Minneapolis hip-hop pioneers Atmosphere have announced their new Talk Talk EP, and shared singles “Talk Talk (feat. Bat Flower),” and “Rotary Telephone.” The title track comes complete with a music video, which collates hundreds of clips of live performances, fan interactions and behind-the-scenes footage from Atmosphere’s tireless schedule of touring North America and Europe this year. Shot and edited by ZooDeVille, the video sees rapper Slug and producer Ant come together night after night to fill darkened rooms with love, light and a little bit of laughter. The genesis of the Talk Talk EP was during a recording session for the title track, “Talk Talk”, which originally appeared on their latest album, So Many Other Realities Exist Simultaneously. A collaboration with Lifter Puller alum Bat Flower, the song exists alongside electro classics in an uncanny valley that’s been warped into a sweaty nightclub. Enamored with its outcome, Slug and Ant returned for a longer exploration of that sound, to mesmeric results. On Talk Talk EP, the Minneapolis legends dart across threads of space-time to grab hold of the one where they became titans of the electro-rap genre that was foundational to their youths. By evoking acts like Kraftwerk and Egyptian Lover, Atmosphere makes visions of the future from four decades ago seem new once again. The Talk Talk EP is available for pre-order here. Additionally, a limited vinyl variant, cassettes and exclusive merch items can all be pre-ordered via atmospheresucks.com. The limited vinyl variant features alternative cover art and is also a zoetrope - as the record spins, sequenced images will appear and listeners will be able to see a moving picture in the vinyl.
The pioneering hip-hop duo will continue their nonstop 2023 touring schedule, picking up in Hawaii on 14 Oct before their Tour De Friends headline dates supported by HEBL & NOFUN!, that includes their first hometown shows of the year, performing at Minneapolis’ First Avenue on 24 Nov (Sold Out) and Saint Paul’s Palace Theatre on 25 Nov. Additional Sold Out shows on this run include Vancouver’s Commodore Ballroom, Sacramento’s Ace Of Spades, Los Angeles’ The Bellwether and San Diego’s The Observatory (North Park). Tickets for the upcoming tour dates can be purchased at atmospheresucks.com.
In what’s been a landmark year for the duo, Atmosphere not only released their new album addition to So Many Other Realities Exist Simultaneously earlier this year, but also released for the first time ever their cult mixtape Sad Clown Bad Dub 2. They were recently featured on The Danny Brown Show podcast and Slug contributed to The New York Times’ “50 Rappers 50 Stories” piece in celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip hop this year. The band also announced an official collaboration with Victrola, the leading vinyl record player manufacturer of turntables and music-related products for more than 115 years, which included a limited edition run of Victrola’s portable Revolution GO record player branded with an iconic Atmosphere touch. This limited run is available via victrola.com.
Critical Praise for Atmosphere: “plenty to offer longtime fans and newcomers alike” - AV Club “"So Many Other Realities Exist Simultaneously lives up to its open-ended title lyrically and sonically." - FLOOD Magazine “Incomparable” - 2DopeBoyz “the perfect example of the duo’s chemistry” - Glide Magazine "they’ve settled into their role as a guiding light in modern hip-hop" - Respect My Region Tracklist:
Wetter Attachings Rotary Telephone Don’t Mind Me Where I’m/You’re At Talk Talk (feat. Bat Flower) (digital only) Hear Hear (feat. Bat Flower) Hello Pete (feat. Buck 65 and Kool Keith) Make Party Politics Traveling Forever
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