As a teenager, Slug (Sean Daley) became entranced with hip-hop, graffiti, and breakdancing, forming the Rhymesayers label and collective (originally known as Headshots) with two high-school friends, Siddiq Ali (Stress) and Derek Turner (Spawn). After some early gigs as Urban Atmosphere -- where Slug DJed behind Spawn's rhyming -- the pair hooked up with producer Ant (Anthony Davis), as well as like-minded locals such as MC Musab, Mr. Gene Poole, and the Abstract Pack, forming an underground hip-hop clique dedicated to freestyling and clever lyricism. In 1997, Atmosphere released their debut album, Overcast!, which received college radio airplay and earned an underground hip-hop following thanks to Slug's deeply personal, poetic musings, as well as Ant's bare-bones -- but inventive -- production.
Atmosphere participated in the supergroup the Dynospectrum (who released a self-titled album on Rhymesayers in 1998) and Slug contributed to another supergroup, Anticon's Deep Puddle Dynamics (whose full-length The Taste of Rain...Why Kneel appeared in 1999). The Headshots collective concluded their series of underground cassettes with a seventh volume in 1999, later reissued as an Atmosphere release called Headshots: Se7en. The group also began a series of limited releases (often sold exclusively on tour) titled Sad Clown Bad Dub, beginning with an extremely scarce 1999 cassette.
A year later, Atmosphere (then down to the duo of Slug and Ant) released the Ford One and Ford Two EPs, followed by the Lucy EP in 2001. Collected as the 2001 full-length Lucy Ford: The Atmosphere EPs, the three EPs were built around the theme of Slug's complicated relationship with his ex-girlfriend, the lost love of his life. As Atmosphere's following increased beyond underground hip-hop circles, they toured consistently, both at home and overseas; while Ant usually didn't accompany the group on the road, Mr. Dibbs of the group 1200 Hobos often joined in behind the turntables while Slug was assisted on the mike by young rappers like the teenaged Eyedea. In June 2002, Atmosphere unleashed God Loves Ugly, an 18-track effort that returned to previous themes ("F*@k You Lucy"), but also contained the group's pop-friendly single "Modern Man's Hustle," which reached the Top 20 of the U.S. rap singles chart.
By this time indie rap superstars, Atmosphere returned with their fourth album, Seven's Travels, in 2003, followed two years later by You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having. Following the record's success, Ant began regularly touring with the group. They continued to put music out during the next couple of years, including the free download Strictly Leakage in late 2007, a near-party album that they followed up with When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold in April 2008. The record featured plenty of live instrumentation and guest background vocal spots from Tom Waits and TV on the Radio's Tunde Adebimpe; it was also their highest-charting album, hitting number five on the Billboard 200. The "double EP" To All My Friends: Blood Makes the Blade Holy appeared in 2010, with the full-length album The Family Sign following in 2011.
In 2014, the group released the album Southsiders, which featured the single "Bitter" and became another Top Ten-charting hit. The following year, Atmosphere celebrated the ten-year anniversary of You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having by reissuing the album as a four-LP set (including instrumental versions of all the album's songs), in addition to The Fun EP, a picture-disc vinyl issue of an EP of You Can't Imagine outtakes that was originally released as a promo CD in 2006. In 2016, they returned with Fishing Blues, an album that featured the single "Ringo" along with guest appearances from MF Doom, Kool Keith, and Aesop Rock. While the set peaked just outside the Top 20 on the Billboard 200, it became their second album to top the U.S. indie chart. Mi Vida Local, an urgent reflection on middle age, appeared in 2018, followed a year later by the full-length Whenever. The Day Before Halloween arrived on that exact date in 2020, with Atmosphere unexpectedly switching to sci-fi/horror-informed themes over spooky, synth-heavy backdrops. Nearly a year later, Ant and Slug swerved back to their signature sound with Word?, which included guests such as Evidence, Aesop Rock, Sa-Roc, and MF Doom.
Biography by Dan LeRoy
There are other artists with the same name:
2) A Polish rock group, established in 1993 in Leszno, Poland, with Marcin Rozynek as a vocalist. In 1994 the group appeared at Mokotowska Jesień Muzyczna, where they were runners-up just behind Myslovitz. Two years later they won competition Marlboro Rock In. In 1997, Atmosphere released their self-titled debut album, Atmosphere, and in 1999 released Europa Naftowa. Atmosphere was awarded the Album debut of the year 1997 by magazine Tylko Rock and was nominated for the award Fryderyk in 1998 in the category Debut of the Year. In 1998, Atmosphere appeared at the National Festival of Polish Song in Opole with song Niewielki Skrawek Ziemi. Disbanded after Marcin Rozynek departure for a solo career. However, Atmosphere regrouped recently with a new line-up and is recording a new album.
3) An obscure one hit wonder Italo-disco group of the early 80’s. The group was produced by Franco & Venise Scopinich, and their one single “Swede’s Scandal” was realased on Superradio Reccords (label owned by Franco & Venise Scopinich).
4) A thrash metal band of the same name from Vietnam who have released two demo's.
Flicker
Atmosphere Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can erase the dark
One little flicker of light
Can erase the dark
Yeah I been drinkin', you already know
Do I smell like escape, probably so
I found your tape in my old collection
I look back with a hesitant laugh
But in reality it's dark down memory ave
All the trials and suffering we shared with each other
A lot of people thought that we were actually brothers
You know me, you know I'm a control freak
Who told you, you could die before me?
