For Aesop Rock, the phrase “I heard it’s a mess there too” started out as a lyric, but it didn’t take long for that line to get its hooks into him. It felt familiar, like a line he’d said a thousand times in recent years while checking in with friends across different cities, swapping stories about where each other are, and what’s going on there. The more he sat with the phrase, the more it started to feel like the center of something bigger. 'I Heard It’s A Mess There Too' lives at the intersection of two personal urges for Aesop: the need to venture out and document your surroundings, and the desire to stay connected—especially when things feel uncertain.

Musically, Aesop Rock explores some new territory on the album. “I’d been building tracks the same way for many years,” he says, “but I made a conscious shift in my process here. I tried out some new tools and attempted to make my beats cleaner, more minimal. The drums are more stripped back, the bass lines are allowed to just sit, without layering ten things on top. I didn’t want the beat and the vocals competing for attention—I just wanted enough to get a wave rolling and not much more, just setting a mood I could move to.” These twelve songs mark different stops along that path of tinkering and looking for something new.

TRACK LISTING

1. Crystal And Herbs
2. The Cut
3. Full House Pinball
4. Bag Lunch
5. Spin To Win
6. Opossum
7. Oh My Stars
8. Potato Leek Soup
9. Pay The Man
10. Poly Cotton Blend
11. Call Home
12. Sherbert

One of the most expansive instrumental Hip Hop series to date, MF DOOM’s lauded Special Herbs collection assembles a mountainous collection of his beats, ranging from series exclusives to slightly reworked favorites he produced for himself and others. Released under the alias Metal Fingers, Special Herbs succeeds at capturing DOOM’s highly influential sound which continually breaks and reinterprets the rules of the game in favor of The Super-Villain. The world is a treasure trove of sounds, and the Metal-Fingered DOOM accepts no limits; ’70s Soul/Funk classic, ’80s R&B hits, rap nostalgia, and even soundbites from children’s records & TV all find their place in the ingredients needed to perfect his recipes.

TRACK LISTING

VOLUME 3 Tracklist:
1. Agrimony
2. Arabic Gum
3. Benzoin Gum
4. Bergamot Wild
5. Calamus Root
6. Dragon’s Blood Resin
7. Elder Blossoms
8. Styrax Gum

VOLUME 4 Tracklist:
9. Bloodroot
10. Star Anise
11. Lemongrass
12. Four Thieves Vinegar
13. Galangal Root
14. Spikenard
15. Cinquefoil
16. Hyssop

One of the most expansive instrumental Hip Hop series to date, MF DOOM’s lauded Special Herbs collection assembles a mountainous collection of his beats, ranging from series exclusives to slightly reworked favorites he produced for himself and others. Released under the alias Metal Fingers, Special Herbs succeeds at capturing DOOM’s highly influential sound which continually breaks and reinterprets the rules of the game in favor of The Super-Villain. The world is a treasure trove of sounds, and the Metal-Fingered DOOM accepts no limits; ’70s Soul/Funk classic, ’80s R&B hits, rap nostalgia, and even soundbites from children’s records & TV all find their place in the ingredients needed to perfect his recipes.

TRACK LISTING

VOLUME 1 Tracklist:
1. Saffron
2. Arrowroot
3. Za’atar
4. Fenugreek
5. Sumac Berries
6. Coriander
7. Shallots
8. Charnsuka
9. Monosodium Glutamate

VOLUME 2 Tracklist:
10. Red #40
11. Nettle Leaves
12. Mullein
13. Mugwort
14. All Spice
15. Lovage
16. Eucalyptus
17. Myrrh

One of the most expansive instrumental Hip Hop series to date, MF DOOM’s lauded Special Herbs collection assembles a mountainous collection of his beats, ranging from series exclusives to slightly reworked favorites he produced for himself and others. Released under the alias Metal Fingers, Special Herbs succeeds at capturing DOOM’s highly influential sound which continually breaks and reinterprets the rules of the game in favor of The Super-Villain. The world is a treasure trove of sounds, and the Metal-Fingered DOOM accepts no limits; ’70s Soul/Funk classic, ’80s R&B hits, rap nostalgia, and even soundbites from children’s records & TV all find their place in the ingredients needed to perfect his recipes.

