Atmosphere Vinyl, CD & Tape 32 Items

Often recognized as one of the most consistent and prolificduos in independent hip-hop, Atmosphere hit a stride ofextraordinary output from July 2007 to April 2008, even by theirown standards. Within those 9 months, they released afull-length album, four EP's, and a 42-minute mixtape ofexclusive material, altogether totaling 48 new songs released, allwhile they were consistently touring as well. This rapid-fire stringof releases introduced some of their most popular songs to dateand showcased their dynamic range, from moody and reflective,to upbeat and optimistic, to a boom-bap throwback style of rap,the latter of which was most prominently displayed on themixtape. Introduced on Christmas Day 2007, the mixtape was a"gift" to fans in the form of a free download, aptly titled StrictlyLeakage - a nod to both eschewing standardized industrypractices in favor of giving the music away, and to anotherprominent album title from the era that inspired them andperhaps more specifically, these recordings.Strictly Leakage surprised fans and critics alike, not justbecause the download invite appeared in their inbox withoutwarning, but also because the project sounded so uniquelydifferent from Atmosphere's typical recordings. Ant was diggingdeep into the funk & soul crates, favoring samples over liveinstrumentation, and producing tracks that sounded as if theywere birthed alongside late '80s and early '90s hip-hop classics.Slug was rapping with a renewed passion, yet somehowsounding more casual and carefree delivering endless wordplaywith more technical rhyme patterns than other Atmosphereprojects. Together, they created 13 exclusive songs that soundedas if they were just having fun making them, without thepressure of any album expectations - undoubtedly as rewardingan exercise for themselves as it was for the listeners.Early on, Strictly Leakage had been pressed on a limited run ofvinyl and CD, but it wasn't long before they sold out, and fanswere left chasin...

The critically acclaimed third official studio release from Atmosphere, God Loves Ugly, is back after being out of print for some time. Includes extra ugly bonus DVD!

Often recognized as one of the most consistent and prolificduos in independent hip-hop, Atmosphere hit a stride ofextraordinary output from July 2007 to April 2008, even by theirown standards. Within those 9 months, they released afull-length album, four EP's, and a 42-minute mixtape ofexclusive material, altogether totaling 48 new songs released, allwhile they were consistently touring as well. This rapid-fire stringof releases introduced some of their most popular songs to dateand showcased their dynamic range, from moody and reflective,to upbeat and optimistic, to a boom-bap throwback style of rap,the latter of which was most prominently displayed on themixtape. Introduced on Christmas Day 2007, the mixtape was a"gift" to fans in the form of a free download, aptly titled StrictlyLeakage - a nod to both eschewing standardized industrypractices in favor of giving the music away, and to anotherprominent album title from the era that inspired them andperhaps more specifically, these recordings.Strictly Leakage surprised fans and critics alike, not justbecause the download invite appeared in their inbox withoutwarning, but also because the project sounded so uniquelydifferent from Atmosphere's typical recordings. Ant was diggingdeep into the funk & soul crates, favoring samples over liveinstrumentation, and producing tracks that sounded as if theywere birthed alongside late '80s and early '90s hip-hop classics.Slug was rapping with a renewed passion, yet somehowsounding more casual and carefree delivering endless wordplaywith more technical rhyme patterns than other Atmosphereprojects. Together, they created 13 exclusive songs that soundedas if they were just having fun making them, without thepressure of any album expectations - undoubtedly as rewardingan exercise for themselves as it was for the listeners.Early on, Strictly Leakage had been pressed on a limited run ofvinyl and CD, but it wasn't long before they sold out, and fanswere left chasin...

Following the release of their debut album, Overcast!, Atmosphere was already making waves in the underground Hip-Hop scene, attracting attention for their unique combination of content, styles and sounds. Although the group was suddenly smaller due to the departure of one member, Spawn, the buzz continued to grow, as did the creative output of remaining members Slug and Ant. Over the next 3 years, the duo recorded and released a flurry of unofficial Atmosphere CD's, tapes, songs and side projects, along with pressing and distributing a string of vinyl EP's, titled "Ford One", "Ford Two", and "The Lucy EP". These vinyl EP's were ultimately consolidated onto one CD as well, for the purpose of selling on tour and distributing to retail, becoming what most considered to be Atmosphere's official sophomore album, Lucy Ford: The Atmosphere EP's, more commonly referred to as simply Lucy Ford. Lucy Ford was packed with the kind of nimble wordplay found on Atmosphere's debut, but it was paired with more self-reflective and introspective rhymes than their previous album. Tracks like "The Woman With the Tattooed Hands" and "Nothing But Sunshine" showed Slug was equally as talented at poignant storytelling as he was at conveying a deeper message for the greater good of humanity, while songs like "Don't Ever Fucking Question That" and "Like Today" stripped away at the character facade, allowing listeners to know the rapper on a more intimate level. The album wasn't entirely devoid of ego though. Slug reminds listeners of his competitive roots on "Guns & Cigarettes" over a truly inspired bluesy beat by Ant, who handled the lion's share of the album's production. And while Ant knows how to bring the emotional essence out of a beat, from the idyllic to the incensed, there were a few notable contributions from outside producers as well, including the dub-inspired "Free or Dead" by Jel, and the darkly optimistic "Nothing But Sunshine" by Moodswing9, among others. Now, in celebration of its 20th anniversary, the entire Lucy Ford album is finally available on 2xLP vinyl, for the first time in history! At last, fans and collectors everywhere can finally own this integral part of Atmosphere's legacy on vinyl, complete with the original artwork and a redesigned layout.

