Aesop Rock: Daydream Nation
If you’re not prepared to pay heed to rapper Aesop Rock‘s gravelly baritone, his complex lyrics can easily overwhelm. Reflexively branded one of hip-hop’s most abstract wordsmiths, the Definitive Jux mainstay appears to operate on a different wavelength, his dense rhyme schemes relying on seemingly inscrutable verbal algorithms. But a close listen reveals a dedicated artist continually honing his craft, someone trying to convey strikingly detailed stories by way of eclectic and novel language. Before the release of his latest album, None Shall Pass, Aesop Rock spoke to XLR8R about his inspirations and the root of his creative process.
On Religion
“I went to church every week growing up in Long Island. I was raised Catholic: confirmation name, first communion, the whole nine. As much as I would kick and squirm, I always liked the language, the way people spoke during the readings and the Gospel and the wording of the Bible. I still enjoy hearing people speak like that, in a tongue that’s different from your everyday year-2000 conversation.”
On Language
“I’ve always had my ear open for new words and phrasings. So many descriptive words aren’t being used now–dated, almost dead ways of wording sentences that are so perfect for describing an actual scene. It’s a crime vocabularies are so small, especially in lyric writing. I love adopting older wording and applying it to modern-day New York City scenarios. That odd lexicon gives it an edge.”
On Media
“I tend to get into movies or television shows that have odd dialogue. Deadwood is a recent favorite–it showcased such a cryptic, mad way of talking. I went through a Western phase, watching stuff like The Proposition. I will literally watch any TV show or movie of any quality that deals with another time period, anything that’s fantasy or sci-fi in any way, whether it’s old, or awful, or for children. If I can hear one interesting sentence over the course of two hours, it’s worth it. I just watched Bridge to Terabithia–I’m probably the only guy in the world who saw that movie. Some of my favorites are Rushmore and Brazil. I really liked Children of Men. Maybe I’m just trying to run away or something. I’m up until 6 a.m. pretty much every night. At the end of the day’ try to watch a movie or a couple hours of a television show. On Demand is the greatest thing that’s happened to my life. It’s beaten into your head that you should read and not watch TV. I always get asked what books I’ve read and I don’t have any answer because I’m never reading any books. I pull creative things from television and I’ve managed to make a lot of albums with these influences.”
On The Creative Process
“Every day’, I’m writing down words and phrases. Music influences me, obviously. But as far as visuals, when I watch a movie or TV, I sit with a pen and pad taking notes, writing down lines of dialogue that interest me. My cell phone is full of notes and phrases and things I hear when I’m out. At the end of the day, I have a shitload of notes, little fragments. When it sounds cool and kind of flips off your tongue, that’s the kind of hook I want. You don’t have to have a car chase to have an awesome story, as long as you can find a cool way to describe things. It’s as deep as you want to make it.”
On Drugs
“The song ‘Greatest Pac-Man Victory of All Time’ (which contained a series of phrases constructed from words starting with L, S, or D) is a pretty specific song about a specific summer where I did a specific amount of acid [laughs]. I reference pot, but I don’t even smoke that often. I talk a lot about pills because that’s what this generation can relate to, and I’ve had my ups and downs dealing with pills. I’ve been on them over the last six or seven years to treat anxiety, depression, and sleep issues. I hated it the entire time. I’ve ended up running the gamut of prescription medication, which I’m not proud of, but it’s a reality. I’ve gotten sick from pills that failed, that didn’t react well to my body, and none of this is recreational. It’s a struggle. I don’t ever rhyme about it being cool to take pills. I should be happy and I am happy, in general. I have a pretty good life, I have a wife, I’m an adult, I made it to my 30s without dying, and I have a lot of stuff to be happy about, but still there are these weird struggles. For every guy that doesn’t go to a shrink and finds this topic confusing, I assure you it’s more confusing actually being involved in it. You start to feel like a slave to the medication. You get the feeling you’re in a coma, kind of a zombie. I think it’s directly related to my love for movies and TV shows that are fantastical. You feel like you’re doing the same thing–at the end of every day you swallow your pills and go about your shit. Anything that’s remotely fantastical is a separate thing, a departure. Maybe it’s related somehow to my lyrics, trying to be a little bugged out, being super-embellished and exaggerated, telling every story like it’s a tall tale whether it is or not.”