Gone, another dog lost to the wild
I feel like a snot-nosed child
And when I hear your smile
It's outlined in sadness
You poked holes in the magic
You taught jokes to the clowns
That never learned how
To appreciate the lights
Before the bulbs burned out
Flicker
One little flicker of light
Can erase the dark
One little flicker of light
Can erase the dark
Yeah, I been thinking, you already know
Do I sound frustrated? Probably so
Sometimes I feel guilty, I was out on the road
If I'da seen where it was going I'da stopped the whole show
I realize it ain't realistic
I keep tryna make the pieces fit with
The info presented
I felt resentment
I held this against myself
I wanna help my friend
It stays in my head
That I was on a stage when you were laying in bed
Body was discovered by your own mother
It penetrates my chest, I still taste the regret
That I slept through a late night call from your homie
But then I spoke with Siddiq the next morning
And then I smoked one million cigarettes
Go figure, maybe I was tryna catch up with ya
Flicker
One little flicker of light
Can erase the dark
One little flicker of light
Can erase the dark
Yeah I been sinkin', you already know
Do I look exhausted? Probably so
I don't get much sleep
I'm not sick, I'm fine
I'm just tryna make the most of this limited time
And I'm missing you but I ain't gonna lie
The distance grew between Eye and I
And at the end, even though we didn't speak enough
You were easily one of the best people I've loved
Now I'm tryna write a song for a dead songwriter
That wrote they own songs about life and death
And every breath is full of self-awareness
Don't ever be afraid to be embarrassed
So I wrote these words to describe what I cry about
But I'm certain if you were here right now
You'd ridicule these lyrics, you'd hate this chorus
You'd probably tell me that the concept is too straight forward
Flicker
One little flicker of light
Can erase the dark
One little flicker of light
Can erase the dark
Atmosphere's song "Flicker" is a powerful and emotional tribute to a deceased friend. The song starts with the lyrics "One little flicker of light can erase the dark," which is a central theme throughout the song. The singer, who has been drinking, is listening to an old tape when he reminisces about the memories he shared with his lost friend. While the memories are bitter-sweet, they are also a source of comfort for the singer. The singer's friend passed away, and he is still trying to come to terms with his grief. He feels guilty that he was not there for his friend when he needed him most.
Throughout the song, the singer is grappling with his emotions and trying to understand his feelings of sadness, frustration, and regret. He remembers his friend's smile, which is now "outlined in sadness," and how his friend taught him to appreciate the lights before the bulbs burned out. The song is a reminder to the listener that life is fleeting, and we should cherish the moments we have with our loved ones.
The chorus repeats the phrase "one little flicker of light can erase the dark," which is a reference to the small moments of joy and hope that can help us overcome our pain and sorrow. The song is a beautiful and moving tribute to a friend and a reminder to appreciate the small moments in life.
Line by Line Meaning
One little flicker of light
Can erase the dark
A small, insignificant light can completely eliminate the darkness
Yeah I been drinkin’, you already know
Do I smell like escape, probably so
Admitting to drinking alcohol and possibly trying to escape from reality
I look back with a hesitant laugh
But in reality it’s dark down memory ave
All the trials and suffering we shared with each other
A lot of people thought that we were actually brothers
Reflecting on past trials and hardships shared with a close friend, even though they were not actually related
You know me, you know I’m a control freak
Who told you, you could die before me?
Acknowledging the desire to be in control and questioning why a loved one had to die before them
Gone, another dog lost to the wild
I feel like a snot-nosed child
And when I hear your smile
It's outlined in sadness
You poked holes in the magic
You taught jokes to the clowns
That never learned how
To appreciate the lights
Before the bulbs burned out
Feeling lost and like a child in the wake of losing someone, and remembering how they taught others to find humor and light in life
Yeah, I been thinking, you already know
Do I sound frustrated? Probably so
Acknowledging feelings of frustration
Sometimes I feel guilty, I was out on the road
If I’da seen where it was going I’da stopped the whole show
Regretting not being able to stop a tragic event from happening
I realize it ain’t realistic
I keep tryna make the pieces fit with
The info presented
I felt resentment
I held this against myself
Coming to terms with the fact that they could not have prevented the tragedy and feeling resentment towards themselves
I wanna help my friend
It stays in my head
That I was on a stage when you were laying in bed
Wishing they could have helped their friend and feeling guilty for not being there when they needed them
Body was discovered by your own mother
It penetrates my chest, I still taste the regret
That I slept through a late night call from your homie
But then I spoke with Siddiq the next morning
And then I smoked one million cigarettes
Go figure, maybe I was tryna catch up with ya
Recalling the painful moment when the friend's body was discovered, feeling regret for not answering a call, and trying to cope with their loss
Yeah I been sinkin’, you already know
Do I look exhausted? Probably so
Admitting to feeling down and possibly looking worn out
And at the end, even though we didn’t speak enough
You were easily one of the best people I’ve loved
Now I’m tryna write a song for a dead songwriter
That wrote they own songs about life and death
And every breath is full of self-awareness
Don’t ever be afraid to be embarrassed
So I wrote these words to describe what I cry about
But I’m certain if you were here right now
You’d ridicule these lyrics, you’d hate this chorus
You’d probably tell me that the concept is too straight forward
Expressing love and admiration for the deceased friend and trying to write a song in their honor, even though they would probably joke about it if they were still alive
Lyrics © ANT TURN THAT SNARE DOWN
Written by: ANTHONY JEROME DAVIS, KIMBERLY MANNING, ROBERT MANDELL, SEAN DALEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind