Eclectic afrobeat collective ATOMGA examines the power of choice in how you conduct yourself and the ways in which those choices affect the world around you on a timely new single “Which One Are You”, due out on all platforms via Color Red on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3rd. Today, Live For Live Music is proud to bring you the exclusive premiere of “Which One Are You” ahead of its official release tomorrow.
Throughout their nearly decade-long career, ATOMGA’s lyrics have maintained a common thread of magnifying global issues such as social justice, corporate greed, and love for humankind while never being forceful or heavy-handed in their delivery. On “Which One Are You”, the band addresses that tricky range of feelings you feel when someone starts to push the line of social inappropriateness, from the uncomfortable to the tantalizing.
As tenor sax player Frank Roddy tells Live For Live Music about the concept, “I got the idea for this song after someone approached me and, in a very condescending manner, asked, ‘Which one are you?’ I was taken back and then simply introduced myself to them. It made me think about all the times when we make choices on how we act and how we treat others. Which One Are You is a question we could ask ourselves.” The song poses the question at a crucial time, as its themes of self-conduct, feminism, and the power of choice continue to dominate the public consciousness amid a consequential election.
In recent months, ATOMGA has partnered with Color Red to produce a series of remixes by global producers including Bosq, Flow Lab Kid, and TNERTLE, highlighting the collaborative identity of the Eddie Roberts-founded platform. Leveraging that budding relationship, ATOMGA enlisted an all-star Color Red production team including Roberts (tracking engineer), Tony Austin (mixing engineer), and Doug Krebs (mastering engineer) to record the track, taking the song to new sonic heights.
Vocalist LaShá “CalySōl” Afarko‘s cheeky, spellbinding lyrics (“more power to the pussy, and more pussy to the power!”) on the new track pay homage to Harlem Nights character “Sunshine,” and if you listen carefully, you’ll even hear nods to the Rolling Stones classic, “Miss You”. As she explains to Live For Live Music, “‘Which One Are You’ has been a most exhilarating project. The final product speaks to the marriage of art and artists. The music industry is one huge art garden. When you’re able to cook a good meal from your garden, it is oh so rewarding. ‘Which One Are You’ is musically delicious!
With its lively afrobeat shuffle, an expressive baritone sax lead courtesy of Leah Concialdi, and finely-tuned layers of gleefully ghoulish ambiance, ATOMGA’s “Which One Are You” is as much a dramatic homage to Halloween as it is an ultimatum for our society on the eve of the election. Stream “Which One Are You” below ahead of its official release on Tuesday.
ATOMGA – “Which One Are You”
Although they have been off the road for most of the year, ATOMGA recently livestreamed a performance from Denver, CO as part of the Alive from Knew Conscious series. You can relive the full performance here.
