Rhymesayers US レコード& CD

Review: Aesop Rock's most recent studio long player was a superb and interplanetary trip by the name of Spirit World Field Guide. Now it gets released as an instrumental version. Although this artist is heralded for his work as a lyricist, he is also a talented and always evolving producer as this record shows. Here the tunes are a framework for you to explore and use as a roadmap to your own musical adventure. It's a world of emotion and colour that takes you a mile away from the mundanity of everyday life.

Review: Aesop Rock x Blockhead's Garbology album was a huge success and so it makes sense that the label now follows it up with a new issue of the instrumentals. It's a tidy package across four sides of coloured vinyl in a nice spot-varnished sleeve. Musically it is a brilliantly mixed bag that takes in myriad niche sounds and styles. The opener is a deep soul cut with pensive chords while 'Jazz Hands' (Instrumental) suspends you in swirling synths and spring-day optimism and 'Wolf Piss' (Instrumental) has heavier, darker beats and more menacing string sounds.

Review: First released in 1999, Operation: Doomsday is widely considered one of the most influential albums in hip hop history. The debut studio album from the enigmatic, metal-mask-wearing British-American East Coast rapper, Operation: Doomsday is significant in that it marks the artist's first move into solo work, following previous releases as part of the group KMD. Featuring Doom's signature intricate wordplay, cartoon samples, lo-fi production values, 80s soul vocals, smooth jazz loops, and vintage drum breaks, this album draws on the weight of the artist's personal tragedies with frank lyrics and piercing rhymes. This is the release that makes it undeniably clear why MF Doom has regularly been lauded as the crucial player of underground and alternative hip hop in the 2000s.