| Float | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 5, 2000 [1] | |||
| Genre | Hip-hop | |||
| Length | 69:20 | |||
| Label | Mush | |||
| Producer |
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| Aesop Rock chronology | ||||
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Float is the second studio album by American hip-hop artist Aesop Rock. It was released on Mush Records on September 5, 2000. [1] Produced by Aesop Rock, Blockhead, and Omega One, it features guest appearances from Slug, Vast Aire, and Doseone. [2]
Prior to Float, Aesop Rock self-released two projects, including the 1999 EP Appleseed . The final track of Appleseed featured Doseone, who—during the same period—had become an A&R representative for Mush Records. Doseone subsequently approached Aesop to offer him a single-album contract. [3] Although he was skeptical of record labels at the time, Aesop decided to sign with Mush for Float due to the relatively small commitment and the simplicity of the contract; in a 2007 interview, he described his thought process at the time as "Fuck it, if I don't do this now..." [4] Aesop had written "about 20" songs at the time and states that he decided to record all of them for Float. [4]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [5] |
| CMJ New Music Monthly | favorable [6] |
| Exclaim! | mixed [2] |
| Pitchfork | 8.5/10 [3] |
| RapReviews | 9/10 [7] |
| The New Rolling Stone Album Guide | [8] |
| Spin | 7/10 [9] |
Brad Mills of AllMusic called the album "surprising, analytical, darkness, mystery, lyricism, and jealous." [5] Jon Caramanica of Spin gave the album a 7 out of 10, commenting that "Aesop's voice is a rich, flat bass cut with a thin growl; through its resonance, he's able to explore the variations within a timbre to access a vast emotional range." [9] Thomas Quinlan of Exclaim! gave the album a mixed review, writing: "While there are no bad songs, the consistent similarity between all of the tracks in regards to drum samples and vocal sounds causes the album to have a bit of a tiresome feel as it nears its conclusion." [2] He added: "The guest MCs add different vocal styles to the album, which helps take your mind off Aesop's vocals long enough to appreciate them when they come back." [2]
In 2014, Joseph Schafer of Stereogum named it the 3rd best Aesop Rock record, saying: "The whole record sounds more anxious than his more assured later work, which makes for an exciting listen." [10]
Reviewing Float retrospectively in 2025, Dash Lewis of Pitchfork described it as "the road map for everything [Aesop Rock would] go on to do", highlighting the "overwhelming" feel of the densely packed lyrics, the paranoid mood of the album, and the incorporation of stylistic techniques like internal rhyme and "hyper-detailed observations". [3]
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Float" | Aesop Rock | 1:54 |
| 2. | "Commencement at the Obedience Academy" | Blockhead | 3:45 |
| 3. | "Big Bang" | Aesop Rock | 5:00 |
| 4. | "Garbage" | Aesop Rock | 4:01 |
| 5. | "I'll Be OK" (featuring Slug) | Blockhead | 3:00 |
| 6. | "Breakfast with Blockhead" | Blockhead | 0:36 |
| 7. | "Basic Cable" | Blockhead | 4:11 |
| 8. | "Fascination" | Aesop Rock | 3:46 |
| 9. | "Oxygen" | Blockhead | 5:17 |
| 10. | "Skip Town" | Omega One | 4:22 |
| 11. | "6B Panorama" | Aesop Rock | 2:02 |
| 12. | "Lunch with Blockhead" | Blockhead | 0:21 |
| 13. | "Spare a Match" | Blockhead | 4:51 |
| 14. | "Attention Span" (featuring Vast Aire) | Blockhead | 3:51 |
| 15. | "How to Be a Carpenter" | Aesop Rock | 4:43 |
| 16. | "Prosperity" | Aesop Rock | 3:56 |
| 17. | "No Splash" | Blockhead | 4:02 |
| 18. | "Drawbridge" (featuring Doseone) | Blockhead | 4:45 |
| 19. | "Dinner with Blockhead" | Blockhead | 0:47 |
| 20. | "The Mayor and the Crook" | Aesop Rock | 4:10 |
| Total length: | 69:20 | ||
Credits adapted from liner notes.
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