It’s Eso time.

 

As one-third of hip-hop powerhouse Bliss N Eso, Max MacKinnon (aka Eso) has become one of the most recognisable voices and loved personalities in contemporary Australian music. After ten years in the spotlight with his two partners in crime, Eso has delivered his first solo material.

The release of Eso’s debut single comes some 18 months after he kicked a decade-long heavy drinking habit while on tour overseas. The trip set a chain reaction in motion which has given birth to Max v2.0. The new Eso has clear vision and an animal-like drive which now sees him in the studio at every waking moment. The energy which he once burned elsewhere is now all focused on his love for the craft of rap and he now spends hours each day honing his (already incredible) skills on the mic. With so many ideas rushing through his head, Eso’s solo material provides a new outlet for a man with a lot to say.

Max’s trademark high energy, off-the-wall intensity has only amplified with his new-found clarity, but he has a different perspective. This is a guy that has returned from the brink and appreciates the air he breathes. A weight has been lifted off his shoulders and the optimism radiates through his new music.

Eso’s first solo single, ‘Sunny Days’, represents the concept of a positive mind state that one can create even when it’s raining in the real world. A laid-back, ‘90s West Coast vibe emanates throughout the track, with Eso inviting the listener to fly away on an uplifting journey. The song’s video clip (which features the vocalist BJ Smith) was filmed in the area surrounding LA’s iconic Venice Beach, which is where Max first discovered hip-hop as a youngster on a family trip. On the boardwalk, his dad bought him a cassette tape called ‘Power Rap’ which inadvertently set Eso’s life on a course which has led to him becoming one of the most prolific figures in Australian rap history. That’s full circle!

While his multi-Platinum, ARIA Award-winning group continue working on the follow-up to 2013’s #1 album ‘Circus in the Sky’, Eso will continue to blaze his own trail at every opportunity in the studio. This is the start of a brand new chapter from one of Australia’s most unique personalities.

Eso ‘Sunny Days’ is out now via Illusive and available on iTunes. You can catch Eso on Facebook.