Originally Released In The Summer Of 1997, Overcast! Markedthe Start Of A Storied Career That Still Shows No Signs Of Slowing Down. While Slug And Original Co-Member Spawn's Rhymepatterns And Passion For Wordplay May Have Hinted At Someof Their Influences, Their Creative Songwriting And Inventiveconcepts, Paired With Ant's Brooding And Melodic Production,Made The Album Stand Apart From Its Predecessors And Peers.Overcast! Covers A Range Of Topics And Moods, From Thedramatic Storytelling On "Wnd", To The Sobering Reflections On"Caved In", To The Meticulous Imagery And Cultural Dissectionon "Clay", All Joined By A Wealth Of Clever Punchlines Andmetaphors Coming Together To Form A Well-Balanced And Diversecollection Of Lyricism. Of Course, There's Also "Scapegoat", With Its Beautifully Ominous Musical Backdrop And Slug's Perfectly Scripted Satirical Rant, Which Took The Underground By Storm And Played A Significant Role In Opening Ears Around The World To Give A Listen To What Atmosphere And Rhymesayers Had To Say. Although Widely Considered An Underground Classic, The Full Length Overcast! Album Was Never Pressed On Vinyl Until Alimited Edition Run Hit Stores In 2017, In Celebration Of Thealbum's 20th Anniversary. Now Re-Packaged And Produced Forwider Distribution, Fans Everywhere Can Add This Re-Masteredmasterpiece To Their Collection. Celebrate Atmosphere'slegacy Of Creative Expression With The Album That Started It All!

The title of the most recent Atmosphere album, May 2023's So Many Other Realities Exist Simultaneously, evokes the multiversal storytelling that's recently vaulted into the mainstream consciousness. With their latest effort, the irrepressible Talk Talk EP, the Minneapolis legends dart across threads of space-time to grab hold of the one where Slug and Ant became titans of the electro-rap 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 relentless forward churn of technological optimism reimagined as an endless loop with irresistible drums. The genesis of the Talk Talk EP was the session for a song of the same name that appeared on So Many Other Realities Exist Simultaneously. A collaboration with Lifter Puller alum Bat Flower, the song "Talk Talk" exists alongside electro classics in an uncanny valley that's been warped into a sweaty nightclub, at once vaguely alien and deeply human. Enamored with the song's outcome, Slug and Ant returned for a longer exploration of the sound, to mesmeric results. The pulsing "Rotary Telephone," where the TV antennas seem tuned to a world just slightly askew from ours, thrives on the tension between Slug's careening vocals and the song's taught structure_form matched perfectly with content. And on "Hear Hear," the struggle to make human connections is revealed as a beautiful one. For all its well-documented roots in disco and R&B, rap's connection to the electronic music of the 1970s and `80s is a core part of its DNA. The Talk Talk EP is one of the clearest articulations of this truth to emerge in many years, a testament to the communal power of programmed sound. For proof, look no further than "Traveling Forever," the haunting missive that closes out the record. Images flash: of police knees on necks, of prying cameraphones, another empty hotel room indistinguishable from the last. "I never got to learn how to dance for you," Slug raps, pointedly. "I don't know whether or not that's an attribute." A chill runs down your spine but the skull at its top keeps nodding.

Af Ter Being Out Of Print For Years, Atmosphere's Fif Th Studioalbum, You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having, Returns On Vinyl. Following The Breakthrough Success Of Their Fourth Album, Seven's Travels, The Group Returned In 2005, Showing Impressive Growth And Inventiveness In Their New Compositions. Citing Inspirations From A List Of Less-Than Expected Sources, Including Tom Waits, Mark Lanegan, Shawn Phillips, Spoon, The Mars Volta, Alopecia, Public Enemy, Boogie Down Productions, The Beauty Pill, Infected Wisdom Teeth, Craig Finn, Tv On The Radio, Australia And I-94 East, Among Others, The Album Pushed Boundaries Without Overreaching. "[Atmosphere] Has Never Sounded As Pointed And Focused As It Does Here On Its Fifth Album." -Billboard [8 Oct 2005]"Both A Return To Form And A Major Step Forward." -Urb Magazine[Dec 2005, P.94]"Ant Has Never Captured Slug`S Pen Strokes Quite Like This, And As An Emcee And A Songwriter, Slug Has Never Sounded This Good Over The Course Of An Lp. [You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having] Is Absolutely Their Zenith, In Every Sense." -Hiphopdx [4 Oct 2005]

