Bliss n Eso

Acclaimed Sydney hip-hop trio Bliss n Eso formed in the Australian city in 2000 and within less than five years had earned a place at the top table of their country's best-loved rap groups, scoring a hat-trick of Number 1 albums on the ARIA charts. The group – comprising US-born Jonathan Notley aka rapper MC Bliss, Australian-born Max MacKinnon aka rapper MC Eso and Tarik Ejjamai aka DJ Izm – released their trailblazing debut EP, The Arrival, in 2000 under their original name of Bliss n' Esoterikizm – which they shortened to Bliss n Eso for wider appeal. The EP, which was produced by DJ Tokoloshe and featured Nick Toth (scratches/turntablism) on "Next Shit" and MC Layla (vocals) on "Dreams," laid the foundations for a talked-about career in homegrown hip-hop. Bliss n Eso scored high with their debut album, Flowers in the Pavement. Released on Obese Records in 2004, the old-school hip-hop-flavored LP was a triumph of rapid-fire rhymes and slick lyricism, winning the Hip Hop category at the 2003 Music Oz Awards, as well as earning the group a nomination for Artist of the Year in 2004. Bliss n Eso's second full-length, Day of the Dog, was noted for bringing their country's hip-hop scene to a wider audience, with the album making it into Number 45 on the ARIA Albums Chart. However, it was their third album, Flying Colours, that helped seal their fate as Australia's premier alternative hip-hoppers, with the LP peaking at Number 10 on the ARIA Albums Chart and receiving a nomination for Australian Album of the at the J Awards of 2008. Following the release of Flying Colours, the trio became an unstoppable force, scoring three consecutive Number 1 albums at home with 2010's Running on Air, 2013's Circus in the Sky, and 2017's Off the Grid. In 2021, Bliss n Eso made their return to music with their first release in four years – the pop-friendly "Good People" single featuring Australian country singer Kasey Chambers, followed by their seventh studio album The Sun (number 2 in Australian charts). In April 2025, the band returned to the top position with The Moon (The Light Side), forming a triptych with the previous one and The Moon (The Dark Side), issued in October that year.