Bio
Mike Cykoski, the man behind the arty, literate indie-pop project A Is for Atom, has had a distinguished career in the music business so far, but a few transformative events drastically altered his path. Now, he welcomes a new era of creativity with a bold new electronic recorded and live performance aesthetic.
“It feels like this is the beginning for me,” affirms the New York City-based artist. “I have so much freedom creatively. I can write different types of songs, and release them on my own terms.”
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As a composer, Mike has always been intrepid about his creativity. His new material embraces technology into his repertoire like never before. Here he uses drum machines to conjure the rugged grooves in EDM and hip-hop’s beloved 808 beats. He crafts his compositions with bold synthetic soundscapes using a DJ’s artistic arsenal bring to life his compositions. His most recent EP, Song for You, garnered him prime visibility in the press and onstage.
Mike’s epiphany came when his friend, a Live Sound engineer, invited him to check out some electronic acts. “These artists had guitars, computers, and their voice, and, witnessing that opened so many creative doors. It made me feel like I could finally produce what I heard in my head,” he says. “Sitting down with the recording program Ableton, it felt like being a sculptor looking at a marble chunk and seeing all the possibilities.”
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His music has an expressive electronic beat with an alluring baritone vocal performance, featuring multi-textured bridges and choruses.
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An NYU graduate, with a masters in Music Technology as well as Juilliard student and the experimental music center Harvest Works and DJ music school at Dubspot. Mike has performed nationally and internationally, live highlights include shows in Ireland, Mexico City, Toronto, for NXNE and Canadian Music Week, and shows in New York City and Austin.
Songs weave in and out of fast and slow beats and delve into a call for freedom of emotional expression that waits at the end of a figurative rainbow. His most recent EP, “Last Man on the Moon”, released in October, garnered him prime visibility in the press and onstage. Mike has performed nationally and internationally, live highlights include shows in Ireland, Mexico City, Toronto, for NXNE and Canadian Music Week, and shows in New York City and Austin.
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“Thinking ahead…initially, I was a little scared to take a chance and follow this fresh direction. As I began moving forward and learned a new model, so much more became possible and I’m so excited.” He pauses pensively before saying conclusively: “Now I have to go start recording.”
