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From The Desk Of RJD2: Aaron Livingston’s New Album

RJD2LogoRJD2 has had quite the curious career. The Eugene, Ore., native lives in West Philly, has transitioned from dirty, jazzy hip hop to wonky electropop, leapt from El-P’s Def Jux label in 2004 after several critically acclaimed albums to his own RJ’s Electrical Connections in 2010 (with his The Third Hand LP at the XL label in between). Though he doesn’t think of himself as a film composer, he has one of the most recognizable theme songs ever: AMC’s Mad Men. Now, he’s changed his sound around completely with one of the most compelling albums of 2013 in More Is Than Isn’t. RJD2 will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our brand new Q&A with him.

AaronLivingston

RJD2: Aaron is, for those who know, the other half of Icebird. He also has done work with the Roots, Xaphoon Jones, the Mean, and some other folks. Aside from being a super good dude, and an amazing singer, he also can do the one-man-band thing—arguably better than I. This inclusion is going to function as a semi-open letter to the powers that be (aherm!) that they need to get his record out, and stat. He’s got some killer songs on there, and it’s really music that’s kinda unlike anything in the landscape of  “post-R&B” or whatever genre some weenie will come up with next month. Who cares what card it lands in at the record store—it’s just damn good, and you need to hear it.

Video after the jump.