On Lyrics and Imagery
“When you decide to be a rapper and you’re young, you carry around this competition and braggadocio, and it’s dope. But I don’t care at this point. I don’t think I have anything to prove. I don’t like music when I feel like someone is talking at you. Inherently with rap, you’re being talked at. That definitely has a place, and I’ve done that for so long. I’d rather engage and paint this picture and involve the listener. When I was 20, I was doing this real machine-gun delivery. Now, it’s all an effort to deliver the words in the greatest way they can be delivered. My favorite people paint a picture in few words, guys like Tom Waits, John Darnielle, and Cage. I don’t want any preachiness or my opinions on politics or religion. I want to subtract me from the equation. I don’t want to talk at people anymore.”
On Painting
“I used paint and draw eight or 10 hours a day. That was my shit. That’s what I went to college for, against my mother’s best wishes. I majored in oil painting. Everyday, I was told I wasn’t going to get a job painting. Turns out, Mom was right. When I was painting, I did large-scale, realistic portraits and figures. It’s odd. I never wanted to paint abstractly. I always wanted to be incredibly accurate, harness my skills and train myself. That’s what I feel I’m doing with my lyrics. The world wants to stamp me as this abstract lyricist and I feel like I’m doing the opposite. I’m trying to pay such close attention to detail and verbiage in an attempt to be even more realistic.”
On Teaching Children
“I’ve been going back and forth about teaching a class at 826 Valencia, an organization that teaches creative writing to children. I’m nervous. I’m trying to get over the fear of standing in front of children and trying to act like I know something. I’ve officially hit this point where I’m trying to live off of music and art. I have this inner desire to reach out to this younger generation and tell them, ‘It’s okay to be confused; here’s how some of it works, if you’re interested. You don’t have to be a banker your whole life if you don’t want to be.'”
The Week In Tours, August 16
Baltimore’s analog pedal-using wild man Dan Deacon gears up for several shows supporting Girl Talk, while mellow nu-jazz outfit Cinematic Orchestra runs through a few cities, and L.A.-based thrash duo No Age rips through art spaces and dive bars across the US. Finally, Norway’s newest disco-pop hype machine Datarock stakes its claim over theater and ballroom audiences Stateside.
Dan Deacon
09/02 Brooklyn, NY: New York New York Scavenger Hunt
09/06 Seattle, WA: The Vera Project
09/07 Portland, OR: Holocene
09/08 Chicago, IL: Hideout Block Party
09/12 Toronto, ON: Phoenix
09/13 Montreal, QC: La TuLipe
09/14 Boston, MA: Avalon Ballroom
09/15 New York, NY: Webster Hall
09/17 Philadelphia, PA: Starlite
09/18 Baltimore, MD: 2640 Space
09/19 Washington, DC: Black Cat
09/20 Charlottesville, VA: Satellite Ballroom
09/21 Asheville, NC: Orange Peel
09/22 Atlanta, GA: MJQ Concourse
09/23 Hattiesburg, MS: Thirsty Hippo
09/24 Houston, TX: Walters on Washington
09/25 Austin, TX: The Mohawk
09/27 San Diego, CA: Epicentre
09/28 Los Angeles, CA: Echoplex
09/29 San Francisco, CA: The Fillmore Auditorium
10/04 Oberlin, OH: Dionysus Disco
10/05 Minneapolis, MN: First Avenue
10/06 Iowa City, IA: The Picador
10/11 Saint Louis, MO: The Billiken Club
10/12 Grinnell, IA: Gardner Lounge
