Appleseed - Vinyle Fumée Noir & Transparent

Description

The explosion of indie hip-hop labels in the early 90s created a snowball effect that changed the narrative around an artist seeking to sign with a major label at all costs. Coincidentally, quality recording equipment was also becoming more accessible and, with the rising popularity of CD-R technology, artists could write, record, and manufacture their own albums at home. Released in 1999, 'Appleseed' was an influential output at this time, cementing Aesop Rock as a new face whose talent could not be denied. The album explores creative concepts with inventive writing and stripped-down, yet melodic and melancholic production. Six of the eight tracks were produced by Aesop Rock, Omega One produced "Sick Friend" and his long-time collaborator Blockhead produced "1000 Deaths". The only vocal guest on the project was Doseone. The DIY process is evident in all aspects. Aesop created the typography for 'Appleseed' when he was working at Tepper Galleries in New York. The cover art was done at Kinko's. The first CDs were CD-Rs burned at home and sold out of his backpack at an MF DOOM show at Brownies, which was right below his apartment at the time. JIL continued to sell underground in New York, while Blockhead began fulfilling mail orders from a nascent internet. The two cronies were able to disperse a few thousand CDs this way before focusing on new projects, particularly Float in Aesop Rock's case. As a result, 'Appleseed' was out of print for many years before resurfacing on his tour merchandise stands in 2008. However, all this time, it was only available on CD, directly from Aesop Rock. Finally, 22 years after its debut, 'Appleseed' officially returns globally!