Self-proclaimed space cadets Bliss n Eso have a new album coming out on April 11, and songs from the record will feature on the setlist for their upcoming Penrith Panthers concert on July 21.
Their eighth record is called ‘The Moon (The Light Side)’, following the group’s 2021 album, ‘The Sun’.
“We’re fantasy boys that live in little dimensions that we make, so we had ‘The Sun’, and it was only right that we did ‘The Moon’, and if I was to look at this album as a meal, it’s the best-balanced Bliss n Eso album yet,” Eso said.
“I feel like some albums have too many party songs on them, and maybe one’s got too much deep stuff, but this one is just right, seasoned perfectly, and created with tender loving care.”
The album’s cover features an astronaut with flaming wings, keeping with the theme of flight that began with their 2008 album, ‘Flying Colours’.
“The character is always kind of hidden, they’re either in a hood or in an astronaut suit, and this means it could be you,” the Penrith-born rapper explained.
“It could be a girl, it could be a boy, we always wanted that to be a bit mystique; I think the whole idea behind it is that we’re dreamers.”
The Aussie hip-hoppers have been dreamers since childhood, and Eso can attribute some of that to his mother.
“When we were younger, my mum was always extremely spiritual and she would tell me about affirmations and the power of the mind, and when I was in high school I was getting the boys to write down on a bit of paper what they really wanted – crazy, dream goals – and then put the bit of paper in the freezer,” Eso recounted.
Eso questioned his mother at first, confused about why he was putting his dreams in the freezer with the peas and pies, until she explained it was to keep the thoughts fresh.
“If I could show you what was on those bits of paper, it was to build a hip hop group and to have someone come to our show. Did you hear that? Someone,” Eso reiterated.
Although their biggest dreams were staying fresh in the freezer, the group knew they couldn’t manifest them without putting in the work.
“Back in the days when we were just starting, we were scooping up all the international supports – if 50 Cent came over, if DJ Shadow, Cypress Hill, Jurassic 5 – it didn’t matter, we were scooping the supports and we’d be right there at five o’clock on the dot for sound check, not complaining, and not getting drunk afterwards and making a fool out of ourselves,” Eso stated.
“The industry, the scene, and eventually our record label saw that we were professional and that we took this seriously and we wanted to do this for the rest of our lives.”
Little did they know, they’d be helping fans all over the world find the words to express their own feelings.
“On past albums we’ve tackled issues of alcoholism and vices and addiction and getting through them and allowing the listener to know that we don’t live in this golden VIP room where we’re untouched by the world’s issues,” Eso detailed.
“We’ve had emails – essays – from fans about what the music means, and I remember this one guy coming up to me…he goes, ‘Mate, you say what I think’.”
This leads to what Eso describes as an “explosion of nebulas” at their concerts.
“Our fans are awesome, they are rowdy, they are energetic. We’re very hands-on with crowd participation,” Eso said.
“If the fans weren’t going off, the shows wouldn’t go off, so it’s a mix – we bring it, they bring it, and KAPOW.”
See Bliss n Eso for their Party on the Moon Tour at Panthers’ EVAN Theatre on July 12 at 8pm. Tickets start at $74.90, and you can book online at https://penrith.panthers.com.au/event/bliss-n-eso/.
Ally Hall
Ally Hall joined the Weekender in 2024, and focuses on entertainment and community stories. She's a graduate of the University of South Australia and has previously worked as a Video Journalist with Southern Cross Austereo and as a News Reader with Australian Radio Network.