Minneapolis, Minnesota Hip Hop pioneers Atmosphere’s producer Ant gears up to drop his latest instrumental album COLLECTION OF SOUNDS: VOL. 4

Anthony Davis, AKA Ant, the producer half of the legendary, pioneering Hip Hop group Atmosphere, proves once again how irreplaceable he is with the announcement of Collection of Sounds: Volume 4 (the last installment of the four-part series of instrumentals). This latest release showcases the lifetime of dedication behind his craft, blending his unparalleled skills with a fresh, expanded vision.

With previous volumes in the Collection of Sounds series, Ant has traced his musical evolution, spanning Hip Hop, Funk, Reggae, and more, all influenced and inspired by extensive travel dating back to his youth. Volume 4 deepens this exploration, introducing rock-inspired elements—guitars that wail, gnaw, and groove while maintaining his signature sound.

This is the fourth official solo release by Anthony ‘Ant’ Davis, producer of Atmosphere. His extensive production credits include tracks for artists such as MF DOOM, Brother Ali, Felt, Murs, The Grouch & Eligh, Rav, Sage Francis, Dynospectrum, and more.

This announcement occurs on the heels of the release of Collections of Sounds: Volumes 1, 2, and 3. Volume 3 delves into the rich influences of reggae, dub, and early Hip Hop, crafting a vibrant instrumental landscape that pays homage to these foundational genres. Volume 2 features smooth beats, intricate sampling, and lush layers that create an immersive funk-laden atmosphere, whereas Volume 1 has pockets that are practically begging for rappers to explore. The Collection of Sounds series offers a window into Ant’s creative journey, reflecting his evolution as an artist over the years, drawing from a vast vault of unreleased material.

When he first pondered releasing an instrumental series, Ant figured he might want to make the songs more ‘intricate’ than the ones he gave to his rapper collaborators, filling up the space in the mix that would normally be given over to their vocals.

“But then it would be jazz, right?” he says with a loud laugh. “And I’m not that”.

Fitting, as Collection of Sounds is not about forgetting who you are, it’s about remembering, reconfiguring, and reimagining, all at once.

The son of a military family, Ant grew up bouncing between locales: Texas, California, New York, Colorado, and even as far away as Germany. While moving every couple of years presented plenty of challenges, it also exposed Ant to a wide array of different people and cultures. It also helped nurture his burgeoning love of music. Ant’s father, only 20 years his senior, was an avid record collector.

“He was into funk and jazz and soul music and stuff,” Ant says. “When I’m ten years old, he’s only 30, and rap is out: he was listening to it, but he didn’t know the difference between Grandmaster Flash and Rick James. To him it was the same thing—this is all funk, this is all disco, this is just all music”.

“There was always this weird dream in my head that I could get somewhere”, says Davis.

As one half of Atmosphere, the longtime Minneapolis resident has carved out the type of career that aspiring musicians across the world imagine as they cut their teeth in home studios and on small stages. Yet while decades of sold-out tours and critical acclaim might have been, at one time, an abstract notion to the now 53-year-old, he always had a sense that he could spin his ingenuity behind turntables into a living. While the last 30 years serve as proof positive that he was right, his new four-volume collection of instrumental work, Collection of Sounds, illuminates the variety of styles and skills that made that inkling a reality. Order vinyl, cassettes, and exclusive merch at atmospheresucks.com and rhymesayers.com

‘Darker Colours‘ and ‘Prelude Revisited‘ are now available via iTunes.

‘Collection of Sounds: Volume 4‘ is out Friday 04th April

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