Words by Harry Webber May 16, 2019

Step into the strange dystopian world of Atlas Franklin Alexander.

What do we know about Atlas Franklin Alexander? We know we love his dark electro-pop, we know we’re obsessed with the video he’s made with creatives The Bardos, and that’s about it. Seemingly appearing out of nowhere last year with his songs ‘Ancient Choreography’ and ‘Valis’, the latter of which was accompanied by a crazy clip, we barely had time to wrap our heads around his music before he (outside of a few Bigsound performances) vanished.

Returning at the start of last month with his second single ‘Sonder’ – a collage of staggered beats, pop hooks, and darkwave synths – the enigmatic artist reminded us why we got so hooked back in 2018. The accompanying visuals felt more like a short arthouse film than a music video, which only deepend the allure of Atlas who plays a god-like figure capable of changing people’s sex.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIQaoAnRrTY

Constantly on the move, we connected with Atlas to find out more about his process and what his ambitions are for the future. Check out the interview below as well as the tracks/artists which inspired ‘Sonder’:

You’re something of a nomadic soul, where are some of the weird places you’ve recorded/written over the years?

Location wise, I’ve been to some beautiful places around the world but my best inspiration comes from limbo. That space in between. Park benches, mates couches, living in ashrams, meditation centres, at beaches, in garages, in my car and just pretty much on the road. I think I’ve always felt more purpose when I’m not set in one place.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_n0Ps1KWVU0

We’ve heard ‘Valis’, ‘Ancient Choreography’ and now ‘Sonder’ are these part of an album or larger conceptual body of work?

You could definitely call the three songs related, the whole album really. I tend to write a story and the songs become chapters. Ancient choreography, Valis and Sonder are chapters in the same story. All of the songs in the album are born at the same time fuelled from the same ignition. Those first three tracks/clips that I’ve released are a great indication of how this story goes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZT3gTu4Sjw

You played shows at Bigsound last year. But nothing since. How was that experience, do you have any plans to play live again anytime soon?

It was a great festival to showcase the live show. After the shows at Bigsound my band and I managed to score a spot on the Select Music roster. We’ve been chatting with them and will have a bunch of shows coming really soon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUYf2yu78Ts

How did you meet the Bardos collective? What drew you to each other?

We’ve known each other for quite some time now, we met working on a friend’s short film. The Bardos are based in Paris and even though we live on opposite sides of the globe, we still manage to make it work creatively. They always have a really unique and interesting way of looking at things, it’s probably why we get on so well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fi0q0O4V5Qs

AFA feels like visual project, how important is the visual element?

The visual element is a very important part, I wanted to create a world where you could lose yourself. The music, the visuals, the film, and the overall vibe is deliberately set to leave you in a daze.