “First Things First” on Stormzy’s Gang Signs & Prayer, which reaches number one on the UK Albums Chart and number 25 on the singles chart in 2017. He also releases “1 Night” with Charli XCX in March 2017.

His self-titled debut studio album, Mura Masa, is released in July 2017 by Polydor, Interscope, Downtown and Anchor Point Records. The album is produced and recorded between 2014 and 2016 and features A. K. Paul, A$AP Rocky, Bonzai, Charli XCX, Christine and the Queens, Damon Albarn, Desiigner, Jamie Lidell, Nao and Tom Tripp. It debuts at number 19 on the UK Albums Chart and number 192 on the US Billboard 200, and receives positive critical reception.

The album is nominated for Best Dance/Electronic Album and Best Recording Package at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards. Crossan becomes the first artist nominated as both musician and creative director for the same album. He also remixes Haim’s “Walking Away”, which wins Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards. In June 2018 he works with the Nile Rodgers-organised collective Chic on the band’s comeback album It’s About Time, appearing with Cosha and Vic Mensa on “Till the World Falls” and with Nao on “Boogie All Night”.