Cloud One
Atmosphere Strut
Album · Pop · 1976
Though many people associate pulsing disco tempos with the moneyed glamour of midtown discothèques like Studio 54, the genre's underground roots were appreciably grittier. At scruffy venues like The Loft and The Paradise Garage, discerning young DJs kept crowds moving to the beat by playing records produced on upstart independent labels like Mel Cheren’s West End, the Cayre brothers’ Salsoul, and Peter Brown and Patrick Adams’ P&P Records. Laboring in a tiny Long Island studio, P&P Records’ Patrick Adams created some of the disco era's most distinctive hits, including Bumblebee Unlimited’s “Lady Bug,” Musique’s “In the Bush,” and Cloud One’s “Atmosphere Strut”: a hypnotic slice of disco minimalism that may well be Adams’ signature production. Anchored by a throbbing kick-drum rhythm that embodies disco at its most elemental, the track builds in intensity as ethereal vocals, simple synth lines, and a spare but insistent bass line combine to create a transcendent dance floor experience. The remainder of Cloud One’s full-length debut is equally memorable, standing as one of P&P Records’ strongest releases.