ATO Reflects On Love, Mental Health, Masculinity, Coming Of Age and Pride on 'Side B' EP

Rising Northern rapper ATO (pronounced: atu) follows his 2021 Side A EP with the second chapter to the story - Side B out today via MCMXCV. Featuring recent singles "COLD" and "COURTS" featuring Jay Bahd and new unheard singles "nu balance", "Straight Light" and "outro", this highly personal body of work was predominantly written in ATO's bedroom. The EP artwork which pictures him in its window echoes the music sentiment and honesty as ATO continues his open exploration of innermost thoughts and feelings. Always looking to tell his story both visually and sonically, dropping alongside the EP today is the video for "nu balance" that sees a documentary style snapshot into the life of ATO from the other side of the lens.

Speaking on the EP, ATO says:

In the time of making SIDE B, I was feeling the fragility of the world around me and found myself more committed to pushing through different feelings and emotions. The project is so desperate to find answers that the honesty is admittedly impulsive and naive at times. I feel that as a result, the vulnerable sides collide with the more resilient moments and give a more holistic reflection on the themes of love, mental health, masculinity, coming of age and pride explored.

Whilst SIDE A marks the birth of what now feels like my sound, I believe SIDE B is more refined than any of my previous projects. The wide range of production influences from stevexcooper, Jonathon Ng and singular balance, inspired me to take steps beyond my comfort zone and experiment more with melody and freestyle than I have done in the past.

Leeds-based and of British-Ghanaian-Danish descent, ATO is one of the most exciting new artists on the rise, using his music to reflect on his life and show an alternative side to the London-centric perception of Black Britishness. Bubbling up the scene since his 2019 collaboration 'falling' featuring Vic Mensa on his The Fader endorsed EP3, 2021 proved to be his biggest year yet with his acclaimed EP Side A ("Muscle Twitch", "ziamonds !!") garnering support from key tastemakers and broadsheets alike including The Observer, The Independent, DJ Target, Crack, Highsnobiety and DJ Mag who nominated him for their Best Of British Awards in the "Breakthrough MC" alongside ENNY, KAM-BU, Nova and DoRoad. His recent remix of "no caroline" featuring Flohio has been nominated for "Best Independent Remix" at the AIM Music Awards.

An astonishingly talented rapper and artist making music since he was just 9 years old, ATO has carved out his own lane in UK rap. Following an early childhood spent travelling across the globe with his mother, calling New York, Seoul, Edinburgh, and more far-flung locations home for some time, ATO settled in North Yorkshire with his mother before his teenage years. Growing up in Northern England, raised as British of Ghanaian and Danish descent, through previous projects like Side A ATO has touched on the challenges he has faced throughout his life, his identity and the oversimplification of the Black-British experience, told through a Northern lens. Sometimes laid back, and at others punchy and full of intent, his enchanting rap style and detailed anecdotes layered over genre blending productions will make you sit up and listen.

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