Atoms For Peace

The nameless lineup that became Atoms for Peace made its public debut at Los Angeles, California’s Echoplex on October 2, 2009. Thom Yorke, joined by longtime Radiohead associate Nigel Godrich (Ultraísta) and Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers), as well as session veterans Joey Waronker (also of Ultraísta) and Mauro Refosco (Forro in the Dark), performed the entirety of Yorke’s 2006 album The Eraser and some fresh material, including a song titled “Judge Jury and Executioner.” Additional Los Angeles dates, a brief tour across the U.S., and an appearance at Coachella followed through 2010. By that point, they had named themselves Atoms for Peace — the title of a track from The Eraser, named after a 1953 speech delivered by then-U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The first release to bear their name was a 300-copy 12” on the 50 Weapons label, released in July 2012; an Atoms for Peace remix of Other Lives’ “Tamer Animals” appeared on the A-side, while the group’s own “Other Side [Stuck Together Mix]” was on the B-side. Their first true single, “Default,” followed that November on XL, with its parent album, the subdued yet rhythmically knotty Amok (including “Judge Jury and Executioner”), issued the following February. ~ Andy Kellman