Side: Two is DJ ESE’s solo production debut and the culmination of his long journey into the world of hip hop. At age 14, he got his record collecting jones, digging through crates regularly at the choicest record stores in his hometown of Denver, CO. Record collecting eventually led him to DJing, and DJ’ing became the keystone to his future. After moving to New York City to attend college, ESE began doing a radio show at City College and shortly after that started working the tables and boards at the Lower East Side's pirate station, Steal This Radio (STR 88.7 FM). His show, "Droppin It," hosted artists ranging from Aceyalone and Jean Grae to the DJ crew Steelwerkerz (Dj Big Wiz and Mars), Mike Ladd, as well as a wide range of local MC's.
In his never ending quest to get his hands on the hottest promo vinyl, ESE linked himself in with a street promotions company, hitting the streets and clubs night after handing out flyers and pushing music. In the process, he met a host of artists and labels, including the eventual founders of legendary indie label Definitive Jux, El-P and Amaechi Uzoigwe. When they were ready to set up the label, they hired DJ ESE to assist in day-to-day operations and he has worked with them ever since, currently as General Manager, cutting his teeth on some of the most acclaimed and successful indie hip hop albums of the past decade.
As his journey into the world of music continued, ESE decided to follow his heart and try his hand at production. With a PC and a cracked version of Cubase, he began producing his own beats and Embedded Studios was born. His sound is a reflection of his record collection, a collage of sonic elements from records, movies, and instruments, both analog and digital. Shortly after ESE partnered with fellow NY producer, Hipsta, and went on to produce 10 volumes of the Two 45 Minute Sets mixtape series. The tapes included exclusive songs produced and recorded by ESE and Hipsta featuring a wide range of MC's including Vast Aire of Cannibal Ox, Aesop Rock, Zion I, Tes, and Lo Deck. Those songs later became the tracklist for the debut release on Embedded Music: The Bedford Files. Critics and fans alike soon applauded the label for presenting a vibrant audio snapshot of the independent NY hip hop scene.
Since then ESE has done A&R for every release on Embedded including Babbletron, Bisc1's 2005 EP, the debut album from Junk Science and the Cool Calm Pete solo album, which was recently licensed by Definitive Jux for European release. All the while ESE has been assembling songs for his solo release, Side: Two. Recording began in early 2003 with MURS’s "D-Day," and wrapped up in the fall of 2005 with a collaboration between Aesop Rock and Babbletron, which became the title track, Side Two. Each MC on this astounding collection of talented lyricists flexes their considerable skills over ESE's diverse and carefully crafted beats, resulting in another classic Embedded album. 2006 is in full effect with the release of Side: Two. Check it.