Rating: NNNN
It's hard to find more abstract underground hiphop these days than the ragged beats coming out of the aptly named Dirty Loops crew.
Charter member and New York MC Aesop Rock never met a convoluted metaphor he didn't like, which makes for a compelling 70 minutes of music. Float moves slowly but is crammed with ideas, from eclectic beats -- ranging from a roots reggae shuffle and orchestral epics to harmonica-laced rockers and spooky, vibe-driven mood pieces -- to Aesop Rock's own stumbling flow. One has to listen to it half a dozen times to figure out what he's on about, and while 20 tracks might seem excessive, you get the impression that something would be missing if he cut one or two. www.dirtyloop.com MG