10/19 Bennington, VT: Bennington College
10/20 Alfred, NY: Alfred University Knight Club
Cinematic Orchestra
9/12 Solana Beach, CA: Belly Up Tavern
9/14 Los Angeles, CA: El Rey Theatre
9/15 San Francisco, CA: Bimbos 365 Club
9/16 Portland, OR: Aladdin Theater
9/17 Seattle, WA: Neumo’s
9/18 Vancouver, BC: Richards on Richards
9/21 Minneapolis, MN: Fine Line Music Cafe
9/22 Chicago, IL: The Abbey Pub
9/23 Toronto, ON: Phoenix
9/24 Montreal, QC: Club Soda
9/25 Boston, MA: Paradise
9/26 New York, NY: Webster Hall
No Age
08/23 Los Angeles, CA: Troubadour
08/26 Los Angeles, CA: Echo
09/18 San Francisco, CA: Bottom of the Hill
09/20 Portland, OR: Backspace
09/21 Seattle, WA: The Vera Project
09/22 Vancouver, BC: Pats Pub
09/25 Sacramento, CA: Fools Foundation
09/28 Nashville, TN: Mercy Lounge
09/29 Chicago, IL: Empty Bottle
09/30 Oberlin, OH: Dionysus Disco
10/19 Philadelphia, PA: Johnny Brenda’s
10/20 Washington, DC: The Red and The Black
10/22 Providence, RI: AS220
10/23 Somerville, MA: PAS Lounge
Datarock
09/18 Dallas, TX: House Of Blues
09/19 Houston, TX: Warehouse Live
09/21 Nashville, TN: City Hall
09/22 Atlanta, GA: Roxy Theatre
09/24 Chicago, IL: Metro
09/25 Detroit, MI: Majestic Theatre
09/26 Toronto, ON: The Carlu
09/29 New York, NY: Beacon Theatre
10/02 San Diego, CA: Casbah
10/03 Los Angeles, CA: Echo
10/05 San Francisco, CA: Rickshaw Stop
10/06 Portland, OR: Doug Fir Lounge
10/07 Seattle, WA: Chop Suey Presents
11/10 Sao Paulo, BR: Galpoes Savoy
DJ Krush Preps First-Ever DVD Set
An undisputed pioneer of the ’90s downtempo and instrumental hip-hop movements, as well as a noted producer who’s been dropping albums since 1994, Japanese god of the turntables DJ Krush is set to release a package in September that contains three DVDs and a comprehensive history of his ever-progressing career.
History of DJ Krush follows the DJ/producer from 1995’s Meiso to the present. Disc 1, A-Un, is a documentary of Krush during the release party for his first album, his summer 1996 tour through Europe, and the recording of his fourth album. Disc 2, Ko-no-Michi, is another documentary, and also features an interview from November 2006 and a DJ set. The third disc contains every music video the man has ever made.
Krush will be heading on tour again this fall, to celebrate the release of the DVD and his long history. According to the man, the message behind History is derived from a Japanese saying, “Suimou Tsunenimasu,” which translates to “There’s no end to training.” No kidding.
History of DJ Krush is out September 18, 2007 on Red Ink/Sony.
Tour Dates
10/04 New York, NY: Highline Ballroom
10/05 Montreal, QC: Le National
10/06 Washington, DC: 9:30 Club
10/08 Toronto, ON: Mod Club
10/09 Cleveland, OH: The Grog Shop
10/11 Minneapolis, MN: Foundation
10/12 Chicago, IL: Smart Bar
10/13 Atlanta, GA: The Loft
10/16 Orlando, FL: The Social
10/17 St. Petersberg, FL: The Bishop
10/20 Denver, CO: Bluebird Theatre
10/22 Portland, OR: Holocene
10/24 Vancouver, BC: Commodore Ballroom
10/25 Seattle, WA: Neumos
10/26 San Francisco, CA: Mighty
10/28 Pomona, CA: Glass House
10/30 San Diego, CA: House of Blues
10/31 Hollywood, CA: Knitting Factory
Musicfest NW Releases Compilation
As previously reported, dreary Portland is set to liven up a bit with this year’s Musicfest NW, the four-day music event featuring a host of acts like Deerhunter, Girl Talk, Aesop Rock, Atlas, and Grizzly Bear.
