Aesop Rock Meets Portishead: Rockhead EP

::: As an avid Aesop fan, I have made it a personal quest to find all of the music he has released to date. His unique style is one that never grows old. However, I wasn't a huge fan of the Bazooka Tooth album (though it was still artistic and innovative). That was, until I heard the Rockhead EP by J. Kingz. In a seemingly odd combination, J. Kingz fuses the avante-garde musings of Aesop with the beautifully eerie downtempo music of Portishead. And this is not just your typical mash-up or a sloppy slapping-together of two opposing styles and genres. J. Kingz blends the two equally inspiring artists into something that sounds totally unique. Each beat and vocal sample taken from Portishead is chosen to suit the tone and mood of the flows laid down by Aesop (courtesy of Bazooka Tooth). Not to take away from Aesop or Portishead in their original forms, but J. Kingz gives the selected tracks a whole new feel and vibe. I highly recommend this to any Aesop Rock and/or Portishead fan, not as a replacement for the artists' original works, but as an excellent tribute.

Personal Favorites:

TRACK THREE :: Aesop is accompanied by fellow label-mate EL-P on a track that gives their history and interpretations of the underground scene. EL-P just rips this track, rapping about getting his start in the business and building the Def Jux label in the face of naysayers and critics. Aesop follows with insight and tongue-twisting wordplay, as the hard hitting distorted beat of "Over" thumps along with plucked strings.

"You don't innovate because you can't innovate. It's not a choice, despite what you might tell your boys. Keep your identity crisis under the table, I always know who I was and I'll always be more famous"

TRACK FOUR :: This is probably my favorite track on the EP. The synth melody of Portishead's "Roads" is fairly basic, but it's paired with slow-building violins and a steady beat. Beth Gibbon's vocals on the chorus make the song feel both triumphant and somber at the same time. Aesop's subject matter on "Babies with Guns" creates a dark, almost disturbing feeling, with lines like "Nowadays even the babies got guns. Diaper snipers having clock tower fun. Misplace the bottle might catch a bad one. Have a mid -life crisis when your ten years young." The combination of powerful abstract lyrics and haunting instrumentation makes for an excellent song.

"if the jesus piece around your neck is bigger than your pistol
it makes homicide okey dokey and your god will forgive you
just show the saints at heaven's gate you should be on the list
i hear he overlooks manslaughter for a tattooed crucifix"