Repackaged And Repressed On 2xlp Vinyl, Just In Time For Its10th Anniversary, The Album Features Two Bonus Tracks, "Millenium Dodo 2" And "Cut You Down", Not Available On The Original Version, Plus An Exclusive 7-Inch Vinyl Inside, Featuring Two Additional Tracks From The Same Recording Sessions, "By Your Side" And "Bar Food".Atmosphere Have Distinguished Themselves From Their Peers By Creating Albums Encompassing The Entire Spectrum Of Human Emotion While Tethering Each Piece To A Central Aural Aesthetic. The Family Sign Took This Philosophy To New Realms Of Solidarity With Slug Metaphorically Touching On Themes Of Fatherhood, Loss, Love, Disappointment And Jubilation, And Tailoring Them To An Instrumental Framework That Draws Emotion Out Of The Listener, Skillfully Composed By Producer Ant. The Family Sign Was Evidence That Hip-Hop Wields The Ultimatepotential To Address And Convey Life's Vir Tues And Short Comings. Following Their Acclaimed 2008 Release, When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold, The Subsequent Decision To Add Live Guitar And Keys Into Their Recording Process Gave The Family Sign A Warmer, Bluesier Feel. The Resulting Humanity They Brought Out Of These Songs Created Some Of The Most Powerful Moments Atmosphere Had Ever Put To Record. The Weeping Guitars And Twinkling Piano Keys On "The Last Tosay" Amplify Slug's Pleas For The Song's Protagonist _ A Victim Of Domestic Abuse _ To Leave Their Abusive Relationship, While On "Something So", The Light Guitars And Delicate But Precise Drums Paint The Vivid Image Of A New Dawn Breaking As Slug Recounts The Final Moments Of Expectant Fatherhood Before His Child Was Born, And Passionately Contextualizes The Journey Of Life. The Family Sign Ventured Further Inward, Becomingatmosphere's Most Personal And Intimate Album To That Point, Engaging Their Fans Like Never Before. It Isn't All Tear-Jerkers Though, As More Upbeat Songs Like "She's Enough", "Ain't Nobody", And "My Notes" Beckon You To Bop Along And Deliver Enough Optimism T...

Following Their Last Release, The Day Before Halloween_an Imaginative, Distorted-Synth-Driven Concept Album_atmosphere Returns With A Refreshing New Project, Simply Titled Word? Steering Back Toward Their Signature Sound, The Album Further Highlights Producer Ant's Undeniable Talents As The Project Leans Into The Classic Boom-Bap Aesthetic, Bringing A Uniqueenergy Out Of Slug's Wisdom, Wit And Delivery. From Onset, Word? Proves To Be Every Bit An Exercise In Refining And Advancing Their Craft As It Is A Harkening To Earlier Work. That Is, While Their Releases Have Grown More Broodingly Cinematic, And Increasingly Concerned With The Human Conditionand Mortality, Word? Manages To Reintroduce Moments Of Levity And Lightheartedness Throughout, An Approach Seldom Heard On Their Albums Of Late. From Album Opener "Fleetwood," With Its Razor-Sharp Snares And Warm Fleshy Bassline, To The Resonant Melody Of "Clocked", There Are Strong Hints Of Atmosphere's Nascent Years Within The Sound. Meanwhile, Songs Like "Woes", "Strung" And "Vanish" Cheerfully Make Light Of Daily Hardships, But They're More Likely To Be Remembered For Making Listeners Want To Bob Their Heads And Sing Along. With Slug And Ant Directing The Course, The Album Plays Like A Joyride Through A Range Of Experiences And Emotions, With An Extensive Cast Of Special Guests Hopping In And Out Along The Way, Includingevidence, Muja Messiah, Musab, Nino Bless, Nikki Jean, Anwar Highsign, Blackliq, Sa-Roc, Haphduzn, Lateef The Truthspeaker, Aesop Rock, And The Late Mf Doom (Rip). The Result Is A Project That Feels Like It Came From The Era Or, Perhaps More Fittingly, The Mindset That Created Albums Like God Lovesugly, Seven's Travels, Or The Popular Sad Clown Series, While Sounding As Polished And Perfected As More Recent Albums Like Mi Vida Local Or Whenever. Ultimately, Word? Pairs The Breadth Of Atmosphere's Talents With The Beauty Of Their Growth, All While Showing They Still Have A Lot Of Fun In The Process And Don't Mind Letting The Listener In On T...

"To All My Friends, Blood Makes The Blade Holy" On Vinyl For The First Time Ever, 2xlp With All New Artwork And Packaging Designed And Illustrated By Dave Quiggle!Similar To Their Now-Legendary Lucy Ford Release, Atmosphere Had Originally Conceived To All My Friends, Blood Makes The Blade Holy As Two Separate Ep's (To All My Friends And, Of Course, Blood Makes The Blade Holy). Much Like Lucy Ford, The Desire To Simplify The Concept For The Sake Of Tour Merchandising And Retail Distribution Led Them To Join The Two Ep's Together, Packaged Onto One Cd. However, Unlike Lucy Ford, Neither Of These Individual Ep's Were Ever Made Available For Purchase On Vinyl _ Though The Most Attuned Fan Would Point Out There Was A Very Limited Pressing Of The To All My Friends Ep Tucked Inside The First Deluxe Print Edition Of Photographer Dan Monick's Photo Essay Book, 7 Years With Atmosphere, But That Vinyl Was Never Sold Separately, Much Less Granted Packaging Or Artwork. Another Likeness This Release Shared With Lucy Ford Was That These Two Ep's Worked So Well Together, One Would Never Guess They Weren't Conceived As One Cohesive Project_and A Powerful One At That. While It Was Never Touted As An "Album" (Sales And Marketing Channels Were Explicitly Informed This Was Intended To Be A Tour Cd Only, "But We Love Our Retail Friends Too"), The Caliber Of Music On This Release Stands With Anything Else From Atmosphere's Catalog. Hard-Hitting Tracks Like "Until The Nipples Gone" And "The Loser Wins" Brought A Commanding Energy To The Project, As Well As Their Live Performances, While "The Best Day", One Of The Most Popular Songs From Atmosphere's Entire Catalog With Its Honest And Upbeat Message Of Humility, Was Also Featured On This Release. As Much As They May Have Underplayed The Initial Release, It's Hard To Overstate The Relevance Of This Project Or The Staying Power These Songs Have Had.

