Press release
London-based duo An Alien Called Harmony unveil new single ‘Fighting the Atom’ on New Soil x Total Refreshment Centre.
‘Fighting The Atom’ is a biting critique of online culture, interrogating the limitations and contradictions of identity politics on what is an apologetic piece of playful, punky hip-hop. Described by the duo as “a melody-filled insect march beat [whose] bassline is as relentless as our delusions, to remind our future selves not to fall prey to atomization,” ‘Fighting The Atom’ bristles with contained energy and surreal flair. As the chorus warns, “when you birth a new being you never know the meaning they’ll assign, be ready for surprise…”
Taken from their forthcoming self-titled EP, ‘Fighting the Atom’ is the second single from drummer, composer and vocalist Momoko Gill and astral poet Nadeem Din-Gabisi, who have re-animated as An Alien Called Harmony to explore the dissonance of our human world with fresh eyes. On their way to being household names, both Nadeem and Momoko have been crucial threads in London’s shape-shifting jazz and hip-hop tapestry.
An award-winning poet-songwriter and visual artist, Nadeem Din-Gabisi’s work seeks to reimagine and investigate blackness as it pertains to his experiences as a British-born, second-generation immigrant of Sierra Leonean descent. This investigation has seen Nadeem work, record and perform alongside such eclectic and groundbreaking artists as Sampa The Great, Coby Sey and Tony Njoku.
Born in the UK, raised in Japan and California before returning to the UK as an adult, Momoko Gill (aka MettaShiba) is a composer, producer, drummer and multi-instrumentalist whose work with boundary-pushing UK artists Alabaster DePlume, Coby Sey, Tirzah, and Matthew Herbert has set her apart as a versatile and sensitive collaborator developing a voice of her own.
Uniting as An Alien Called Harmony, their debut EP is like a message in a bottle from another galaxy – a hopeful and subtly profound exploration of the state of the world, from the perspective of two curious outsiders. Five tracks of Brainfeeder-esque cosmic world-building, An Alien Called Harmony offers an astute social commentary in the spirit of hip-hop innovators Shabazz Palaces. Animated by love and empathy throughout, it holds a mirror up to the realities of mortality and conflict, forging a hybrid sound defined by sonic playfulness, spontaneous improvisation and just a little philosophical questioning.
