Strictly Leakage was a 2007 Christmas gift to fans in the form of a free download. The title was a nod to both leaking their own music as well as to the golden era hip-hop that inspired them. It sounded uniquely different from Atmosphere's recordings around this time. Ant was back digging into the funk & soul crates, producing sample driven tracks that sounded as if they were birthed alongside early hip-hop classics. Slug was rapping with a renewed passion, yet somehow sounded more casual and carefree, delivering endless wordplay with more technical rhyme patterns than their recent releases. Together, they created 13 exclusive songs that sounded as if they were having fun flexing different creative muscles without the pressure of any official album expectations - undoubtedly as rewarding an exercise for themselves as it was for the listeners. Soon after release, Strictly Leakage was briefly pressed on a limited run of vinyl and CD, but it wasn't long before they sold out, and fans were left chasing streams and digital files in order to hear it. Finally, the project returns to vinyl and CD so fans everywhere can own and appreciate this unique chapter in Atmosphere's story.