Out of print for a long time. Finally reissued. As Atmosphere's fourth official album, it included 19 tracks with lyrics by Sean Daley (Slug) and production by Anthony Davis - not the NBA star - (Ant). Seven's Travels contained two singles, "Trying To Find A Balance" and "National Disgrace." The album also included a special appearance by Brother Ali on "Cats Van Bags."

The original album will be recorded on two pieces of vinyl spanning four sides. To complete the Seven's Travels anniversary edition, a bonus third black vinyl will contain: the hidden track, "Say Shh" along with the three
bonus songs from the original vinyl pressing, plus two b-side only releases and two additional tracks recorded in 2003.

Originally released April 22, 2008, When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Sh!t Gold was met with critical acclaim, debuting at #5 on Billboard's Top 200 chart and scanning over 36k units in its first week of release. By this time, Atmosphere had already grown into one of the most accomplished MC/producer duos in independent Hip-Hop, with a half-dozen official full-length albums under their belt, along with a dozen more limited tour albums, EPs, and various side projects, altogether amassing well over a million units sold. While Ant's ASR-born beats had grown increasingly melodic and musical, Slug's name had become synonymous with introspective raps, and together, they'd galvanized a faithful following.

However, the thing that set When Life Gives You Lemons apart from previous releases was that it reflected a pivotal shift in Atmosphere's songwriting processes, where they transitioned from self-reflective to broadly narrative. Rather than expressing stories from their own POV, Lemons was based entirely on fictional stories and characters, addressing societal issues at large, some of which revolved around themes of parenthood–perhaps foretelling of their future founding of "Dad Rap". Now, in honor of its tenth anniversary, When Life Gives You Lemons has been re-packaged into two vinyl LP editions–the standard anniversary edition and the limited deluxe anniversary edition–both of which feature custom packaging details.

It’s a different place than it was two years ago, when Atmosphere released their last record, Fishing Blues. Their seventh album, Mi Vida Local, reflects the ways in which the world–and their place in it–has changed. The idyllic domesticity of the past few records has morphed into anxiety over keeping loved ones safe during turbulent times. The easygoing collaboration between Ant and Slug has started to feel more like the life-or-death intimacy of two men trapped together on a lifeboat. At times, Mi Vida Local is a heavy album, (“I might be the last generation of grandparents,” goes a key line from “Virgo”), but it’s far from grim.

As the name implies, Mi Vida Local is intensely focused on the place it was created–the southside of Minneapolis–where Slug and Ant work tirelessly in their “beautiful basements”, refining their sound without interruption, save for a handful of Minneapolis friends that showed up to contribute. The album pairs complex subject matter with equally deep beats–ones that show a clear lineage back to the psychedelic funk landmarks from an earlier era where America was going through a post-utopian hangover, and prove that there won’t ever be a time where boom-bap beats don’t sound perfectly of the moment.

Mi Vida Local might be the best album Atmosphere’s ever made. It’s definitely the one they needed to make right now, and one listeners need to hear just as urgently. If it’s sometimes an album about how the fight to find happiness never really ends–even after you get the house and the kids and the artistic freedom to make dad-rap records–it’s also about discovering that there’s happiness to be found just in fighting.

In the months leading up the new album, Fishing Blues, Atmosphere released a total of seven digital singles. Much to the surprise of their fans, none of these singles appeared on the album, and they remained available only as digital singles… until now.

Now packaged together as Frida Kahlo vs. Ezra Pound, these singles are available for the first times as a limited edition 7” boxset and on CD. Featuring guest appearances from Aesop Rock, Blueprint, Grieves, Prof, deM atlaS & Eric Mayson.

This 7” boxset contains seven different 7” vinyl, each song featuring individualized artwork by Dave Quiggle printed on full-color vinyl jackets, surrounded by a custom printed hard slipcase including a free digital download card. Each record contains the original track b/w the accompanying instrumental. Guaranteed to be the perfect Holiday gift for any Atmosphere fan.

Tucked away in a corner of northwestern Europe and so small you could drive through it in minutes without noticing you were ever there, Luxembourg is often overlooked. This is also true for Luxembourg’s music scene, and even more so in the early 1980s. Aside from a string of victories at the annual Eurovision song contest or the mighty Radio Luxembourg that had for decades been blasting jazz, rock and other modern music into stolid Western European ears, very little else seemed to be going on. But even in a country of barely 350,000 people, musical adventurers had picked up on the spaced-out jazz-funk of bands like Return to Forever, Herbie Hancock’s Mwandishi, Weather Report, George Duke, and the electric Miles Davis. Under the leadership of trumpet player Gast Waltzing, a handful of them put together a band called “Atmosphere” and used the sound of their inspirations as a launchpad for their own musical exploration.

What you hold in your hands is a “best of” the Atmosphere band, which released two albums and a 7” single between 1981 and 1986. Privately pressed and long out of print, with original copies very hard to come by even in their country of origin, these records have for years been unheard by anyone outside hardcore collector circles. With no master tapes available, it was a real labor of love to track down the best quality vinyl copies and to reissue a selection of our favorite tracks in professionally remastered form.

