Alias & Tarsier

The Profile

Alias & Tarsier is the collaboration between producer Brendon Whitney (Alias), a co‑founder of the Anticon collective, and vocalist/multi‑instrumentalist Rona Rapadas (Tarsier). Their 2006 album Brookland/Oaklyn blends electronic hip‑hop structures with dreamy, trip‑hop and pop textures.

Alias (Brendon Whitney) moved from Portland, Maine to San Francisco in 1997 and co‑founded Anticon. Tarsier (Rona Rapadas), active with Healamonster & Tarsier, heard Alias’s 2003 instrumental album Muted and proposed a vocal collaboration via email. Their album title Brookland/Oaklyn references the Brooklyn–Oakland exchange that shaped their work.

Alias & Tarsier’s Brookland/Oaklyn (2006) is praised for a personal, trip-hop-leaning blend of electronic hip-hop beats and dream-pop vocals. The review highlights balanced arrangements—piano and acoustic guitars over club-ready rhythms—without excess. It nods to Bristol’s legacy while remaining distinct from Massive Attack/Portishead clones. Overall tone: warmly positive and melodic.