The lyrical genius and mad beat slayer known as Atmosphere are back in action with new Talk Talk EP, a concept album released on December 1st.
Being the time of year for reflection, might as well take a minute to audit the past 40.
For those unaware of the breadth of talent this hip hop duo brings to the table, there’s no better time to start digging into the proverbial crates of Atmosphere discography than today. And there are quite a few albums in that collection, yet none so momentous as their latest collection of songs — one by one defining how technology has gotten far, far away from us all.
Sure, in the 1980s, it was all synthwave and robots, futuristic outfits and the first Apple computer (ironically released in 1984). Well the Orwellian prophecy has come true, as Ant and Slug artfully allude to in Talk Talk. We were a lot happier in the 80s, more connected with each other before cell phones, social media, and algorithms. Streaming services, the selling of personal information, and severe polarization of the American public from fake news just goes to show how the Internet truly did change everything! … But was this quantum leap in technology necessarily a good thing?
For those that remember a time before the almighty tech hath risen, we were all a lot freer… in-the-moment, confident. We didn’t constantly worry about keeping up with appearances. We just existed; we were better. Nowadays, our self-esteem hinges on our next post, continuing the façade of a life we choose to tell on our social feeds. But that brings up another aspect of the ‘Internet Age’ we didn’t quite expect — communication is entirely one-sided. We talk, talk, talk, too much, to the point we’ve forgotten how to listen. We don’t even care if we’re wasting our breath or allowing others to join the conversation.
We’re stuck in an Atmosphere of false realities. It’s time we get back to the basics.
Journey with this nonconformant, rhyme-slinging, record-scratching duo to the decade that started it all — the 1980s. It was an era stoked on the prospect of technology and what it could bring the world. There was “nothing here to fear”, as the title track states. The Internet was a lucrative place, a place you can “set your secrets free”. The Internet wanted to be your friend. Well, jump ahead 40 years and we’re all completely divisive, depressed, and desensitized. 2001: A Space Odyssey, manifested. We don’t blink an eye at another mass shooting or point a finger at ourselves for buying into biased media sources. We’re hypocritical in our beliefs while being hypercritical of everything we do to the point we’re apathetic while we do it. Our lives are controlled by the machine and the worst part is, we don’t even realize it.
Ant and Slug emphasize this point in the opening track “Wetter”, with echoing reverb and a whole lot of throwback attitude. It’s time to “spread love to fight the infection” of technology before it turns into cancer. Reprogram, disconnect. A full control, ALT, delete. Bring back the phonograph, the radio, pickup a goddamn book — anything but the Internet. We’ve become so addicted to the little computer in our pocket that we have little attachment to anything (or anyone) else. The grass is always greener with all the information in the world in one place. There’s no “Attachings”, as the second track puts it, nothing tangible to hold onto in our cyber age. “Everything’s happening… whatever that means,” mopes Slug, apathetic, anxious, and “adrift in loneliness”. We’ve never been so connected, yet so apart; a tragic fallout from technology’s promise of betterment.
Bring back the “Rotary Telephone” if you need to; make us remember the good ol’ days…
Throughout this entire EP, Ant broadcasts synthy psychedelic sounds, reminiscent of the mid-80s. Believe you me, this is intentional. Everything about Talk Talk is a nod — subtle or not — to how far we’ve come and, yet, we’re no farther than where we started. If anything, we fell far behind. There is a way out of this madness, though, as Slug suggests in “Don’t Mind Me”: be happy in your hustle, stroll along this planet as much as you scroll through digital screens, and make sure — at the very least — to be there for each other when others need us. Welcome to the 21st Century, where we have to work harder than ever before to retain our humanity.
“Where I’m / You’re At”, as well as the title track, both bring this message to light. Plus, Bat Flower singing on “Talk Talk” is like tuning into a track right out of 1986; New Wave, synth-heavy… it takes a full two minutes before you hear any rap at all. Every single piece of this album is a metaphor, an analogy to yesteryear. Even the album’s name is an homage to the New Wave band that proclaimed “it’s my life — don’t you forget”! If there was ever a statement to tell the machines seeding our brain to F the F off, it’s that. Brilliance.
This breakthrough album is deserving of not just fan praise, but that of the Academy.
At least in my opinion, it’s a defining album of our disparate times. COVID had us isolated, with nothing but digital media to keep us company. The prolonged lockdown led to learned helplessness, where we feared the outside and each other. Now that the pandemic has subsided, we have yet to ditch the ‘in technology we trust’ mentality… the “‘ only hear myself talk’ perspective. Well, “talk to yourself, talk to God, to your pets”… just learn to listen again, to reconnect. The future of the human race depends on it.
When I requested a hard-copy vinyl of Talk Talk to review, little did I know the irony of my ask. I hadn’t heard its content and now understand why a vinyl version exists in the first place (there’s actually a limited edition bubblegum pink pressing for collectors!!!). I highly recommend buying a physical copy of this album, if anything, as a means to get away from the daily data-collecting cookies that jeopardize our privacy. BUT, the band still has made Talk Talk available on all streaming outlets — to get the message out there.
Purchase or stream ‘Talk Talk’ EP:
Atmosphere – “Wetter”
Links: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Website
Share this article
or
Disclaimer: All views presented in this album review are those of the reviewer and not necessarily those of Top Shelf Music.
Get music updates in your inbox