Editions de Lux is a new label dedicated to unearthing and releasing records we love and believe deserve more attention, with a focus on Luxembourg and the surrounding countries. We are just the latest in a long line of immigrants who have come to work in Luxembourg and who are trying to find our own path into the heart of this mysterious little country that has much more to it than dark forests, medieval castles, rusting steel mills, and shadowy banks.

In their 25-plus years as a duo, Atmosphere's rapper Slug and producer Ant have built a legacy that is embedded in the fabric of underground hip-hop. Rising in the ranks of Minneapolis, their debut album, Overcast! was released in 1997. Presented as a flurry of vignettes, and paired with an unending touring schedule, the album was a springboard from which the group was able to become a fixture in the midwest music scene. It wasn't long before their songwriting evolved from telling inventive third-person tales to delivering introspective first-person eviscerations, and by the early 2000's Slug would jokingly birth the phrase "emo rap" in an interview before publications began running with the genre tag to describe them and others. In the decades since their debut, Atmosphere has maintained a course of rigorous output, releasing over two dozen studio albums, EP's and collaborative side projects in as many years. The venerated duo have built a legacy out of bringing honesty, humility and vulnerability to the forefront of their music. Slug has proven masterful at storytelling and writing compelling narratives, leaving a trail of his own influence while paying homage to the rappers and songwriters that helped shape him. Meanwhile, Ant has skillfully molded the soundtracks with inspiration from soul, funk, rock, reggae, and the wizardry of hip-hop's pioneering DJ's and producers, creating his own trademark sounds and providing the pulse for songs about life, love, stress and setbacks. At its essence, Atmosphere has been a musical shepherd, guiding generations of listeners through this thing called life. Their newest album, 2023's So Many Other Realities Exist Simultaneously, captures perhaps some of Atmosphere's most personal work to date. The odyssey opens with a gentler approach than recent works, with the lead-off track "Okay" seemingly focused on comforting and reassuring the listener. As Slug raps over one of the most twinkling productions Ant has ever released, the song lays the groundwork for an album-length exercise in fumbling consciousness. Yet, as gently as the album begins, there's an unmistakable sense of unease from the outset that continues to evolve throughout the project, as Slug and Ant weave the listener through indistinct themes of insomnia and woe. From the subtle panic at the heart of songs like "Dotted Lines" to the overt anxiety of songs like "In My Head," the unease across tracks is unmistakable. Yet, as the tears might begin to well, they find resolve again through songs like "Still Life," whose hopeful outlook undercuts the tensity of the album. All the while, the rhythms on So Many Other Realities are some of the most inventive of Atmosphere's career. Ant's playful percussion on "In My Head" acts as a nice counterweight to the roiling writing, while the drum patterns on "Holding My Breath" and "Bigger Pictures" allow Slug to play with his flow to emphasize the anxiety driving the record. Where previous records in this most recent act of Atmosphere's career have been focused on emphasizing the parts of life that carry the most meaning_family, brotherhood, purpose_So Many Other Realities is an almost unnerving excavation of paranoia inspired by the general malaise of a pandemic weary society full of civil unrest. The tension in these songs is palpable, but the album's mere presence is a testament to the hope that has to underpin even the most stressed out epiphanies. The greatest risk Atmosphere has continued to take across their career is that of being vulnerable and unafraid. The world has inconceivably changed since Slug and Ant entered into the underground hip-hop scene, but despite the seismic shifts in music and culture, they've held strong to a foundation rooted in sly innovation and truth. The duo's relentless release & touring schedules only tell a piece of the story, but spending time with their records_whether you're a new fan or a longstanding listener_reveals a pair of friends who love to create and live for unabashed self-expression. Their bare reflections on life and the mundane traumas and joys that make living worthwhile are a gift, and that is Atmosphere's legacy in and of itself. If the music stopped tomorrow, the duo would go down as two quiet titans who changed the course of everyman rap forever.

