Sean Daley, otherwise known as Slug of Atmosphere, had just picked up his kids from school and was on his way to the chiropractor when I spoke with him Tuesday afternoon. The situation was quite ironic due to the fact that Atmosphere will be headlining at Madison’s biggest party of the year this Saturday. Atmosphere, along with Prof, deM atlaS, Webster X, Charles Grant and Coby Ashpis will be playing the Capitol Stage Saturday, Nov. 1, for Freakfest.
The Minneapolis based group has been making hip-hop music since 1989 and boasts eight studio albums, most notably Lucy Ford, God Loves Ugly and When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold.
At 42 years old, Slug has been performing worldwide and in Madison since before most of this year’s Freakfest attendees were even born. Having played innumerable performances in the city of Madison, Slug is always excited for the familiarity and hospitality that Madison offers.
“I don’t know how many shows I’ve done there, so I’m going to just take a guess and say 15,” Slug said. “We’ll say somewhere between 15 and 20. To be 100 percent honest one of my main favorite things about playing Madison is the familiarity, not just because I’ve played there many times, but because there is a crossover between Madison and Minneapolis. There are people that I know, especially from back in the day. There are people that went to school there, so it’s easy to find a place to sleep after the show.”
This Freakfest Prof wants you to invite him to your house party
Midwestern hip-hop is often times overlooked in many mainstream circles for being raw, underground and radio-unfriendly, but Atmosphere’s eclectic sound reaches across moods while still maintaining an authentic hip-hop sound.
As a testament to the respect Atmosphere has gained over the years, Grammy-winning producer and Def Jam co-founder Rick Rubin once asked to executive produce the group’s famed album When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold.
“I think Rick brings a certain type of ear. I guess my favorite thing about Rick Rubin is that he is able to take the simple and make it more complex,” Slug said. “He gives simple things a lot of complexity. I think anybody that has the opportunity to work with him is fortunate.”
Any hip-hop group receiving inquiries from one of the greatest names in recorded music history deserves the utmost excitement from Freakfest attendees this weekend. With a sense of urgency in his voice, Slug shared why he gets excited to perform in Madison as opposed to other towns.
“You know when you play party towns, obviously the people are there to party. They’re there to have fun,” Slug said. “In fact, you can’t stop them from having fun and so, in that regard, it’s always good when there is energy there … As opposed to people that just want to fight or are there to hit on chicks. Or dudes for that matter. I don’t mean to be gender-specific.”
deM atlaS brings philosophical flow to populist Freakfest lineup
Some people might accuse Atmosphere of being headier, moodier rap music, but Slug said that they always aim to play for the mood of the occasion. Because Freakfest is usually a free-for-all of inventive costumes, loud jubilation, excitable young people and all-out chaos, Slug said it shouldn’t be hard to choose what songs the group will play.
“We usually figure that out after sound check or at the beginning of the show,” Slug said. “We kind of base it on what the vibe is. You know, it’s an outdoor show, a lot of times with outdoor shows we go for more high-energy songs and less depressing songs.”
After the festivities are over and you’re wallowing in your post-Freakfest hangover the next morning, you may want to turn on Atmosphere’s classic “Sunshine” to set the mood for your struggling Sunday. Slug’s hungover bike ride to group mate Anthony Davis’ house will forever live on as one of the classic tracks to come out of Minneapolis’ music scene.
“I literally rode my bike to Anthony’s house that day and made the song because I was hungover, so I didn’t even know if that song was going to make the cut,” Slug said. “All I knew was nobody would’ve ever heard it. When me and Anthony make music together we really have no idea what is going to happen to it. It’s not until later that we think like, ‘This is what the song will be.’”
