You might have seen them. You were dancing, putting the moves on a target and slurping your drink and the flashing lights searching overhead spot this couple with pale,white faces, dressed extravagantly - wrapped in the weirdest threads you've ever seen. You probably stared at them from head to toe, analyzing their moves around the club. After that you probably turned your head and refocused on the task at hand - getting lucky. I admit, I also have been in this predicament. But the second time I saw them, I decided to approach them for a picture. I did not know what I was in for. "I'ts just a picture" I thought. But with every step forward, every inch closer, I was entering the world of Men Smash Atoms.

    ... If you've ever met worldly people, Nicodemus and Anitra are it. They have travelled all over, absorbing infuences that shaped the creation of their well known installations and subsequently, of performance art itself. Although their act is anything but conventional, in the tradition of creative performance artists their main goal is to promote the idea of individualism and to abolish the fear of the unknown. In short, they challenge conformity and try to increase awareness for individuals to accept creative differences in a society geared toward cookie cutter life styles. As Anitra plainly stated, 'no blocks on creativity'. While Nicodemus mixes techno-dance beats, Anitra belts out opera.She laces the hard edge techno with her delicate yet supple voice creating an unusual contrast and drawing viewers closer - to enter their world for just a moment. In this electronic age, where DJ's control the spotlight and computers come together with man, the music of Men Smash Atoms has found a place in this new evolution of sound

      On stage, they deliver intricate performances, as they take advantage of every aspect of a live show. Every detail is thought out, from carefully orchestrating the lighting and laboriously designing the costumes to adorningthe set with objects that the dancers can climb during the show. For a recent performance they painted their bodies white from head to toe,like bald aliens with a wicked Hellraiser look. Wrapped in a thick net, they created the illusion of an embryo or cocoon. Unlike others, Men Smash Atoms don't just perform, instead they encourage audience participation and interaction.I had a chance to see them perform recently. As the show began, four dancers strapped with alien-like masks divided the world we know it from the world of Men Smash Atoms. Nicodemus walked on stage and began to play his keyboard. His white attire suddenly became blue as the filter in the lighting changed. He was wearing a flashlight-like device around his neck and a helmet which were the perfect metaphors for tools that would help the crowd through the journey on which they were about to embark. Out of the shadows pops Anitra, also dressed in white, she waved her hands (adorned with Freddy Kreuger-like claws) over her face.

     She spewed her sweet opera voice all over Nicodemus's cyber dance sounds. The hypnotising melody that resulted, together with the sudden mimed movements of the alien droids in front of them, created a performance like no other I have ever seen.While some of the people in the audience stepped back in shock, some danced with delight. Eventually they all became relaxed and enjoyed the wild blend of styles so skillfully put together. As the show came to an end, Nicodemus and Anitra abandoned the stage followed by the aliens marching right behind them, military style, in a single file line. The performance was a success. The show was followed by a toast backstage and another in the VIP lounge with the humans behind the masks and the two honorees of the evening. The night was filled with celebration not only because of the show, but because as I glimpsed at my still-hour-behind watch I realized that it was my birthday...

      Possibly the next new thing after the next new thing, these Atoms obviously love what they do and that's utterly infectious, exploding the frosted glass of apathy I felt for some of the acts at this years Atonal.>