Atoms For Peace

The anonymous ensemble later known as Atoms for Peace first appeared in public at Los Angeles, California's Echoplex on October 2, 2009. Thom Yorke performed alongside longtime Radiohead associate Nigel Godrich of Ultraísta, Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, session veteran Joey Waronker also of Ultraísta, and Forro in the Dark percussionist Mauro Refosco. The set encompassed Yorke's entire 2006 album The Eraser together with several new pieces, one of which was titled "Judge Jury and Executioner." Further concerts in Los Angeles, a short run of U.S. shows, and a Coachella slot occupied the remainder of 2010. At that stage the musicians adopted the name Atoms for Peace, drawn from a track on The Eraser that itself referenced the 1953 address given by then-U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Their initial release under this moniker arrived in July 2012 as a limited 300-copy 12" on the 50 Weapons label; the A-side featured an Atoms for Peace remix of Other Lives' "Tamer Animals," while the B-side contained the group's own "Other Side [Stuck Together Mix]." The following November saw the issuance of their debut proper single, "Default," on XL, with the parent album Amok—subdued yet rhythmically knotty and containing "Judge Jury and Executioner"—appearing the subsequent February.