In their 25-plus years as a duo, Atmosphere's rapper Slug and producer Ant have built a legacy that is embedded in the fabric of underground hip-hop. Rising in the ranks of Minneapolis, their debut album, Overcast! was released in 1997. Presented as a flurry of vignettes, and paired with an unending touring schedule, the album was a springboard from which the group was able to become a fixture in the midwest music scene. It wasn't long before their songwriting evolved from telling inventive third-person tales to delivering introspective first-person eviscerations, and by the early 2000's Slug would jokingly birth the phrase "emo rap" in an interview before publications began running with the genre tag to describe them and others. In the decades since their debut, Atmosphere has maintained a course of rigorous output, releasing over two dozen studio albums, EP's and collaborative side projects in as many years. The venerated duo have built a legacy out of bringing honesty, humility and vulnerability to the forefront of their music. Slug has proven masterful at storytelling and writing compelling narratives, leaving a trail of his own influence while paying homage to the rappers and songwriters that helped shape him. Meanwhile, Ant has skillfully molded the soundtracks with inspiration from soul, funk, rock, reggae, and the wizardry of hip-hop's pioneering DJ's and producers, creating his own trademark sounds and providing the pulse for songs about life, love, stress and setbacks. At its essence, Atmosphere has been a musical shepherd, guiding generations of listeners through this thing called life. Their newest album, 2023's So Many Other Realities Exist Simultaneously, captures perhaps some of Atmosphere's most personal work to date. The odyssey opens with a gentler approach than recent works, with the lead-off track "Okay" seemingly focused on comforting and reassuring the listener. As Slug raps over one of the most twinkling productions Ant has ever released, the song lays the groundwork for an album-length exercise in fumbling consciousness. Yet, as gently as the album begins, there's an unmistakable sense of unease from the outset that continues to evolve throughout the project, as Slug and Ant weave the listener through indistinct themes of insomnia and woe. From the subtle panic at the heart of songs like "Dotted Lines" to the overt anxiety of songs like "In My Head," the unease across tracks is unmistakable. Yet, as the tears might begin to well, they find resolve again through songs like "Still Life," whose hopeful outlook undercuts the tensity of the album. All the while, the rhythms on So Many Other Realities are some of the most inventive of Atmosphere's career. Ant's playful percussion on "In My Head" acts as a nice counterweight to the roiling writing, while the drum patterns on "Holding My Breath" and "Bigger Pictures" allow Slug to play with his flow to emphasize the anxiety driving the record. Where previous records in this most recent act of Atmosphere's career have been focused on emphasizing the parts of life that carry the most meaning_family, brotherhood, purpose_So Many Other Realities is an almost unnerving excavation of paranoia inspired by the general malaise of a pandemic weary society full of civil unrest. The tension in these songs is palpable, but the album's mere presence is a testament to the hope that has to underpin even the most stressed out epiphanies. The greatest risk Atmosphere has continued to take across their career is that of being vulnerable and unafraid. The world has inconceivably changed since Slug and Ant entered into the underground hip-hop scene, but despite the seismic shifts in music and culture, they've held strong to a foundation rooted in sly innovation and truth. The duo's relentless release & touring schedules only tell a piece of the story, but spending time with their records_whether you're a new fan or a longstanding listener_reveals a pair of friends who love to create and live for unabashed self-expression. Their bare reflections on life and the mundane traumas and joys that make living worthwhile are a gift, and that is Atmosphere's legacy in and of itself. If the music stopped tomorrow, the duo would go down as two quiet titans who changed the course of everyman rap forever.

Since its incarnation as a string of tapes and CDRs for the band to sell on tour in 1999, the Sad Clown series has taken on numerous forms, including 4-track demos, live shows, a DVD, a mixtape, and 7" singles. While preparing for 2007's When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Sh*t Gold, Atmosphere launched the next phase of the series, releasing Sad Clown Bad Summer Number 9, the first of four EP's dedicated to the four seasons. These seasonal releases were the first in the Sad Clown series to receive distribution, being made available on both vinyl and CD. Showcasing Slug and Ant at their best, the four Sad Clown seasons encompassed fan favorites such as "Don't Forget," `The Rooster," "Not Another Day," "Happymess," and "Sunshine," Atmosphere's biggest song to date. These four iconic EPs are now packaged into one 2xLP vinyl release titled Sad Clown Bad Year, complete with an 8-page activity book of custom coloring pages, connect-the-dots, a word find and a maze. The entire package comes housed in a reverse board jacket featuring black & white illustrations with an uncoated finish so you can color and customize yours anyway you like!

Vinyl come packaged in a custom printed plastic casing, gatefold jacket, full color printed sleeves, metallic silver color double vinyl, 8-page LP lyric booklet, and free digital download card.While Southsiders is a celebration of the group's fortitude, it is also a deeply introspective, and sometimes conflicted, work. "It's a natural progression from the last record,The Family Sign, which was about growing my family," says Slug, now a father to three, who finds himself contemplating mortality. "I'm starting to think, 'What is post-family man? What am I supposed to rap about now?' I'm sticking to my roots, rapping about what I'm doing, what I think about. This record is, much like the other ones, a very detailed look at my life."

Following Their Last Release, The Day Before Halloween_an Imaginative, Distorted-Synth-Driven Concept Album_atmosphere Returns With A Refreshing New Project, Simply Titled Word? Steering Back Toward Their Signature Sound, The Album Further Highlights Producer Ant's Undeniable Talents As The Project Leans Into The Classic Boom-Bap Aesthetic, Bringing A Uniqueenergy Out Of Slug's Wisdom, Wit And Delivery. From Onset, Word? Proves To Be Every Bit An Exercise In Refining And Advancing Their Craft As It Is A Harkening To Earlier Work. That Is, While Their Releases Have Grown More Broodingly Cinematic, And Increasingly Concerned With The Human Conditionand Mortality, Word? Manages To Reintroduce Moments Of Levity And Lightheartedness Throughout, An Approach Seldom Heard On Their Albums Of Late. From Album Opener "Fleetwood," With Its Razor-Sharp Snares And Warm Fleshy Bassline, To The Resonant Melody Of "Clocked", There Are Strong Hints Of Atmosphere's Nascent Years Within The Sound. Meanwhile, Songs Like "Woes", "Strung" And "Vanish" Cheerfully Make Light Of Daily Hardships, But They're More Likely To Be Remembered For Making Listeners Want To Bob Their Heads And Sing Along. With Slug And Ant Directing The Course, The Album Plays Like A Joyride Through A Range Of Experiences And Emotions, With An Extensive Cast Of Special Guests Hopping In And Out Along The Way, Includingevidence, Muja Messiah, Musab, Nino Bless, Nikki Jean, Anwar Highsign, Blackliq, Sa-Roc, Haphduzn, Lateef The Truthspeaker, Aesop Rock, And The Late Mf Doom (Rip). The Result Is A Project That Feels Like It Came From The Era Or, Perhaps More Fittingly, The Mindset That Created Albums Like God Lovesugly, Seven's Travels, Or The Popular Sad Clown Series, While Sounding As Polished And Perfected As More Recent Albums Like Mi Vida Local Or Whenever. Ultimately, Word? Pairs The Breadth Of Atmosphere's Talents With The Beauty Of Their Growth, All While Showing They Still Have A Lot Of Fun In The Process And Don't Mind Letting The Listener In On T...