To further rev fans up for the event, the festival organizers have put together a CD sampler highlighting some of the artists confirmed for this year’s event. The disc is available now, online and in Portland, OR record stores. Proceeds from sales go towards both the festival and the Rock and Roll Camp for Girls.
Musicfest NW 2007 takes place September 6, 7, 8, and 9, 2007, in Portland, OR.
CD Tracklisting
1. Yacht “So Post All ‘Em”
2. Aesop Rock “None Shall Pass”
3. The Bronx “Shitty Future”
4. The Thermals “Returning to the Fold”
5. Spoon “The Underdog”
6. Herman Jolly “1,000,000 Feet Below”
7. Richmond Fontaine “Westward Ho”
8. Anders Parker “Dear Sara”
9. Okkervil River “Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe”
10. Viva Voce “When Planets Collide”
11. The Upsidedown “The Light”
12. Aqueduct “Living a Lie”
13. The Shaky Hands “Summer’s LIfe”
14. The Dirty Projectors “Two Sheep Asleep”
15. Adrian Orange “While You Live”
16. Tiny Vipers “On This Side”
17. Deerhunter “Spring Break”*
18. Grizzly Bear “Knife”
19. The Blue Scholars “Joe Metro”
20. Eugene Mirman “Revolve”
*Exclusive Track
Daily Download: Marcin “Capofamiglia”
Marcin Czubala has spent the last decade putting his classical music training to good use, letting the rigor of study enhance his skills as an important electronic artist in the Polish underground music scene. His time spent at Kurczewski music school is evident on “Capofamiglia.” The beats are intricately laced over one another with a meticulousness most don’t have the patience for, and subtle bleeps and tweaks blossom throughout the music.
Download this song as an MP3, or preview a week’s worth of tracks at the XLR8R Podcast. Subscribe using iTunes, or with an RSS reader of your choice.
Marcin Czubala “Capofamiglia (XLR8R Edit)”
Marcin Czubala has spent the last decade putting his classical music training to good use, letting the rigor of study enhance his skills as an important electronic artist in the Polish underground music scene. His time spent at Kurczewski music school is evident on “Capofamiglia.” The beats are intricately laced over one another with a meticulousness most don’t have the patience for, and subtle bleeps and tweaks blossom throughout the music.
Pharoahe Monch Desire
It’s been nearly eight years since his last proper release. Is Pharoahe pissed? No doubt. On his sophomore full-length-held-up due to record-label legal issues-the rapper exceeds the high standard set by his 1999 debut, Internal Affairs. Like Muhammad Ali after his imposed exile, Monch comes out swinging hard on tracks like “Free,” labeling the record industry a modern-day slave plantation. Referencing his Organized Konfusion days, he personifies a bullet on “The Gun Draws,” firing shots at America’s violence-saturated culture. On the Tower of Power-driven single, “Push,” he sounds inspired. Muzzled for far too long, Monch has returned with a passion that will satisfy heads seeking alternatives to ringtone rap and prefab rage.
Pete Leonard’s Favorite Things
NYC’s King Stampede brand is such a big name in streetwear, you might think they rock hip-hop all day every day. Wrong! Creative Director Pete Leonard, 32, is a disco DJ fiend and a huge Deadhead–put it this way: When we asked him to pick his favorite Grateful Dead song, he could only narrow it down to seven. (You’ll see the hippie vibes creep into KS t-shirts like the Dashiki print and one with a trippy-looking graphic of Beatle George Harrison.) Inspiration also comes from party-and-bullshittin’ around Brooklyn, and hanging out at the crew’s Boundless NYC streetwear store, started by King Stampede owner Nick Langella. We tracked Leonard down in Boundless’ back room and asked him what products are really twisting his melon.
