ATLiens EARTHGANG have always been rap futurists, but on their 2024 EP ROBOPHOBIA—a loose concept project centred around human relationships with one another and AI—they explore a current reality that not long ago would have seemed like science fiction. Over five tracks, the duo of Olu and WowGr8 cook up deep-fried funk grooves and R&B opuses that shoot directly for the stars. On “BLACKLIGHT”, they sing, “P-E-R-F-E-C-T, that don’t mean shit to me/I’m in love with the real thing/Let me know what it is, bae.” It’s clear that the duo look at this pending technological revolution with some scepticism. Elsewhere, on “PERFECT FANTASY”, they recruit the Doggfather himself, Snoop Dogg, for a soul-tinged hymnal. It’s a love song built around horn stabs and handclaps, buzzing basslines and weeping strings that give it a cinematic flair. “You really are the highlight of my day,” goes one line, before the duo team up for a harmony-filled chorus: “This feels like the perfect fantasy.”