Alt-Ctrl-X was composed in response to the music of Steve Coleman found in the album, The Tao of Mad Phat. Similarly to Coleman’s music, the rhythmic language is informed by Afro-American musicians such as Bootsy Collins and the late Clyde Stubblefield. The opening section of Alt-Ctrl-X also shares with Coleman’s music the influence of traditional West African musics with their interwoven rhythmic melodies. Unlike the music of The Tao of Mad Phat, these rhythmic melodies are treated in the manner of Shona (Zimbabwean) mbira music, where each musician draws from the totality of all melodic parts (stated and unstated) to invent their own part, whilst also spontaneously responding to the inventions of the other musicians.

Alt-Ctrl-X also draws significantly upon elements of the South Indian tradition. This influence is most noticeable in the korvai composition which is stated every form after the breakdown. However, it can also be observed in the metric modulation of the second part of the melodic theme. Here the melody expresses a three aspect within the ongoing 14 cycle, cropped by an anchor of 4 in non-retrogradable form.

The korvai composition is based upon one of the oldest and best known korvai structures. Originally in a 64 pulse cycle (16x4), in this piece it has been adapted to a 54 (14x4) pulse cycle. Unlike South Indian practice, in this composition the musicians are directed to spontaneously realise separate simultaneously symmetrical permutations, utilising the same principles of mbira music applied to the first section of the piece.