1. Phil Frost x Shut skate deck ($59.99)
Shut changed everything for skating in the mid-to-late ’80s. My friends and I were so on the nuts we ordered uncut blanks from Westwood Cycle and started our own team, called “SWEAT.” I discovered Phil Frost’s painting around 1994 and immediately fell in love with it. It makes sense and puts me at ease; at the same time’ get really stoked. As much as I want to skate these boards”m keeping them on the wall.
2. WEOOEM book by P.A.M. & Eye Yamatsuka ($18)
Eye’s wild-style artwork gets me so open, and Perks and Mini bring the most beautiful noise every time. I gave this book to someone as a gift and somehow it’s still on my desk; don’t know if that’s my fault or if my boy Jimmy just wasn’t into it.
3. Urei 1620LE Rotary Mixer
When those checks get real good, I am buying one of these babies. Maximum control.
Pon Di Wire: Lutan Fyah, Tarrus Riley, Wayne Wonder
We didn’t know the buzz would last this long for Tarrus Riley–the famous son of singer Jimmy Riley, whom xlr8r.com told you about first! But the charts can’t shake the younger Riley’s beautiful “She’s Royal,” which is holding strong for its thirteenth week at number two in Jamaica, and number two both in New York and England.
Of course the week wouldn’t be complete without a peek at one of the best online dancehall columns, Portmore Suss, in the Jamaican Star. Whether its setting the record straight on the Norris Man dust up, an opinionated take on D’Angel, or the inside scoop on Chuck Fenda’s new video for “Light The River,” the Suss has it covered.
Rasta singjay Lutan Fyah is on the move again, this time touring Europe, performing in Eindhoven, Holland at the Sundance Reggae Festival, along with Yellow Man, Gregory Isaacs and Jimmy Cliff.
Tanya Stephens looks to better her already impressive intelligence and business acumen after being awarded a scholarship to the University of Sunderland, England, where she will do a business management degree through Internet-based classes. “I have tried to apply to many places and I have been told that I have to be there 90 percent of the time.” She pointed to the flexibility of the program, saying that “historically, many people have been denied access to education, especially higher education” because of the need to be at a fixed location.
One876 is reporting that self-proclaimed “ground-god” Bounty Killer will appear in court on September 12, to answer to charges that he threatened to kill a girlfriend in June of this year. The deejay’s lawyers had attempted to have the case thrown out of court, but were unsuccessful. Last year, Bounty Killer stood accused of the May 23 assault on his son’s mother, 33 year-old Julie Rambally. The complainant eventually dropped the charges, however, the deejay was forced to enroll in an anger management program, as well as undergo random drug testing.
Ya heard the boom tune “Ghetto Life,” by Virgin Islands-born Pressure, on a new lick of the Baltimore riddim from Don Corleon? The song and career of this new singer is really taking off, but he did have to learn a thing or two about appealing to an international reggae audience: “I developed my sound. I learned the pronunciation of certain words and the slangs and twangs,” Pressure commented to Jamaica’s X-News. “My accent and my background set me apart in the industry. I mean, I also have the support of the people of the VI as they have never had a reggae artiste excel.”
Big Tunes to watch: The Family riddim on Alone Productions has us swinging with singer Alpheus’ “Keep The Faith,” trodding in the rocksteady tradition. Seanizzle’s Problem riddim is a fidgety dancechall beat with Beenie Man’s x-rated “Ziggy Zar” leading the set. Lockdown Productions’ shuffling “Ah Ho” riddim finds new cuts from Cobra and Anthony B lighting it up. Proven hitmakers Star Trail Music’s Fire River riddim is back and blazing with heartfelt material by Lutan Fyah. Black Chiney’s oddly named but superb Dr. Bird riddim looks chartbound with Wayne Wonder’s essential one-drop lovers track “Love.”
