
Artist: Atmosphere
Album: The Day Before Halloween
Genre: Hip Hop/Electronic
Label: Rhymesayers Entertainment
Rating: 8/10
At this point in their career Hip Hop duo “Atmosphere” shouldn’t be sounding this refreshed and inspired with new ideas, but here we are over 20 years after the group’s formation and the two have surprised us all by sonically exploring new territories one with an old worn out cassette copy of Headshots Vol. Se7en would never see as a possibility for a new change in sound. I’ve never heard so many synthesizers on an “Atmosphere” record, let alone synthesizers that evoke the spirit of 80s “Horror.” Producer Anthony Davis drawing influence from “Horror” isn’t completely out of character, considering much of his early work featured samples from classic Horror films such as Night of the Living Dead, Suspiria, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, and The Shining, but this deep dive into dark synth-driven Electro is a massive surprise. As for Slug, he isn’t exactly breaking new ground, but he solidifies his status as the ultimate MC who can unsparingly reveal his vulnerability and rap his ass off at the same time. This is the best “Atmosphere” has sounded in years.
Written By: Steven Sandoval