Ahead of his highly anticipated new album, Variables, South London jazz virtuoso Alfa Mist has shared the lead single, "Apho".

The new song features the vocals of South African folk singer Bongeziwe Mabandla, who pens his pained tale of yearning in his native Xhosa. By Alfa Mist's standards, "Apho" is a brief cut, but it's as dense and layered as any other of his tracks, with the grounding sounds of the cello and Jas Kayser's work on the drums all blending seamlessly into a work of art, the sum of which is even greater than its parts.

Of his new music, Mist says, "I've been focused on who I am in my music, but now I'm exploring where I am. I'm asking: how did I get here?"

The video, made by Australian filmmaker SPOD is a moving, stirring swirl of colour that's based on the album artwork painted by the Alfa's regular bass player, Kaya Thomas-Dyke.

"Apho" is the latest single from Alfa Mist's upcoming album, Variables, which will be released on April 21.