ATLAS FRANKLIN ALEXANDER SHARES ETHEREAL NEW SINGLE + VIDEO ‘DOLPHINS’
Painting a sonic universe equal parts dreamy, ethereal and fluid, the new single Dolphins out today from Tasmanian-based psych pop artist Atlas Franklin Alexander also takes full flight with an elusive accompanying music video, and will equally enamour at a run of special single launch shows in Newcastle, Sydney, Melbourne and Wollongong this October.
Straddling immersive nostalgia and dreamy soundscapes, Dolphins finds Atlas channelling elements of iconic sonic dream-weavers Massive Attack, Radiohead, The Smiths and Brian Eno, with his new single also seamlessly capturing a rare moment of connection that transcends time and space in a modern setting, as he elaborates, “Dolphins is about the rare, eerie sensation that you’ve known someone longer than your life allows. Like their presence kinda predates your birth. Like you borrowed each other’s names in a past timeline and forgot to give them back. Dolphins is a hazy fragment – a song about a rare kind of bond. Some connections aren’t meant to be understood, they arrive, they shimmer, and disappear again.”
An entirely DIY affair as always, with Atlas producing, engineering, mixing and mastering in his home studio, Dolphins further burrows into your soul via its accompanying music video, with long-time collaborators and friends Harri Gilbert and David Fulham joining forces with Atlas to weave storytelling with compelling imagery, and balancing a fever dream quality with real-world relatability. “I directed the video, Harri was DOP, and Dave managed the lighting department as the project’s gaffer,” shares Atlas of the music video. “Those boys always help me bring my concepts to life.”
“The video is like the song’s visual counterpart,” Atlas continues. “It’s fragmented, elusive, and a little unsettling. I wanted it to feel like you’re watching something familiar but distorted – kind of like how you remember a face you haven’t seen in years.”
A purveyor of kaleidoscopic hues and exhilarating sonic landscapes, Atlas Franklin Alexander has spent the past few years expanding his compelling and entirely DIY trademark sound. Capturing attention performing at BIGSOUND in 2018, Atlas went on to release his debut EP Enter Echo in 2022, going on to command triple j and triple j Unearthed airplay, community radio support and coverage across the likes of Rolling Stone Australia, Pilerats, Life Without Andy, Tone Deaf, The Music and VICE. A gifted musical alchemist, Atlas has also had music videos air on MTV and ABC’s RAGE, and his magnetic live presence has led to him sharing stages with the likes of Boo Seeka, Art VS Science, Surely Shirley, Velvet Trip and Raave Tapes. Releasing his sophomore EP Flexible New Replica earlier this year, Atlas continues to push his sound into new and ever-engaging new heights, woven with modern yet nostalgic sensibilities, hooks, vocoder-laced vocals, angular guitar riffs and syncopated rhythms, ultimately leading to his style being perfectly dubbed as “the love child of New Order and Daft Punk”.
Ticking off a string of East Coast performances to accompany the earlier release of Flexible New Replica, Atlas is set to bring the magic to stages in Newcastle, Sydney, Melbourne and Wollongong this October, and, as Atlas reveals, fans can expect evenings of pure magic. “We are touring in October in support of the new Dolphins video release,” shares Atlas, “and the live shows will focus on atmosphere—lots of layers, both sonically and visually. We’ve been working on creating something that feels immersive, like stepping into the world of the music itself.”
“Dolphins” has always been one of those songs that felt intangible to me, like a fleeting moment,” Atlas concludes of his brand new single. “Releasing it feels like finally sharing a wacko weird lucid dream. The whole vibe of it is similar to a misremembered memory — not quite real, but familiar in the way certain dreams echo long after you wake.
Dolphins is out today.
ATLAS FRANKLIN ALEXANDER – UPCOMING TOUR DATES:
Tickets available from http://www.instagram.com/atlasfranklinalexander
SUN 05 OCT | WESTBEST BLOCFEST, NEWCASTLE NSW
THUR 09 OCT | PLEASURE CLUB, SYDNEY NSW
FRI 17 OCT | CHERRY BAR, MELBOURNE VIC
FRI 31 OCT | TBH FRIDAYS TOWRADGI HOTEL, WOLLONGONG NSW