Album: Black Hole Superette
Label: Rhymesayers
Link: https://aesoprock.com
Style: Rap, Hip Hop
There is no connection between this New York rapper and the cosmetics brand Aēsop, except for a love of refined and hyper-referenced architecture, in the latter’s boutiques and in the former’s best compositions. During his childhood and adolescence, Matthias Bavitz listened to old-school rap by Public Enemy and Run DMC as well as rock by Ministry and Fugazi. He was also an avid reader and lover of words, which led him to be considered the rapper with the most diverse vocabulary in his lyrics. His first self-produced album was released in 1997.
An artist with a vast musical culture, his productions are exclusively in the world of hip hop. His music is very similar to that of the rap pioneers he knows by heart. There is little use of electronics and no saccharine choruses or catchy backing vocals. Instead, a significant number of sampled or original sounds are linked to jazz or funk. With this in mind, the result is tracks that are reminiscent of De La Soul’s early albums, fortunately without the unnecessary chatter, but with a monotonous flow in exactly the same spirit.
The album Black Hole Superette may be old-school in style, but scratches and other sounds indicating the use of vinyl records as sources remain rare. Unlike modern productions, the bandwidth is not overused in the lower end of the spectrum, avoiding any sense of aggression and favoring a warm midrange with a tranquil atmosphere. A few discreet backing vocals reinforce this soft sound, and while the vocabulary used is extensive, so too is the number of instruments that appear throughout the album, which keeps the listener from growing weary.