Fast Cars, Danger, Fire and Knives is an EP

Extended play

An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...

 by American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 hip hop

Hip hop music

Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...

 artist Aesop Rock

Aesop Rock

Ian Matthias Bavitz , better known by his stage name Aesop Rock, is an American hip hop artist and producer. He was at the forefront of the new wave of underground and alternative hip hop acts that emerged during the late 1990s and early 2000s. He was signed to El-P's Definitive Jux label until it...

, his fifth major release and his fourth through the Definitive Jux

Definitive Jux

Definitive Jux is an independent record label based in New York City, United States. It was co-founded in 1999 by Jaime Meline and Amaechi Uzoigwe. The label was initially known simply as Def Jux, but in 2001, popular hip hop label Def Jam Recordings sued Def Jux over the name similarity...

 label. Released on February 22, 2005 (see 2005 in music

2005 in music

-Events:*During the year 2005, 12 rock music albums scored number 1 in the USA. This was the first time even ten albums have scored number 1 since 1996.-January:...

), the record is produced by Blockhead

Blockhead (music)

Blockhead is an American Hip hop producer based in Manhattan, New York. Aside from his solo efforts released on the Ninja Tune label, he is most associated with producing for Aesop Rock, a rapper for the Definitive Jux independent hip hop label. He has also previously worked with rappers C-Rayz...

 and Aesop Rock himself, who each contribute three tracks, and by Rob Sonic

Rob Sonic

Rob Sonic is a hip hop artist from The Bronx, born in Washington DC. As a child growing up, he devoted himself to many styles of music and was a follower of artists such as The Beatles, Run DMC, Kraftwerk, Talking Heads, Led Zeppelin, Public Enemy, Muddy Waters, Ultramagnetic MC's, The Clash among...

, who provides the remaining one. Vocals are handled by Aesop Rock, with guest appearances from Camu Tao

Camu Tao

Camu Tao was an American rapper and producer who was signed to the Definitive Jux label. He was a member of several groups: S.A...

 and Metro of S.A. Smash, Cage

Cage Kennylz

Chris Palko, better known by his stage name Cage, is an American rapper from New York City. He has released three studio albums and two extended plays. Cage is also the founder of the underground hip-hop supergroup called the Weathermen.-Early life:...

 and Def Jux label head El-P. All scratches

Turntablism

Turntablism is the art of manipulating sounds and creating music using phonograph turntables and a DJ mixer.The word 'turntablist' was coined in 1995 by DJ Babu to describe the difference between a DJ who just plays records, and one who performs by touching and moving the records, stylus and mixer...

 are performed by DJ Big Wiz.

The initial pressing of the EP on CD (catalogue number DJX106) was packaged as a slimline CD case inside a cardboard cover along with an 88-page booklet named The Living Human Curiosity Sideshow, which contained the EP's lyrics as well as the never-before published lyrics to Aesop's other in-print records, Float, Labor Days

Labor Days

Labor Days is American hip hop artist Aesop Rock's third album, his second major release, and his first on the Definitive Jux record label as well as his first concept album. It was released on September 18, 2001 to considerable critical acclaim. It is a concept album, painting a portrait of the...

, Daylight

Daylight (Aesop Rock album)

Daylight is an EP by American hip hop artist Aesop Rock, released on 5 February 2002 on Definitive Jux. It is also the title of a single from his second major album, Labor Days...

, and Bazooka Tooth

Bazooka Tooth

Bazooka Tooth is the fourth full-length album by American hip hop artist Aesop Rock , released on September 23, 2003 on Definitive Jux ....

, and new photographs and artwork.

The record's art as a whole, in keeping with the title of the lyric book, is designed around the theme of an early 20th century freak show

Freak show

A freak show is an exhibition of biological rarities, referred to as "freaks of nature". Typical features would be physically unusual humans, such as those uncommonly large or small, those with both male and female secondary sexual characteristics, people with other extraordinary diseases and...

: "The Most Peculiar Creatures in All The Land", proclaims the back cover, while a triptych

Triptych

A triptych , from tri-= "three" + ptysso= "to fold") is a work of art which is divided into three sections, or three carved panels which are hinged together and can be folded shut or displayed open. It is therefore a type of polyptych, the term for all multi-panel works...

 of blackly humorous portraits on the inner CD case depict Bruce The Giant Baby ("7 years old & 600(+) pounds

Pound (mass)

The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...

"), Three Legged Louis ("3 shoes, 6 laces, 15 toes") and Ms. Sally Small ("the world's tiniest woman").

The subsequent pressing of the EP (catalogue number DJX117) omitted the lyric booklet but included a bonus track, "Facemelter".

Track listing

1. "Fast Cars" – 4:34
   • Featuring Metro
   • Produced by Blockhead
     Blockhead (music)
     Blockhead is an American Hip hop producer based in Manhattan, New York. Aside from his solo efforts released on the Ninja Tune label, he is most associated with producing for Aesop Rock, a rapper for the Definitive Jux independent hip hop label. He has also previously worked with rappers C-Rayz...
     
     
2. "Number Nine" – 4:05
   • Produced by Blockhead
3. "Zodiaccupuncture" – 4:21
   • Produced by Aesop Rock
     Aesop Rock
     Ian Matthias Bavitz , better known by his stage name Aesop Rock, is an American hip hop artist and producer. He was at the forefront of the new wave of underground and alternative hip hop acts that emerged during the late 1990s and early 2000s. He was signed to El-P's Definitive Jux label until it...
     
     
4. "Holy Smokes" – 3:51
   • Produced by Blockhead
5. "Winners Take All" – 4:45
   • Produced by Rob Sonic
     Rob Sonic
     Rob Sonic is a hip hop artist from The Bronx, born in Washington DC. As a child growing up, he devoted himself to many styles of music and was a follower of artists such as The Beatles, Run DMC, Kraftwerk, Talking Heads, Led Zeppelin, Public Enemy, Muddy Waters, Ultramagnetic MC's, The Clash among...
     
     
6. "Rickety Rackety" – 4:30
   • Featuring El-P and Camu Tao
   • Produced by Aesop Rock
7. "Food, Clothes, Medicine" – 4:35
   • Produced by Aesop Rock
8. "Facemelter" (DJX117 only) – 5:05
   • Produced by Aesop Rock

External links

• Definitive Jux Website