''Integrated Tech Solutions'' is the ninth solo studio album by American hip hop artist

Aesop Rock Ian Matthias Bavitz (born June 5, 1976), better known by his stage name Aesop Rock, is an American rapper and producer from Long Island, New York. He was at the forefront of the new wave of underground and alternative hip hop acts that emerg ...

. It was released on November 10, 2023, through Rhymesayers, and contains collaborations with Billy Woods, Hanni El Khatib,

Rob Sonic Robert Smith, better known by his stage name Rob Sonic, is an American rapper and record producer from the Bronx, New York (state), New York. He has been a member of the groups Sonic Sum and Hail Mary Mallon. He is a founder of the record label S ...

, Nikki Jean, and Lealani Teano.

Background

Aesop Rock announced the album on September 14, 2023, and released a music video for "Mindful Solutionism", the lead single of the album. On October 5, Aesop released "By the River", the second single of the album, and three weeks later, he released "Infinity Fill Goose Down", the third single for the album.

Music

''Integrated Tech Solutions'' has been characterized as a "loose

concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...

" that explores technology and consumerism. It also features narratives inspired by Aesop's own life experiences, leading the album's prevailing mood to be described as "reflective". Lead single "Mindful Solutionism" discusses the history of technological advancement, including its harms. Conversely, the album's second single – "By the River" – features "soft percussion and a jazzy horn" and explores Aesop's appreciation of rivers and his memories of deceased friend

Camu Tao Tero Smith (June 26, 1977 – May 25, 2008), better known by his stage name Camu Tao, was an American rapper, singer, and producer. Early life Tao was born Tero Smith in Columbus, Ohio, on June 26, 1977. Career Tao was signed to Definitive Jux ...

. "Living Curfew", in which Aesop and featured artist Billy Woods describe the feel of cities at different times of day, includes production that has been likened to

trip hop Trip hop is a musical genre that has been described as a psychedelic music, psychedelic fusion of hip hop music, hip hop and electronica with slow tempos and an atmospheric sound. The style emerged as a more experimental music, experimental var ...

. "Aggressive Steven" tells the story of Aesop's encounter with a home invader and reflects on society's treatment of mental illness; other storytelling tracks are more lighthearted, such as "100 Feet Tall", in which Aesop recounts a childhood experience meeting

Mr. T Laurence T (born Laurence Tureaud; May 21, 1952), known professionally as Mr. T, is an American actor and retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is known for his roles as B. A. Baracus in the 1980s television series ''The A ...

at a restaurant. "On Failure" is a

spoken word Spoken word is an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities. It is a 20th-century continuation of an oral tradition, ancient oral artistic tradition that focuses on the aesthetic ...

track in which Aesop considers the life and legacy of

Vincent van Gogh Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art. In just over a decade, he created approximately 2,100 artworks ...

Critical reception

Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...

, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, ''Integrated Tech Solutions'' received an average score of 84 based on 7 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". Aesop's writing on the album received particular praise, with Paul Simpson of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

characterizing him as "a master of telling playfully outlandish tales". Stephen Kearse of ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...

'' was similarly approving, noting that "elite technique is clearly second nature for esopat this point" and describing ''Integrated Tech Solutions'' as containing "some of his most fully realized songs". Comparing this record to Aesop's earlier work, reviewers have described him as adopting a "more conversational than combative" delivery, as well as "rein ngin his tendencies toward word salad". Critics also praised the detailed storytelling that occurs throughout the record. The production on ''Integrated Tech Solutions'' also achieved acclaim. Kitty Empire of ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper. In 1993 it was acquired by Guardian Media Group Limited, and operated as a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' ...

'' described Aesop's beats on the album as "bouncy retro production that crackles with vim", and Kearse described it as "accomplished and purposeful" work that "emphasize rhythm as much as texture". Reviewers identified the major elements of the production as including "funky boom-bap with touches of psych-rock guitar", as well as "bubbling synthesizers and turntable scratches".

Track listing

Charts

References

External links

* {{Aesop Rock 2023 albums Aesop Rock albums Albums produced by Aesop Rock Rhymesayers Entertainment albums