Aesop Rock

For Aesop Rock, the phrase “I heard it’s a mess there too” began as a lyric but quickly lodged itself in his mind. It echoed countless conversations with friends in other cities—swapping stories about where they were and what was happening there. Over time, the phrase became the anchor for something larger. I Heard It’s A Mess There Too sits at the crossroads of two impulses: to explore and document one’s surroundings, and to stay connected, especially in uncertain times.

Musically, the album finds Aesop venturing into new territory. “I’d been building tracks the same way for many years,” he says, “but I made a conscious shift in my process here. I tried some new tools and attempted to make my beats cleaner, more minimal. The drums are more stripped back, the bass lines are allowed to just sit without layering ten things on top. I didn’t want the beat and the vocals competing for attention—I just wanted enough to get a wave rolling and not much more, just setting a mood I could move to.” These twelve songs mark different stops along that path of tinkering and looking for something new.