# theories from the outside world By [pluggvision](https://paragraph.com/@deanblunt) · 2023-08-22 --- _Aceii_ ([@aceii4](https://www.instagram.com/aceii4/)) _launched his career under a different name - Emmett Ace - at the genesis of Shed Theory on their cryptic if not undiscovered debut project, Shed Theory, Vol. 1. Filled with one-of-none taglines and strange allusions, it was here that Aceii introduced his distinct voice and helped spread word of the elusive “theory.” While the tape laid the blueprint for the boundary-pushing solo work of almost everyone in Shed, Aceii’s sound took on its own life altogether._ _The following contains excerpts from an interview over direct message._ ### **Origins** Currently working out of New York City, Emmett, or as he’s best known - Aceii - grew up in Brooklyn, but went to high school further upstate in Kingston, New York. There, he met fellow Shed Theory member Chase ([@milkreset](https://www.instagram.com/milkreset/)) who was long-time friends with the group’s de facto founder, Marlon DuBois ([@chewychips](http://instagram.com/chewychips)). **Pluggvision:** How did you come to meet others in the Shed? Who did you meet first? **Aceii:** “Marlon grew up in the town next to Kingston, so Milk \[Chase\] introduced me to Marlon around 2018 and that was before I made music.” **PV:** What does the Aceii name mean, if anything? **A:** “Ace is my middle name so I thought Aceii was more fun, my friends call me Ace and that’s what I find myself introducing myself as more and more. My last name’s a mouthful so my parents gave me the middle name Ace if I ever wanted to change it if I needed to make a name for myself.” [https://soundcloud.com/aceii4/sets/time-to-re\_collect-myself](https://soundcloud.com/aceii4/sets/time-to-re_collect-myself) Several months after the debut Shed release, Aceii dropped _Time to Re\_Collect Myself_ on SoundCloud, a three-song EP bursting with innovative cloud rap sounds and laced with sprinkles of digicore. The otherworldly “dreaming 4 u” positions Ace’s voice as a central instrument, like a synth, painting a somber yet wondrous picture. In a class by itself, the facets of Aceii’s unique sound run parallel to his diverse taste in music: **PV:** Who would you consider some of your favorite artists? **A:** “My Chemical Romance, Thug, Chief Keef, Radiohead, I really love the soundtrack for the film “The Point” by Hardy Nilsson as well, just to name a few.” **PV:** If there was any artist - living or dead - that you could work with, who would it be? **A:** “Lil Yen.” Lil Yen, who has worked with a vast number of artists in the underground both as a rapper, and as producer Yen5k, stuck out to me. I asked Aceii more about his early discography to better understand his process. **PV:** One of my favorite songs of yours is “Mystic,” which put me on to your introspective, almost spiritual lyrics. What’s your method for recording? **A:** “I don’t write any of my music, it’s all just how I’m feeling in the moment.” [https://soundcloud.com/aceii4/mystic-prod-kohl](https://soundcloud.com/aceii4/mystic-prod-kohl) On “Mystic,” Ace’s first single on SoundCloud, he pitch-perfectly strings together dissociative and contemplative bars alike over a celestial beat. Kohl’s production style begins to exemplify the ambient style of ‘Nod’ that has come to define Shed’s work as a group in the past year. It’s a blissful listen, a sort of ethereal addiction that keeps you coming back for more. ![The cover for Burrows (2022), designed by Aceii](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/83ddaf1eb6769374774acf24bf545c35110a53d3dc886f4b31a437b6722b40cd.png) The cover for Burrows (2022), designed by Aceii ### _Burrows_ and an emergent aesthetic Shortly later, Aceii would drop his first full album, _Burrows_, with features from five different Shed members. The project furthered the experimental drums in the production of his preceding singles - the deep-bass sound pioneered by Gyozuh, Kohl, and Iokera. **PV:** Do you have certain producers you like to work with especially? **A:** “Gyozuh, Kohl, Murph, sorrovw, follow - shoutout ikesmissing haven’t worked with him in a minute but he helped early on with Nod Theory + Lurch Theory, vnknvn, g0bln, the list could go on but these are OGs.” On _Burrows_, the