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| If we take Aesop's last recording for Def Jux - "1 Of 4" (the hidden track at the end of the "Daylight" EP) - as the voice of someone whose life was crumbling around him, then "Bazooka Tooth" is Aesop Rock speaking from amongst the ruins. And this is strongly
emphasised as Aesop's famous lyric "life's not a bitch; life is a beautiful woman" is echoed inverted on "The Greatest Pac-Man Victory Ever" to become "life sucks, dickhead". |
| So what does music from the rubble sound like? Aesop's own production style has clearly inherited some influence from El-P in that a number of the tracks on "Bazooka Tooth" are made up from various cluttered sounds, and altering drum patterns. Ironically, the El-P produced
"We're Famous" (which features a four-minute long El-P verse) is probably the most understated of all the beats on this album, with little more than a bassline and some solid drums, over which El and Aesop attack the critics who don't accept
Def Jux as Hip Hop. |
| The absence of Blockhead's tuneful production has already invited some criticism of this album, and will no doubt disappoint a few fans, but Aesop Rock makes it clear that with "Bazooka Tooth" he won't retrace steps. As might be expected, Blockhead's three offerings are all
very good, and they provide effective moments of relief between the more difficult Aesop Rock productions. "11:35" (featuring Mr Lif, produced by Blockhead) is one of the best tracks on the album, and sees Aesop and Lif rework the notion
of narrative rapping to relate various stories that all occurred at 11:35pm on January 21st. Another of Blockhead's productions is "Cook It Up" (featuring Party Fun Action Committee); a humorous exploration of sexism and misogyny that seems
a little strange in the context of the rest of the album, but is certainly of interest as a song you'd never expect to hear on an Aesop Rock record. |
| Of Aesop's own production, "Mars Attacks" is probably the most approachable - it's initially led by a small twanging loop, but then the tempo changes up, and Aesop Rock breaks into one of his all-too-rare double time
verses. The previously mentioned "The Greatest Pac-Man Victory Ever" is one of the most difficult tracks to swallow, as the dot-matrix music of the original Pac Man game weaves in and out of a cacophony of sounds and drums, but it suits
Aesop's flow, and the combination of track and vocals makes for another very good song. |
| Among "Bazooka Tooth's" low points are times when Aesop changes his vocal delivery to such an extent that he begins to sound almost like Eminem, and this is not a style that sits well with his usual flow or with the music he chooses. Curiously, given the criticism that has
been aimed at Aesop's clashing and apparently El-P-esque production, in my opinion the most disappointing track on the album is "Frijoles" and this is because there is too little happening in the production, so it's just downright boring. |
| When this album finally drops, there will doubtless be numerous comparisons to "Float" and "Labor Days", and many complaints that Aesop Rock doesn't sound like he used to. And this may be true. But having persevered with this album, it strikes me that perhaps comparisons
with Aesop's earlier works aren't really valid, and "Bazooka Tooth" should be judged only on its own merits. Certainly, its low moments are lower than the ones on his previous albums, but to concentrate simply on that fact would be missing the point. I disbelieve anyone who says they liked "Fantastic
Damage" straight off the bat, or "The Cold Vein" for that matter; "Bazooka Tooth" is a return to what Def Jux used to stand for - challenging and dangerously progressive Hip Hop. And, for my part, I say welcome back. |
| Ace still Rocks. |
| review: cornerstone |
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07.09.2003
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