Initially Written And Recorded When Atmosphere And Fledgling Label Rhymesayers Entertainment Were Still Making A Name For Themselves In The Minneapolis Hip-Hop Scene, "God's Bathroomfloor" Was An Early Standout For The Group. Turning Heads And Drawing New Fans In With Slug's Introspective Raps Over Producer Stress' Hypnotic Jazzy Beat, The Song Was Performed Live Frequently, Becoming An Audience Favorite Before Everappearing On An Actual Release. Even Then, It Was Only A Live Performance They Made Available, And Only On A Limited Mixtape They Released In 1996. It Would Be Another Year Before The 4-Track Studio Recording Would Surface On Atmosphere's Overcast! Ep, A Collection Of Focus Tracks Promoting Theirdebut Full-Length Album, But "God's Bathroom Floor" Never Made It Onto The Album Itself And Slowly Slipped Into Obscurity From There. Now, In Celebration Of Its 25th Anniversary, Theoriginal Recording Has Been Unearthed, Remastered, And Pressed On This Limited Edition 7-Inch Vinyl. Plus, In A Nod To The Song's Original Release As A Live Version, We've Included A New Live Performance Of The Song, Recorded Recently In Montreal, Mixed And Mastered Exclusively For This Special Release.Whether You're A Lifelong Fan Whose First Introduction To The Group Was Through This Song, A New Fan Looking To Explore The Group's Historical Roots Further, Or Somewhere In Between, This Release Will Be A Welcome Addition To Your Atmospherecollection.

For over two decades, Atmosphere has maintained a course of rigorous output, releasing over two dozen studio albums, EP's and collaborative side projects in as many years. In that time, the venerated duo have built a legacy out of bringing honesty, humility and vulnerability to the forefront of their music, continually challenging themselves to evolve without straying too far from their roots. Slug has proven masterful at storytelling and writing compelling narratives, leaving a trail of his own influence while paying homage to the rappers and songwriters that shaped him. Ant has skillfully molded the soundtracks with inspiration from soul, funk, rock, reggae, and the wizardry of hip-hop’s pioneering producers, creating his own trademark sounds while providing the pulse for songs about life, love, stress and setbacks.



At its essence, Atmosphere has been a musical shepherd, and with each new album comes a new journey as they guide generations of listeners through this thing called life. Much like everything else in 2020 though, Atmosphere's new album, The Day Before Halloween, is something of a detour from the anticipated path. Cutting loose and eschewing their established norms, Slug and Ant have delivered the anti-pop answer to the content and compositions of previous albums. Over razor-sharp drums and distorted synths, The Day Before Halloween explores the life of a visual artist living in an antiquated surveillance state. It's menacing. It's murky. It's George Orwell meets Keith Haring at a video arcade, on New Year's Day, 1985. If you've entertained any theories that we've slipped into an alternate reality, you may find further evidence in this dark and brooding release of future's past.

For over two decades, Atmosphere has maintained a course of rigorous output, releasing over two dozen studio albums, EP's and collaborative side projects in as many years. In that time, the venerated duo have built a legacy out of bringing honesty, humility and vulnerability to the forefront of their music, continually challenging themselves to evolve without straying too far from their roots. Slug has proven masterful at storytelling and writing compelling narratives, leaving a trail of his own influence while paying homage to the rappers and songwriters that shaped him. Ant has skillfully molded the soundtracks with inspiration from soul, funk, rock, reggae, and the wizardry of hip-hop's pioneering producers, creating his own trademark sounds while providing the pulse for songs about life, love, stress and setbacks. At its essence, Atmosphere has been a musical shepherd, and with each new album comes a new journey as they guide generations of listeners through this thing called life. Much like everything else in 2020 though, Atmosphere's new album, The Day Before Halloween, is something of a detour from the anticipated path. Cutting loose and eschewing their established norms, Slug and Ant have delivered the anti-pop answer to the content and compositions of previous albums. Over razor-sharp drums and distorted synths, The Day Before Halloween explores the life of a visual artist living in an antiquated surveillance state. It's menacing. It's murky. It's George Orwell meets Keith Haring at a video arcade, on New Year's Day, 1985. If you've entertained any theories that we've slipped into an alternate reality, you may find further evidence in this dark and brooding release of future's past.

For over 20 years, Atmosphere have pursued the underbelly of what it means to be human with a rabid curiosity. Ant’s dusky production has provided the pulse for Slug’s evolving and matter-of-fact pen. As Slug transitioned from throwing-up-in-the-backseat-raps to holding-hands-when-you-cross-the-street-raps, Ant has grown to be a master of crate digging and unearthing the humanity of a drum loop. Thriving at the intersection of guttural and self-effacing, Atmosphere will go down as some of America’s best archivists.