clippy, mysterious “Backseat” fits in an eclectic grouping of features from Marlon, Henry Mosto ([@henrymosto](http://instagram.com/henrymosto)) and Dream Caster [@realdreamcaster](http://instagram.com/realdreamcaster)). Standout single “Planes” reveals a labyrinthian stroke in his lyrics on a dream-like, delirious instrumental. When I first saw the video for Planes, I was impressed by the world it created, the way Shed subtly exists within it. Shot and cut by Marlon, it’s one of a handful of visually lush, concise pieces on Aceii’s YouTube channel. [![]({{DOMAIN}}/editor/youtube/play.png)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoPe4tMX_fE) **PV:** If I remember correctly, the “Planes” music video was shot in England. What was it like going abroad for Shed, and performing your music? **A:** “That was stressful, because originally I was doing graphic design stuff in Copenhagen and had to fly out and meet them for like two nights, then hop on a flight back to Denmark and go back to the states. That was a lot of Shed members’ first time abroad and it’s always cool whenever your friends \[are\] excited about stuff like that, it was a cool experience I fuck with London.” With Shed gaining notoriety, Aceii continued to release singles, with the drowsy-yet-melodic “Faceoff” reaching 75k plays on SoundCloud. In September 2022, his EP _Aceiipt4_ dropped, and took the Nod sound to another level. Chock full of even creepier and sonically murky beats, it oriented Shed fans toward the group’s full-length album _Lurch Theory_ that dropped several weeks later on October 6th, 2022. **PV:** Your beat selection is really unique and boundary-pushing, with a lot of sub-bass and ethereal synths. What appeals to you about these instrumentals? **A:** “It’s weird stuff, for me personally I’m trying to wrap my head around a perfect balance of what the underground needs and what the underground wants.” More recently, Aceii released “Buddy,” a song with a style reminiscent of the dark glo beats that have continued to dominate underground rage. Showcasing his tonal versatility - from songs that sound like they have just been uncovered from deep within a primal bog, to stage-blaring anthems - Ace always maintains the poignancy of his one-of-a-kind voice. ### The evolution of Aceii Following over a year of artistic progression and the maturation of Shed as a namesake group, the stage was set for a new album from Aceii. Earlier this summer, he dropped _Druup_, an effervescent blend of his varied takes on ambient trap, each track seamlessly flowing into the next. ![The cover for Druup (2023), designed by Aceii](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/d40f9abd25dbad1da880ce1e879ed883803567173b30c1cde2b5f2acad7c0365.png) The cover for Druup (2023), designed by Aceii **PV:** Your most recent album, Druup, combines some of your glo and ambient/Nod beat sensibilities with an altogether fresh, futuristic sound. How did you craft the album? **A:** “I just wanted to make stuff people could get lit to - a lot of the Nod stuff is very sleepy and ambient which I love so much but I wanted to see if there was a way to make it more accessible to people. It’s not my favorite tape by any means, and I don’t think I’ve made my “favorite” tape yet, but me and Marlon have a tape coming out in the winter that has potential…” From the monumental buildup of “Intro” which Ace co-produced, to the artfully-placed features, and the project’s impeccable sound design, _Druup_ is as much a testament to Nod aesthetics as it is a calling card - an open invitation to experience its ingenuity in one unitary place. When prompted with the question of his favorite song off the album, Aceii named “Delta/howitfeels,”  and it’s easy to see why. The two-parter begins with an interlaced, ghostly vocal sample complimented by swirling adlibs. Somewhat unexpectedly but provocatively, “howitfeels” transitions in, a bone-chilling instrumental led off by an even higher-pitched, introspective version of Ace. [https://soundcloud.com/aceii4/delta-how-it-feels-prod-kohl](https://soundcloud.com/aceii4/delta-how-it-feels-prod-kohl) The eponymous track co-produced by Sorrovw and Dumb, “Drup,” reintroduces the feel of “Buddy” in a more subtle fashion, letting Ace balance the ferocity