Rising rapper ATO returns to share a special new remix of his introspective banger ‘no caroline’ with added fire from British-Nigerian artist, rapper and songwriter FLOHIO, landing alongside a fresh docu-style video shot in sun-soaked Leeds and London.
The three-minute production was shot between North-East Leeds (Chapeltown/Potternewton park – the neighbourhood where ATO’s dad lived when he was growing up) and around west London (the first area he lived when he moved to the city at 18), both areas feel like home and provide the perfect visual texture for the rebirth of this track filled with real moments that make up life for ATO. In a serendipitous moment of full circle following the original single taken from ATO’s 2021 EP Side A via MCMXCV that saw him open up and deep dive into his own emotional shortcomings rooted in his experiences, Flohio’s lyrical addition delivers a strong statement of self belief backed up by refresh of ATO’s hook.
Speaking on the remix, ATO says: “When No Caroline was first made, there were a million ideas for which direction to take the song, so a remix felt inevitable. I wanted it to be in the same world of the original but with a new dynamic, to make it feel more like a rebirth than a remix. I’ve loved Flohio’s music for a minute! I believe she is one of the most unique and authentic artists in the UK. Putting Flo on the first verse felt like a natural way to kick off the song with new energy. Once Flo layed her verse, we started looking at ways to tie the new dynamic together. Following Flo, it felt like the hook needed something new. We came up with a response melody that was initially intended for me. Eden ended up laying down the demo and it just felt great, so we kept it that way. This approach captures the process of making the remix: being open minded to completely fresh ideas.”
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.
Hailing from Bermondsey, South London , FLOHIO draws inspiration from her surroundings and day-to-day experiences to create a sound that is quintessentially London as it is extra-terrestrial. Since exploding onto the scene in 2018 with her high-octane COLORS performance of ‘Bands’, the South London native has since cemented her status as an unpredictable talent who is as exhilarating as she is impossible to pigeonhole.
Check out the official video for ‘no caroline’ below, directed by Eve Mahoney.
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