ATLiens borrowed their name from OutKast's 1996 album of the same title, and the homage runs deeper than the name — their productions have sampled the original record directly, a specific hometown tribute for an Atlanta duo who otherwise hide behind chrome masks with glowing red eyes and rarely perform under their real identities.
“Chief,” their breakout single, got its push from Skrillex debuting it at a Boiler Room set, and the co-signs kept coming after that: Bassnectar, RL Grime, DJ Snake, Zeds Dead. The 2017 Bassnectar collaboration “Interlock,” released on Skrillex's OWSLA label, is probably the clearest evidence of how quickly they'd been absorbed into bass music's actual inner circle rather than staying a novelty act built around a gimmick.