Before he started experimenting with left-field hip-hop beats and electronic samples, Steven Ellison, aka Flying Lotus, experienced a moment of enlightenment. While filming a documentary about his great aunt/spiritual advisor Alice Coltrane and his cousin Ravi Coltrane, their cab driver asked if they were musicians. Alice responded that, in fact, the three of them were, except Steven didn't know it yet. It was a turning point, and soon after, when he viewed an ad challenging aspiring beat-makers to send in music to be used for Cartoon Network's Adult Swim bumpers, he took a chance on a whim, sent out a demo, and landed himself a paid position pumping out silky tracks for promos of his favorite shows. As an avid gamer, it was only natural that he would create downtempo Boards of Canada beats sauced with retro 8-bit bleeps and chimes, and these were a perfect fit for the Nintendo generation fan base of Adult Swim. Lotus' second full-length, Los Angeles, expands on fractured Zelda grooves, muddy bass stamps, and glitched drum loops to stir up nonintrusive computer chillout music modeled for a hip graphic designer's headphones. It could be considered headphone candy, but with the beats as liquefied and squishy as they are, headphone Slushee is more appropriate. "Golden Diva" rides the line between cold and sugary, crackling and popping like melting ice as carbonated hiss rotates in and out of the void behind unintelligible syllables diced together from stray vocal bits. In the same fashion, "GNG BNG" flips a Middle Eastern sitar groove into a mangled keyboard line slithering over a distorted rototom beat, before dropping down into "Auntie's Lock" to end the album in a quiet hush with breathy whispers over electronic piano loops. Like 2006's 1983, the patterns are subtly atmospheric and individual grooves feel tailored for the attention deficient, never lingering for very long before switching into a new tapestry. Loaded with 17 tracks, it's an entertaining and fitting addition to the Warp catalog that makes for some highly hypnotic video arcade/coffee parlor mood music.
I once worked with a graphic designer who smoked pot in the underground parking garage every lunch time. Chances are we've probably all worked with one. In the afternoon my guy would listen to music on his headphones with great focus and intensity. Greater focus and intensity than he'd put into his graphic design work at any rate.I'd often walk by his cubicle to watch the show. On a good day he...
More >
Although upon my first listen, I really couldn't get with Flying Lotus' abstract beats, and slight off rhythm drum sequences, once I realized how much he admires the label Stones Throw and all the hip-hop artists who have dominated through them, I recognized how he's really reminiscent of J Dilla and Madlib as well. What I love about this album most is that it's his first record release thro...
More >
I once worked with a graphic designer who smoked pot in the underground parking garage every lunch time. Chances are we've probably all worked with one. In the afternoon my guy would listen to music on his headphones with great focus and intensity. Greater focus and intensity than he'd put into his graphic design work at any rate.I'd often walk by his cubicle to watch the show. On a good day he...
More >
At this moment, Flying Lotus is probably meditating on his last moments of being a small fish in a big pond. Today (Friday) is the eve of his rocket launch into the global electronic music spotlight because on Saturday night, Flying Lotus becomes The Next Big Thing In Bass Bins. It kicks off with a transformative performance in San Francisco Saturday night, a belly-rattling experience in Lond...
More >
Although upon my first listen, I really couldn't get with Flying Lotus' abstract beats, and slight off rhythm drum sequences, once I realized how much he admires the label Stones Throw and all the hip-hop artists who have dominated through them, I recognized how he's really reminiscent of J Dilla and Madlib as well. What I love about this album most is that it's his first record release thro...
More >
LA rapper Blu appropriates one of the standout tracks from Los Angeles for his own usage. What would a proper Flying Lotus MC album sound like? If its something like this, then sign me up for the 12″ motherlicker.And also, when is FlyLo making his way over here? What’s eating him? Blu - GNG BNG [...]
More >
The final installment of Flying Lotus's Los Angeles EP Series just dropped a few days ago on WARP Records. The EP has seven tracks, some which are originals and others remixes by friends. The EP feels much more ambient than any of the others did, while it lacks the psychedelic synth lines and wild drum beats. L.A. EP 3 X 3 sounds as if Flying Lotus wanted to create a much more minimalist sound
More >
“JerkingOffToTheFrameOfSomeBayWatchBitchOnTheBeachWithMyBeefJerkyOutInTheOpen,SmokingKeeshSoDankyThatItStankLikeAQweefFromYaAntie”You know its a great day when two new Blu tracks drop. This one is a remix of Flying Lotus’s GNG BNG off his Los Angeles LP which is a great album within itself. According to the CityBeat article featuring Blu, which I mentioned in the previous post, Blu and Fl
More >
| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Brainfeeder |
|
|
| 2 Breathe. Something/Stellar Star |
|
|
| 3 Beginners Falafel |
|
|
| 4 Camel |
|
|
| 5 Melt! |
|
|
| 6 Comet Course |
|
|
| 7 Orbit 405 |
|
|
| 8 Golden Diva |
|
|
| 9 Hot |
|
|
| 10 GNG BNG |
|
|
| 11 Parisian Goldfish |
|
|
| 12 Sleepy Dinosaur |
|
|
| 13 Robertaflack |
|
|
| 14 Sexslaveship |
|
|
| 15 Auntie's Harp |
|
|
| 16 Testament |
|
|
| 17 Auntie's Lock/Infinitum |
|
|
Click to purchase…
© 2006-2009 Mog Inc. All Rights Reserved
 "Los Angeles")
