AESOP ROCK RELEASES INSTRUMENTALS FOR SPIRIT WORLD FIELD GUIDE ALBUM

“He’s never before been such a commanding presence behind the boards. The beats here are the best of his career, full of torque and life.”  – PITCHFORK

“The strongest collection of beats he’s ever produced.”  – PASSION OF THE WEISS

Aesop Rock has just delivered the instrumental version of his most recent solo album, Spirit World Field Guide, arguably the most expansive and ambitious work in the verbose MC/producer’s storied career – available digitally now with 2xLP vinyl coming November 11 via Rhymesayers Entertainment. Aesop has long been celebrated for his talents as a lyricist, but he has continually grown and evolved as a producer as well. With the exception of “Sleeper Car” (produced by Hanni El Khatib), the full album was produced by Aesop Rock, incorporating additional instrumentation by Grimace Federation and Hanni El Khatib. While the original Spirit World album was a concept album packed with insightful chapters of firsthand know-how about the terrain, wildlife, and social customs of an uncanny world parallel to our own, the Spirit World Field Guide Instrumentals not only sets the tone, but also provides the roadmap for one to take their own journey.

The Spirit World Field Guide Instrumentals are being treated to a deluxe 2xLP edition, available for pre-order now, including 12” matte gatefold jacket (adorned by vibrant album artwork by renowned illustrator Justin “Coro” Kaufman), printed record sleeves, and one each of transparent cloudy effect green/blue double-vinyl, plus free digital download card. In conjunction Aesop has unveiled a new line of merch, including a limited edition SWFG shirt in bleached black tie-dye pattern, as well as a branded skate deck, wheels + grip tape. The release comes on the heels of LICE (Aes’s duo with Homeboy Sandman) re-releasing their full catalog of three EPs on DSPs and vinyl for the very first time last month, as well as his November 2021 full-length Garbology, his duo album with longtime production collaborator Blockhead.

STREAM SPIRIT WORLD FIELD GUIDE INSTRUMENTALS

More About Aesop Rock:
Aesop Rock is a critically acclaimed Hip-Hop artist/producer, recognized for his dense and abstract word-play. His career rose to fame early on as a prominent member of El-P’s now defunct label, Def Jux. Since 1997, Aesop Rock has released eight solo albums, three EPs, a 45-minute Nike-commissioned piece of music designed for runners, and more. His lyrics have been published in the New York Times Best-Seller, Hip-Hop Speaks to Children, by author/activist Professor Nikki Giovanni (2008), as well as Yale University’s Anthology of Rap (2010). In 2014, Aesop was also recognized in a study conducted by data scientist Matt Daniels as one of the most verbose MC’s in Hip-Hop to date. His music has also been featured in numerous video games, including Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4, Underground 2 and American Wasteland; The 2K Sports series’ NBA 2K6; Forza’s Horizon 3; and Madden’s NFL 2017.

Aesop Rock has also taken part in an eclectic mix of collaborations, landing him both behind the boards and in front of the mic. He’s provided music for short films “Wallyball” (2008) and “Dewana’s Bridal” (2009), scored Cary Murnion & Jonathan Milott’s action-thriller, Bushwick (2016), and wrote and produced the score for Wide Right Interactive’s shooter game, Freedom Finger (2020). Aesop Rock also produced the third installment of Slug & Murs’ collaborative Felt series, A Tribute to Rosie Perez (2009), contributed beats and vocals on Kimya Dawson’s album Thunder Thighs (2011), co-produced SF rock outfit Dirty Ghosts’ debut album, Metal Moon (2012), and has also written and produced multiple albums with collaborative side-groups; The Uncluded (w/ Kimya Dawson), Hail Mary Mallon (w/ Rob Sonic), Lice (w/ Homeboy Sandman), and Malibu Ken (w/ TOBACCO).

In November 2020, Aesop released his eighth full-length solo album, Spirit World Field Guide, to much critical acclaim before returning in April 2021 to surprise audiences of all ages with Long Legged Larry — a children’s tale in the form of song, brought to life as a plush toy with the help of his friend, renowned artist Jeremy Fish. Nearly one year later, Aesop returned in November 2021 with the full-length Garbology, produced by longtime collaborator, Blockhead. Although the two have worked together since before either had established music careers, and Blockhead has produced some of Aesop’s most popular songs to date, this was the first time they had collaborated on a complete album together.