Release context
First Contact followed Mutation in 2022 as the second early Alien Art single for Iboga Records. The science-fiction naming was already becoming part of the project's identity, and the single helped build continuity before a full-length album had been announced.
Taken together, Mutation and First Contact work as the setup for Alpha Centauri. Rather than introducing the project with an album immediately, Alien Art developed its catalogue through singles first, allowing the collaboration to establish a recognisable direction before moving into the longer format.