Atōmi watches cosmic flames of destruction and renewal flow between the surface of the Sun and the darkest heart of humanity in his fascinating new minimalist electronica album Atømia — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
The second chapter in a triology of EPs composed by Berlin-based Italian musician and producer Lorenzo Setti (aka Atōmi), the meditative and immersive Atømia continues the artist’s musical and metaphorical journey through resonant frequencies, symbolism of different cultures, philosophies and ancient scripts. His unique and understated approach touches a wide range of electronic music genres such as ambient-techno, mystic minimalism, and cinematic with hints of contemporary classical.
What fascinates Atōmi on his latest work is the barely perceptible thread that connects the upheavals within the Sun caused by the nuclear reactions with the human act of cyclically destroying its knowledge acquired over the centuries. The act of burning scripts compared to flares and sunspots finds peculiar common points in catharsis, violence and renewal. The question that arises is: How much these acts are just “human errors” that keep repeating and how much instead they reflect the alchemical act of purification, which lays the foundations for a new path to follow for all humanity?
For this artistic exploration of connection between the macrosystems of the universe and the microsystems of human society, Atōmi began by examining historical transcriptions of events related to libraries, manuscripts or cultural centers burned and proceeded with the research on publication such as: Shifting Pattern of Extraordinary Economic and Social Events in Relation to the Solar Cycle by Gorbanev Mikhail.
Given that human history is written by victors — and that the first transcribed arson dates back more than 2000 years BC — finding faithful sources that could support the research was difficult, veering the project toward a metaphorical representation of the research and profoundly influenced the sounds chosen to compose the five tracks. These events have been subsequently translated, through the artist’s sensitivity, into five tracks, which take their names from five symbolic arson events: Thebes 1358 BC, Alexandria 642 BC, Baghdad 1258 AD, Yucatan 1562 AD and Berlin 1933 AD.
Atømia was composed in 2018 right after Atōmi’s debut EP. It embodies the research on transient saturation and the all-analog approach that characterized Atōmi‘s early productions at that time. The EP was composed primarily using Dave Smith Inst. Tetra, Nord Drum 2 with an analog effects chain in a live jam approach. By sequencing the instruments in real time and converging and then summing each signal in a single mixer, Atōmi achieved the desired saturated, rounded, visceral sound.
Setti has performed as a drummer in Europe and the U.S. with musicians such as David August, and participated in theatre shows such as Waiting For Godot, directed by Ulrich Rasche. His albums Little Floating Oracles (2022) and Armønia (2020) have been acclaimed by critics, and he has been featured on multiple compilations and collaborative releases. He has exhibit and performed in different festivals and venues, notably Ars Elettronica Garden NY, MMMAD Festival Urbano de Arte Digital de Madrid, Audra Festival, Schauspielhaus Bochum, Radialsystem, Venice Climate Change Pavilion, Lightbox NYC – Creative Code Festival, Graphic Days Torino – Seeyousound.
Listen to Atømia below, watch the video for Baghdad 1258 AD above, and join Atōmi on his journey on his website, Instagram and Facebook.