On Whenever, the duo continue to move in lockstep. Within the minutiae lie clues they’re still struggling with mortality and the need to protect emotional energy, as on previous releases, but there’s a quiet romanticism now, with Slug sounding—reluctantly—in love with life. And no other producer can pull truths out of a rapper like Ant fishes the blues out of Slug. Be it the twinkle of “Bde Maka Ska” leading into twanging guitars, or the anxious skitter of “Lovely,” Slug finds obvious comfort in working with Ant. “Postal Lady” recounts the simplicity of Slug’s life over warm and enveloping production, while “Romance” recalls God Loves Ugly with its undulating glitches, as if we crawled through Ant’s drum machine. It’s clear the pair’s harmony is reaching new peaks.

These aren’t dad-raps, these aren’t anti-establishment-raps, and these aren’t chasing-old-fire-raps. Even at its darkest (“You’re Gonna Go”) Whenever houses blessed-to-be-alive-raps. The album breathes in the way only Slug and Ant could summon a collective breath. On Whenever, the duo inhale panic and exhale greatness.

Finally back on wax!

The Sad Clown Bad Dub series is back, except this time happy... Originally released as a limited promo CD only, Atmosphere's The Fun EP (Happy Clown Bad Dub 8) is re-packaged and reformatted on vinyl for the first time ever in this 12'' smiley face picture disc. Featuring 8 tracks from Slug and Ant, including bonus track ''Pretty Broad'' as well as alternate versions of ''Say Hey There'' and ''Panic Attack'' off of the critically acclaimed 2005 release You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having. Packaging includes plastic LP jacket, custom obi-insert, and a free digital download card.

Another 15 track deep look at Slugs life & times.

The title of the most recent Atmosphere album, May 2023's So Many Other Realities Exist Simultaneously, evokes the multiversal storytelling that's recently vaulted into the mainstream consciousness. With their latest effort, the irrepressible Talk Talk EP, the Minneapolis legends dart across threads of space-time to grab hold of the one where Slug and Ant became titans of the electro-rap 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 relentless forward churn of technological optimism reimagined as an endless loop with irresistible drums. The genesis of the Talk Talk EP was the session for a song of the same name that appeared on So Many Other Realities Exist Simultaneously. A collaboration with Lifter Puller alum Bat Flower, the song "Talk Talk" exists alongside electro classics in an uncanny valley that's been warped into a sweaty nightclub, at once vaguely alien and deeply human. Enamored with the song's outcome, Slug and Ant returned for a longer exploration of the sound, to mesmeric results. The pulsing "Rotary Telephone," where the TV antennas seem tuned to a world just slightly askew from ours, thrives on the tension between Slug's careening vocals and the song's taught structure_form matched perfectly with content. And on "Hear Hear," the struggle to make human connections is revealed as a beautiful one. For all its well-documented roots in disco and R&B, rap's connection to the electronic music of the 1970s and `80s is a core part of its DNA. The Talk Talk EP is one of the clearest articulations of this truth to emerge in many years, a testament to the communal power of programmed sound. For proof, look no further than "Traveling Forever," the haunting missive that closes out the record. Images flash: of police knees on necks, of prying cameraphones, another empty hotel room indistinguishable from the last. "I never got to learn how to dance for you," Slug raps, pointedly. "I don't know whether or not that's an attribute." A chill runs down your spine but the skull at its top keeps nodding.

The Sad Clown Bad Dub series first started as a stringof limited cassette tapes and CD-R's for Atmosphere tosell exclusively on tour. Since its inception in 1999, theSad Clown series has seen over a dozen iterations innumerous formats, including rare 4-track demos, liverecordings, a DVD of behind-the-scenes tour footage, amixtape, 7" vinyl singles and more. To this day, one ofthe earliest volumes - Sad Clown Bad Dub 2 - stillremains one of the most celebrated and covetedinstallments from the series.Originally released in 2000, Sad Clown Bad Dub 2 wasa rather stripped-down DIY release - a simple CDtucked behind an illustrated cover with handwrittentracklist and liner notes. The recordings were equally asrough, consisting of a dozen raw 4-track demos thathadn't been treated to any sort of mixing or mastering.Although Atmosphere initially produced only 500 copiesof these CD's to sell on the road for extra cash, the buzzand the subsequent demand from fans eventually ledthe group to pressing more of the CD's, this time stampingthe cover art with the phrase "Authorized Bootleg" asa sly nod to those who'd been ripping and sharing thefiles. The unpolished nature of Sad Clown Bad Dub 2was no deterrent from the appeal of its contents though.Generally considered an underground classic in hip-hopcircles, Sad Clown Bad Dub 2 is often mentioned as oneof the standout releases in Atmosphere's extensivediscography. It is a deeply introspective project thatexplores a range of complex thoughts and emotions,counter-balanced by occasional moments of darklyhumorous sarcasm and wit. Slug's writing is sharp andinsightful with a knack for turning his personal strugglesinto universal themes that listeners can relate to. Ant'sproduction is minimalistic, moody, even eclectic innature, full of atmospheric textures and unconventionalrhythms. This release is very clearly one of the earlystepping stones in developing their unique anddistinctive sound together, helping...