TRACK LISTING

VOLUME 5 Tracklist:
1. Pennyroyal
2. Lavender Buds
3. White Willow Bark
4. Orange Blossoms
5. Coffin Nails
6. Kava Kava Root
7. Valerian Root

VOLUME 6 Tracklist:
8. Jasmine Blossoms
9. Black Snake Root
10. Horehound
11. Dragon’s Blood
12. Myrtle Leaf
13. Patchouli Leaves

One of the most expansive instrumental Hip Hop series to date, MF DOOM’s lauded Special Herbs collection assembles a mountainous collection of his beats, ranging from series exclusives to slightly reworked favorites he produced for himself and others. Released under the alias Metal Fingers, Special Herbs succeeds at capturing DOOM’s highly influential sound which continually breaks and reinterprets the rules of the game in favor of The Super-Villain. The world is a treasure trove of sounds, and the Metal-Fingered DOOM accepts no limits; ’70s Soul/Funk classic, ’80s R&B hits, rap nostalgia, and even soundbites from children’s records & TV all find their place in the ingredients needed to perfect his recipes.

TRACK LISTING

VOLUME 7 Tracklist:
1. Safed Musli
2. Emblica Officinalis
3. Licorice
4. Sarsaparilla
5. Fo Ti
6. Camphor

VOLUME 8 Tracklist:
7. High John
8. Mandrake
9. Devil’s Shoestring
10. Wormwood
11. Cedar
12. Buckeyes
13. Chrysanthemum Flowers

One of the most expansive instrumental Hip Hop series to date, MF DOOM’s lauded Special Herbs collection assembles a mountainous collection of his beats, ranging from series exclusives to slightly reworked favorites he produced for himself and others. Released under the alias Metal Fingers, Special Herbs succeeds at capturing DOOM’s highly influential sound which continually breaks and reinterprets the rules of the game in favor of The Super-Villain. The world is a treasure trove of sounds, and the Metal-Fingered DOOM accepts no limits; ’70s Soul/Funk classic, ’80s R&B hits, rap nostalgia, and even soundbites from children’s records & TV all find their place in the ingredients needed to perfect his recipes.

TRACK LISTING

VOLUME 9 Tracklist:
1. Vinca Rosea
2. Burdock Root
3. Vervain
4. Bergamot
5. Podina
6. Untitled (Meditation)
7. Coltsfoot Leaf

VOLUME 0 Tracklist:
8. Orris Root Powder
9. Passion Flower
10. Yellow Dock
11. Datura Stramonium
12. Coca Leaf
13. Peach Leaf

GOLLIWOG is billy woods’ first album in two years, preceded by 2023’s Maps, his second collaboration with producer Kenny Segal. That nimble travelogue has little in common with woods’ newest work, despite the fact that Segal shows up a couple times in the credits. GOLLIWOG is a haunting collection that weaves horror, humor, surrealism and Afropessimism into a cinematic tapestry, aided and abetted by a murderer’s row of producers. African zombies, time traveling trap cars, malevolent ragdolls and a dying Frantz Fanon are just a few of the revelers in woods’ danse macabre.

GOLLIWOG features production from The Alchemist, Kenny Segal, EL-P, Conductor Williams, Preservation, Messiah Musik, Sadhugold, Ant (Atmosphere), Shabaka Hutchings, Steel Tipped Dove, DJ Haram, Willie Green, Jeff Markey, Saint Abdullah, and LA-based experimental jazz trio Human Error Club. Meanwhile, woods is joined on the mic by Backwoodz labelmates ELUCID and Cavalier, along with rappers Bruiser Wolf, Despot, Al.Divino, and singer-songwriter Yolanda Watson.

GOLLIWOG is another triumph in the woods oeuvre, as layered and compelling as anything he has ever done. A black carnival pitched in a muddy field overnight, empty rides whirring and clattering in the dark

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: If it wasn't for Woods' *impeccable* rapping, this could easily be an outsider noise / plunderphonics odyssey, with lo-fi samples bringing to mind Lilacs & Champagne or DJ Shadow, while Woods' obviously political lyrics and Sci-Fi fantasism adds a rich, odd lore. Brilliant, and completely startling experimental hip-hop. Anticon eat your heart out.

