Atmosphere, the Hip-hop duo of producer Ant and vocalist/writer Slug, has reached yet another milestone in their illustrious career. After not only establishing themselves, but also their now-iconic independent label Rhymesayers Entertainment, as pivotal and forward-thinking members of the early 2000s Hip-hop scene, a gritty movement to juxtapose the artsy flash that was compiling in the mainstream, the duo set out on creating their undeniable discography. Several acclaimed albums and a total of three decades in the game later, Atmosphere miraculously still holds the natural chemistry and quick creative wit that made them so exciting to begin with.
A lot can change in thirty years. As children become adults and adults become parents, viewpoints are altered, and personalities shift. When you’re a prolific artist like Atmosphere, though, it is almost as if your creative output is a map of your maturity throughout the years. For the veteran duo, their map has led us to Jestures, Atmosphere’s ambitious new concept album. The concept is simple: 26 songs for the 26 letters of the alphabet. The attention to detail on Jestures is astounding, with the duo even going as far as to ensure the names of the features align with the letter the song represents. After thirty years of pushing loops past the point of recognition and laying down face-melting verses, Atmosphere brings it back to a rudimentary level without sacrificing the intelligence that has always separated them from their peers.
While the concept is simple and beautifully honed, the songs that make up Jestures are anything but. These 26 songs are sprawling and intricate, allowing Atmosphere to show off the many sides of their artistic prism. Within the first five songs alone, you hear Ant crafting plush, dream-pop-like instrumentals like the Evidence-assisted “Effortless” and nodding to Hip-hop nostalgia on a moment like “Daley.” All the while, Slug further cements himself as a pure songwriter with a natural knack for narrative, as he explores tumultuous relationships on “Baby” and daydreams of old school cars on “Caddy.” From the initial moments of Jestures, it is clear that the duo isn’t here to joke around, but to say they’re taking themselves too seriously does a disservice to the palpable fun being had across Atmosphere’s latest.
On paper, Jestures could’ve become a horribly disjointed mess as Atmosphere attempts to stay true to the concept of the album. In a flash of their well-earned prowess, the duo’s new album magically plays like one long thought process, snapshots of a well-thought-out train of ideas and dreams. Even more impressively, none of these songs sounds forced. A moment like the twisting “Instrument” is not just there to represent “I,” it successfully highlights Ant’s warped approach to beats, and “Neptune” is a cinematic highlight that brings the listener into a world of fantasy, far from a simple filler track.
The duo has nothing to prove, allowing Jestures to stand as an abstract monument to the first thirty years of Atmosphere. “Jesters” harkens back to the early days of the duo, “Greatful” is an uplifting moment that allows Slug to unload positivity over danceable drums, and “Locusts” is an immersive marriage of both Ant and Slug’s maturity. The magic is in the details of Jestures, as Atmosphere celebrates their longevity with an LP filled with reminders that they can go another thirty years if they please.
