The Beastie Boys have released their 1995 hardcore punk EP Aglio e Olio on streaming services, according to Pitchfork. The eight-track EP was originally released in 1995 as a 12” vinyl record by Grand Royal, the Los Angeles-based vanity record label the Beastie Boys founded in 1992 in conjunction with Capitol Records. It was also released on CD.
The EP, which is just 11 minutes long, is now available on streaming services. All but one of the songs are under 2 minutes, and the original cover of the EP had a small adhesive label that said “Only 8 songs, Only 11 minutes, Only cheap $.”
“Aglio” and “olio” mean “garlic” and “oil” in Italian, which is supposedly a metaphor for the simplistic approach of the EP.
“…it’s called Aglio E Olio…you know, like when you go to the restaurant and you order Spaghetti Aglio E Olio and it’s like, with garlic and oil. It’s just like spaghetti! It’s like the most common dish in Italy! It’s just spaghetti with garlic and olive oil. Low budget! You could make that meal for yourself at home for probably like, a whopping 98 cents! But just to let the kids know, it’s eight songs but only ten minutes. It’s important to let the people know…” Mike D said in 1994, according to Beastiemania.
In a 1999 interview, Mike D said the EP came about because they had recorded too many hardcore songs to fit on their 1998 album Hello Nasty and they decided to put them together on an EP, according to NME.
The version available on streaming services doesn’t include two bonus tracks — “Soba Violence” and a cover of The Doors’ “Light My Fire” — that were released on the physical version in 1995.
The album, which was engineered by Mario Caldato, features Amery “AWOL” Smith, drummer from American hardcore punk band Suicidal Tendencies.
The Beastie Boys have also recently announced a new greatest hits collection titled Beastie Boys Music set to arrive Oct. 23, according to Pitchfork.
A documentary directed by Spike Jonze titled Beastie Boys Story was released April 24. Ad-Rock and Mike D have also indicated in April that they have no desire to release new music without late founder Adam “MCA” Yauch.
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