Aesop Rock has been credited as one of the most verbose MC’s in hip-hop today. Known for his dense and abstract wordplay, he manipulates language to illustrate elaborate stories and difficult concepts with sharp clarity.
TOBACCO is also recognized as the frontman of the psychedelic rock band Black Moth Super Rainbow. Known for working with pre-digital electronic instruments like analog synths and tape machines, he crafts distorted, experimentalist beats that intertwine feelings of tension and anxiety with sensations of bemusement and pleasure.
Together, Aesop Rock and TOBACCO are Malibu Ken.
Tobacco is the frontman of Black Moth Super Rainbow
The duo have announced a debut self-titled full-length album due Friday, Jan. 18 (via Rhymesayers) and shared a demented animated music video for the psyche-warping first single “Acid King” directed by longtime Aesop collaborator Rob Shaw.
The 10-song Malibu Ken exudes a creative synergy the exceeds expectations, as TOBACCO’s heady beats of abstract fidelity and pseudo-futurism provide an unpredictably infectious and sublime bedrock for Aesop’s meticulously detailed (occasionally hallucinatory) narratives. The collection is rounded out by nightmarish sleeve art by GUNSHO, that mirrors the face-melting “Acid King” video. The die-cut gatefold LP and CD sleeves take it one step further by including a perforated pop-out mask replete with elastic string.
“TOBACCO and I have thrown around the idea of doing a project together since we first toured over a decade ago,” states Aesop.
“I find his production to be something special, and always wanted to see what I could bring to it. We recently found time to record some songs, and Malibu Ken was born. I brought a few stories to the table, but also did my best to let the production dictate the subject matter throughout. We hope you like the soup.”
Check out the video for the first single “Acid King” below.
Malibu Ken Track Listing
01 – Corn Maze
02 – Tuesday
03 – Save Our Ship
04 – Sword Box
05 – Dog Years
06 – Acid King
07 – Suicide Big Gulp
08 – 1+1=13
09 – Churro
10 – Purple Moss
The Malibu Ken album is available for pre-order.
