Aesop Rock – None Shall Pass

Aesop Rock – None Shall Pass

Aesop Rock – None Shall Pass

  • Comments: 1 in total
  • Author: MyVillage

Aesop Rock – None Shall Pass



Release Date: 6 August 2020

Format: Album
Genre: Hip Hop
Our rating: 4/5

Aesop Rock’s complex and fast delivery may be unusual for newcomers to comprehend, especially in comparison to mainstream hip hop. His wealth of unrestrained knowledge and expression is not heard as much as it should. But in the same vein in makes a refreshing change.

‘None Shall Pass’ takes funk, rock, dub and soul samples, scratches from DJ Big Wiz, spots by by El-P, Rob Sonic and the Mountain Goats’ John Darnielle. One of the most successful independent hip hop artists this decade rhymes his experiences in such a compelling, passionate and demanding way - it’s impossible not to pay real attention to ‘None Shall Pass.’

Review by Karolyn Judge, MyVillage

Press release:
None Shall Pass’ is the title track and first single to be released from the long awaited 4th Aesop Rock album on New York’s powerhouse rap label Definitive Jux. The track showcases, as ever, Aesop’s lyrical prowess as he reels off hundreds of syllables over off kilter production that fuses reverb soaked guitars with bubbling synth melodies over trademark tight drums.

Marking his return with a typically inventive song it’s obvious that Aesop has been a busy boy of late. In the last year alone, he’s released a 45-minute workout mix for Nike+, a short story in collaboration with visual artist Jeremy Fish and scored music for two short films as well as writing and producing his latest 14 track opus ‘None Shall Pass’.

Created over a 2 year period following his last release, ‘None Shall Pass’ documents not only a vast amount of personal change that Aesop experienced over this time, but deftly depicts scenes and stories relative to all ages of life. The album touches on the experiences all humans encounter as they reach the age of adulthood; being judged independently, moving to a new place and the relationships that one builds with others no matter how big or small. 

Forgoing the typical stance of braggadocio that’s ever present in underground and mainstream hip-hop alike, Aesop investigates and examines himself on this album, likening the title phrase to the inevitable judgment that everyone must encounter by their peers based solely on their actions.  

Responsible for all but revolutionizing the entire face of underground hip-hop in the early portion of this decade with a slew of potent and influential releases such as 2000's ‘Float’ LP, 2001's monumental ‘Labor Days’ LP, and 2003's ‘Bazooka Tooth’ to his most recent EP/book, 2004's ‘Fast Cars, Danger, Fire and Knives’, Aesop has proven that resting on his past laurels is all but forbidden.

www.definitivejux.net
www.myspace.com/aesoprockwins


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MyVillage, 31st July

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soulsearcher said on 26th August ...

"Responsible for all but revolutionizing the entire face of underground hip-hop in the early portion of this decade with a slew of potent and influential releases such as 2000’s Float LP and 2001’s monumental Labor Days LP to his most recent EP, 2004’s Fast Cars, Danger, Fire and Knives, Aesop Rock (aka Ian Bavitz) has proven that resting on his past laurels is all but forbidden. Following his Fast Cars EP, Aesop defied convention and collaborated with visual artist Jeremy Fish on “The Next Best Thing”, a short story posing as children’s book documenting the cathartic process taken to overcome a creative block. He also scored original music for two short films, “Fishtales” directed by Jeremy Fish, and “Walleyball,” released by McSweeneys Wholphin series. Early 2007 saw the release of Aesop’s unique and invigorating “All Day”, a 45-minute continuous mix commissioned by Nike+ for their Original Run series created specifically to enhance a runner’s workout with varying changes in tempo and instrumentation. Constantly finding new ways of innovation goes hand in hand with the dense verbosity and ethereal stutter-funk that codifies Aesop Rock’s output, and None Shall Pass is no exception. Created over a 2 year period following his last release, None Shall Pass unravels retrospectively, documenting not only much personal change Aesop experienced over these years, but also scenes and stories indicative of all ages of life. This album touches on the experiences all humans encounter as they reach the age of adulthood: being judged independently, moving to a new place, the relationships that one builds with others no matter how big or small. Snapshots of life from all viewpoints are brought to the forefront here; “39 Thieves” tells the tale of high school mischief, “The Harbor is Yours” embodies the viewpoint of a children’s story, “Fumes” examines the ever too common story of relationships gone sour due to drug abuse. Forgoing the typical stance of braggadocio everpresent in underground and mainstream hip-hop alike, Aesop Rock investigates and examines himself and others on this album, likening the title phrase to the inevitable judgment that everyone must encounter by their peers based solely on their actions. Production on None Shall Pass also is a vital strong point, with the majority of production duties handled by Aesop’s longtime partner Blockhead, labelmate and friend Rob Sonic and Aesop confidently producing a large portion of his own tracks, not including a trademark dystopian banger by Def Jux label-head El-P (“Gun For The Whole Family”) and features the Mountain Goats’ John Darnielle on the album closer “Coffee”. DJ Big Wiz also has a large presence on the album, appearing on 13 out of 14 tracks and offering a devastating rebuttal to those that say the art of scratching is dead. The duality of Aesop’s hectic stream-of-thought coupled with the complex production on this album makes no exception to Aesop Rock’s consistent pedigree, blazing a trail far ahead of his peers with an album that will be followed for years to come."


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