TRACK LISTING

1. Jumpscare Produced By Steel Tipped Dove
2. STAR87 Produced By Conductor Williams
3. Misery Produced By Kenny Segal
4. BLK XMAS Feat. Bruiser Wolf Produced By Sadhugold
5. Waterproof Mascara Produced By Preservation
6. Counterclockwise Produced By The Alchemist
7. Corinthians Feat. Despot Produced By EL-P
8. Pitchforks & Halos Produced By Kenny Segal
9. All These Worlds Are Yours Feat. ELUCID Produced By Shabaka Hutchings & DJ Haram
10. Maquiladoras Feat. Al.divino Produced By Saint Abdullah
11. A Doll Fulla Pins Feat. Yolanda Watson Produced By Jeff Markey
12. Golgotha Produced By Messiah Musik
13. Cold Sweat Produced By Ant
14. BLK ZMBY Produced By Steel Tipped Dove
15. Make No Mistake Produced By Messiah Musik
16. Born Alone Produced By Kenny Segal
17. Lead Paint Test Feat. ELUCID & Cavalier Produced By Willie Green
18. Dislocated Feat. ELUCID Produced By Human Error Club

Legendary producer Ant, best known for his work with Atmosphere, proves once again how irreplaceable he is with 'Collection of Sounds: Vol. 4'. This latest release showcases the lifetime of dedication behind his craft, blending his unparalleled skills with a fresh, expanded vision. With previous volumes in the 'Collection of Sounds' series, Ant has traced his musical evolution, spanning hip-hop, funk, reggae and more, all influenced and inspired by extensive travel dating back to his youth. Vol. 4 deepens this exploration, introducing rock-inspired elements—guitars that wail, gnaw, and groove—while maintaining his signature sound.

Despite these genre experiments, Vol. 4 is firmly grounded in hip-hop. The opening track, 'Hearing In Dark Colors', sets the tone, evoking long drives up desolate highways in the dead of night. Tracks like 'Created With a Heavy Brush' and 'Just Another Three A.M'. reveal a mastery of diverse soundscapes, while the triumphant 'Day After 2010' takes listeners on an unexpected journey. As the album circles back to hip-hop on tracks like 'A Pinch Brighter' and 'Prelude Revisited', it leaves listeners transformed, further solidifying Ant’s status as a visionary artist.

TRACK LISTING

1. Hearing In Dark Colors
2. Darker Colors
3. All Right Now, Listen
4. Prelude Revisited
5. Behind The Sound
6. Day After 2010
7. Just Another Three A.M.
8. AAAND
9. Side Eight Synesthesia
10. Created With A Heavy Brush
11. Hearing Situations
12. All Sounds In Place
13. A Pinch Brighter
14. Classical Piano Number Seven
15. 4-Track Beyond Beat / Supreme Shoutout
16. Coloring, Shading And Endings

Aesop and Blockhead have never done a full album together, until now. “Garbology” came together over the course of the pandemic during stagnent periods for both – a dry creative period with neither really having any focus – so Blockhead started sending Aesop some beats for him to write over; with no real expectation, direction or end goal in sight, their creative juices began to flow naturally once more…

“Garbology” encapsulates much of the claustrophobic tension of of current times, capturing a snapshot of Aesop and Blockhead expressing a means of entertaining themselves the midst of a major global crisis.

Blockhead’s thick, atmospheric street beats compliment Aesop’s unique, quick-fire flow perfectly. Almost instantly transporting you under railway bridges, to underground subway stations, crumbling corner shops and abandoned waste grounds. If you’ve obsessed over the gritty cinematography of Detroit, Baltimore, Gary and other forgotten industrialized areas of the US (the label is based in Minneapolis); then this dark, isolated and wrought piece is the perfect soundtrack. Lyrically it’s poignant and tight, Aesop’s storytelling able to evoke thoughts, feelings and memories that the listener may not have experienced first hand but can completely sympathize with through the duo’s honest and authentic presentation. Possibly my favourite release from Aesop Rock and a brilliant showcase of Blockhead’s beats – which are unlike any other available in the market! 10 outta 10 all around – top of the class for these two.

TRACK LISTING

1. The Only Picture
2. Jazz Hands
3. Wolf Piss
4. Legerdemain
5. Difficult
6. All The Smartest People
7. Oh Fudge
8. More Cycles
9. Flamingo Pink
10. All Day Breakfast(feat. Homeboy Sandman)
11. Fizz
12. That Is Not A Wizard
13. The Sea
14. Abandoned Malls