For over 20 years, Atmosphere have pursued the underbelly of what it means to be human with a rabid curiosity. Ants dusky production has provided the pulse for Slugs 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 Americas best archivists.

On Whenever, the duo continue to move in lockstep. Within the minutiae lie clues theyre still struggling with mortality and the need to protect emotional energy, as on previous releases, but theres a quiet romanticism now, with Slug soundingreluctantlyin 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 Slugs life over warm and enveloping production, while Romance recalls God Loves Ugly with its undulating glitches, as if we crawled through Ants drum machine.

Its clear the pairs harmony is reaching new peaks. These arent dad-raps, these arent anti-establishment-raps, and these arent chasing-old-fire-raps. Even at its darkest (Youre 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

Release date: 6th March, 2020

Track listing

Bde Maka Ska
Push Play
Postal Lady
Love Each Other
Romance
Dearly Beloved (feat. Musab and Muja Messiah)
The Hands of Time
Whenever (feat. Gifted Gab, Murs and Haphduzn)
Lovely (feat. Nikki Jean)
Son of Abyss
You’re Gonna Go
The Ceiling