Alchemical Disco – Atomic

“Atomic” is the debut release from Brooklyn-based DJ/production duo Alchemical Disco (Ayesha Adamo and Lucius von Wahnfried), as well as the debut release on their new imprint, Newroz Recordings. This revival of Blondie’s classic began with a single question: what would it sound like if Giorgio Moroder had produced this song? With that concept as the catalyst, Alchemical Disco set out to reinvent Blondie’s punk/new wave hit by adding a late 1970’s Italo disco flavor to their all new sonic elements.

Ayesha Adamo: “The thing is, we both first heard “Atomic” in the movie Trainspotting, and then discovered Blondie’s original version. This was long before Alchemical Disco—long before I ever met Lucius. I was too young to go to clubs, and dance music was still underground in the US, but that was the movie that introduced me to it and eventually gave me the idea that I could be a DJ. Of course, the Blondie original is a classic, so we wanted to do it justice and go all the way. We’ve got 30-stack vocals going on at some points. It’s pretty epic, which is fitting: Atomic is that explosive love thing that you feel on the dancefloor like it might be the last night of your life. It should go all the way.”

Nearly all of the sounds on this release have been created using self-built analog modular synthesizers soldered by Lucius himself, and custom designed to give that fat, organic sound. Additionally, the duo’s choirs of polyphonic vocals, guitar, and occasional live drums and bass all help to maintain the live rock feel that the song deserves, as well as confirm Alchemical Disco’s unique ability to perform not only as producer/DJs, but also as a band.

Additionally, this release features individual remixes from Ayesha and Lucius. The Ayesha Adamo Remix takes things underground, combining militaristic tech drums, sexy serpentine basslines, and a bit of acid for good measure, all interwoven about stunningly stripped down vocals. The Lucius von Wahnfried Remix matches stadium crushing EDM style with classic analog synth sounds, creating tastefully epic drops that won’t exhaust the ears. And you can also thank Mr. von Wahnfried for the impressive cover art. This duo does it all.

Marrying the past with the future, musically and otherwise, Alchemical Disco’s emergence in today’s climate of male-dominated dance music is not unlike Blondie’s presence in the similarly male-dominated punk/new wave scene of the 1970’s. By taking a place in the family tree that grew distinctively New York artists like Blondie, Alchemical Disco brings it back to the city that never sleeps, expressing the life, subculture and spirit of their own New York through music.