A paradoxical condition existed in the collective identity of Atlanta band, PARTISAN (2002-2006), one intrinsically Southern yet simultaneously global in perspective, bound both by the gothic and the gospel. Their outlook was alternately plagued by what Tennessee Williams described as "an intuition of underlying dreadfulness in modern experience" and buoyed by an optimism rooted in the humanistic uplift of everything from African American spirituals to the philosophies of Emma Goldman. Growing up in suburban areas around Atlanta that lacked thriving cultural centers, the band found a bond in film, politics, literature, travel, and music and sought to combine these mediums into new forms of cultural expression. Comprised of seven members, their sound is a sonic collage of post-punk, noise, latin rhythms, afro-beat, downtempo, folk, and gospel. Their influences are just as varied, emanating from such locales as Lagos and Bogotá, and including such artists as Ennio Morricone, the Beach Boys, Toto La Momposina, Public Enemy, Fugazi, Charles Mingus, and Gang of Four. Born into a region known for its racial oppression and religious repression, PARTISAN's mission was to represent a true incarnation of the mythical Atlanta phoenix and to reinforce Fela Kuti's belief in music as a weapon.