of glo with the surreal passages flush throughout the rest of his discography. These individual pieces all lead into the wonderful closer that is “Pedal,” an invitingly catchy rendition of Nod, with Aceii’s \*_Yeah\*_ adlibs interjecting in the second half like calls down from heaven. Pedal is also the most recent - and maybe the most crisply shot - music video Aceii has put out. _Druup_ therein summates Ace’s work to date, not only in the realm of music, but visual art, and the way that Nod can be imbued in both image and sound. Not only does Aceii design all of the covers and promo material for his work, he has a penchant for conceptual design. ![Taken from Aceii's Instagram post displaying one-of-one True Religion denim bags](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/c0aefcc88ceebc13aa94065c18915b1f2df82f39ea7cc95bd774d5858523e28d.png) Taken from Aceii's Instagram post displaying one-of-one True Religion denim bags Given the artist’s background in graphic arts and past efforts in physical fabrication, I had to query what is yet to come. **PV:** The True Religion jean bag you designed a while back was sick. Do you have further plans for fabrication and merch design, for yourself and/or for Shed? **A:** “I have a lot of stuff in the vault for myself as well as Shed, more recently I’ve been focused in on Shed merch and got some samples made…” With his multidisciplinary talents and the trajectory of his art, it is only a matter of time before Aceii gets his flowers. With Marlon and Laker ([@nextlevelultimate](https://www.instagram.com/nextlevelultimate/)) gaining immense traction under the limelight that has been shone to Joeyy, Aceii remains an underrated fixture in the group, a pioneer of much of what has driven the collective forward. Less than a month ago, Aceii released “1 verse,” a track produced by him, Missing, and Nitemare/Novagang-affiliated Zoot ([@zoot.xp](https://www.instagram.com/zoot.xp/)). Even for Ace, it’s a single rife with surprises, including jersey club-influenced drums and an abrasive yet on-brand outro that lets the chorus shine. And only a few days ago, following the end of the Joeyy/Nod tour, Aceii’s “Chainlink \*Shadowmix\*,” was finally released, a song fans heard all summer as the opener to Shed’s tour sets. [https://soundcloud.com/aceii4/chainlink-shadowmix-prod-gov](https://soundcloud.com/aceii4/chainlink-shadowmix-prod-gov) Frequently collaborating outside the Shed - and being co-signed by DJ Smokey - it is clear that the personality of Ace’s work is seeping into the underground. But what does Shed mean to Aceii? **PV:** Is recording at the actual physical Shed an important part of the group’s identity? Or does Shed truly signify other things? **A:** “Shed really embodies what people can do when they come together. We are 13 people and it’s sometimes hard to create music when there’s ideas coming from every direction. We rarely record in the actual Shed, a lot of it is just a laptop that is placed in front of us and we do whatever we do. Shed is never one thing in my opinion because not all of us have the same story or background, we all have our little bit of our story that we contribute. It’s fun that way, it’s natural and un-choreographed.” A common trope in the group’s iconography is the use of utterly mystifying language - made-up phrases, ideas sampled from dream realities, destinies that seem to have no direction. Even the word “theory” that comprises half of Shed’s moniker - and so dutifully claimed by its clan, fans and members alike - seems to refer to questions that have no answer. **PV:** I understand there is probably not a literal definition, but what does having a ‘theory’ mean to you? **A:** “It’s just an idea that I can’t talk about, a vague thought that only I’ll understand.” _Thanks for reading this piece! Be sure to follow Aceii on Instagram (@aceii4), check out his music videos, and support his work on all platforms. Follow me on Instagram @pluggvision for updates on what’s coming next. If you want to support further work, feel free to contribute to my ENS address on Ethereum, deanblunt.eth._ `Theories that are rejected by the outside world.` [Subscribe](null) --- *Originally published on [pluggvision](https://paragraph.com/@deanblunt/theories-from-the-outside-world)*