Conch Records
Flying Lotus - Pattern + Grid World12"+MP3 (Warp)
Available here
While Cosmogramma is a monolithic convergence of 20th and 21st century musical forms, high in concept and wide in musical collaboration, Pattern+Grid World pulls the focus back to Steven Ellison and his machines. These machines are speaking (and possibly looking as well, judging by the EP’s cover) from the go, as “Clay†introduces itself in a fog of synth and vocoder and gives way to one of the many surprises here, the schizophrenic ping-ponging electro of “Kill Your Co-Workersâ€. Drenched in alternating melodies, it’s a synthetic counterpart to the grand string and harp arrangements of Cosmogramma, making acclaimed illustrator Theo Ellsworth’s subtly psychedelic cover image of vision-through-noise all the more intimate. When Flying Lotus records hit their stride, all buttons labeled “pause†and “stop†disappear, and this one is no different. “Pie Face†is led by icy keys that could almost be mistaken for classic grime, before the stoned plastic marching band steps in. “Time Vampires†amazingly lands somewhere between vintage DJ Premier and Lee Hazelwood, while the stripped back bass and drum explorations of “Jurassic Notion/M Theory†are as shamanic and ceremonial as anything you’re likely to hear come out of California. If “Camera Day†brings to mind a certain crew of dungeon-dwelling ATLiens, it won’t come as much of a surprise that Killer Mike found its syrupy bounce recently inspiring. Much of the messages surrounding Cosmogramma’s release as well as reportage on the world’s ever-emerging beat scenes has painted a picture of Flying Lotus as a patriarchal figure blazing the trail for scores of young artists with new conceptual notions of what can be done with a drum machine and a dream. While this notion is certainly not inaccurate, it sometimes overshadows the fact that FlyLo is also an incredibly singular entity. However, as “Physics For Everyone!†stutters to a close, if you listen closely you might just make out the sound of another kid in his room somewhere in the world, anxiously tapping out his first beat.
Related Releases:
Upcoming: Flying Lotus - Pattern+Grid World CD/12" (Warp)
Now Available here
As postmodernist space odysseys go, Flying Lotus' Cosmogramma has confidently weaved itself into the lineage of Sun Ra and his Astro Infinity Arkestra's Strange Strings, Nicolas Roeg's The Man Who Fell To Earth and Afrika Bambaata's Planet Rock…
While Cosmogramma is a monolithic convergence of 20th and 21st century musical forms, high in concept and wide in musical collaboration, Pattern+Grid World pulls the focus back to Steven Ellison and his machines. These machines are speaking (and possibly looking as well, judging by the EP's cover) from the go, as "Clay" introduces itself in a fog of synth and vocoder and gives way to one of the many surprises here, the schizophrenic ping-ponging electro of "Kill Your Co-Workers". Drenched in alternating melodies, it's a synthetic counterpart to the grand string and harp arrangements of Cosmogramma, making acclaimed illustrator Theo Ellsworth's subtly psychedelic cover image of vision-through-noise all the more intimate.
When Flying Lotus records hit their stride, all buttons labeled "pause" and "stop" disappear, and this one is no different. "Pie Face" is led by icy keys that could almost be mistaken for classic grime, before the stoned plastic marching band steps in. "Time Vampires" amazingly lands somewhere between vintage DJ Premier and Lee Hazelwood, while the stripped back bass and drum explorations of "Jurassic Notion/M Theory" are as shamanic and ceremonial as anything you're likely to hear come out of California. If "Camera Day" brings to mind a certain crew of dungeon-dwelling ATLiens, it won't come as much of a surprise that Killer Mike found its syrupy bounce recently inspiring.
Much of the messages surrounding Cosmogramma's release as well as reportage on the world's ever-emerging beat scenes has painted a picture of Flying Lotus as a patriarchal figure blazing the trail for scores of young artists with new conceptual notions of what can be done with a drum machine and a dream. While this notion is certainly not inaccurate, it sometimes overshadows the fact that FlyLo is also an incredibly singular entity. However, as "Physics For Everyone!" stutters to a close, if you listen closely you might just make out the sound of another kid in his room somewhere in the world, anxiously tapping out his first beat.
Flying Lotus - Camera Day (taken from Pattern+Grid World) by Warp RecordsRelated:
Article: Brainfeeder Label by Martyn Pepperell
Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma 2LP/CD (Warp)
FLYING LOTUS RETURNS WITH THE NEW ALBUM ‘COSMOGRAMMA’ ON WARP RECORDS
Get it here on 2LP 0r CD here
When global bass music matriarch Mary Anne Hobbs recently told The Fader “Flying Lotus, for me, is like the Hendrix of his generation†it seemed more then an audacious opinion, and with the arrival of Cosmogramma, it’s revealed as a revelation. In the past couple of years, Flying Lotus has grown into the position of being far more than a producer, he has helped materialize a far-reaching strain of musical ideology that has encompassed not only a global family of like-minded artists, but also a nearly infinite palate of planetary (and interplanetary) sonics.
Looking back, his full-length Warp debut, Los Angeles appears to be much more of a mission statement than a simple introduction – laying the foundation for a field on which an entire generation of artists would soon be playing. While that album was an introspective, moody travelogue through the Californian metropolis, it certainly hinted at Flying Lotus’ inclination to expand his sound beyond terrestrial means. As you may deduce from the title of his latest opus, he’s done just that. Not only has an entirely new range of sounds been unlocked by our intrepid astral traveler, but every genre touchstone associated with his name has been merged into a self-described “space operaâ€.
Seamless in execution and too wide in scope to properly describe, it is the authentic embodiment of his unique musical heritage. The spirit of his famed aunt, Alice Coltrane permeates the record, notably in the powerful collaborations with relative Ravi Coltrane, bass virtuoso Thundercat and the brilliant harp prodigy, Rebekah Raff.
Certainly these are further reaches into a musical space that Flying Lotus had hitherto been exploring, however other collaborators such as Erykah Badu and Outkast string arranger Miguel Atwood-Ferguson and guest vocalists Thom Yorke and a returning Laura Darlington (featured on Los Angeles’ epic closing track ‘Inifinitum’) help deliver Cosmogramma to dizzying new heights. All this name-dropping, however, is not to detract from the genius of the wizard-like figure behind it all. The most powerful aspect of FlyLo’s output has always been it’s ability to communicate his boundless love and enthusiasm for music in all it’s forms and that is what is boldly on display here.
People speak about ‘important’ albums all the time, but rarely is it so apparent that person behind them is following their own, chosen path – Flying Lotus is one of those precious few artists. When one is presented with an invitation for space travel, it’s not something to pass up.
Flying Lotus ‘Cosmogramma’ WARP195 May 2010 Double Gatefold Vinyl / CD Tracklisting & Listening Clips:01 | Clock Catcher | clip | ||||
02 | Pickled! | clip | ||||
03 | Nose Art | clip | ||||
04 | Intro//A Cosmic Drama | clip | ||||
05 | Zodiac Shit | clip | ||||
06 | Computer Face//Pure Being | clip | ||||
07 | …And The World Laughs With You ft. Thom Yorke | clip | ||||
08 | Arkestry | clip | ||||
09 | Mmmhmm ft. Thundercat | clip | ||||
10 | Do The Astral Plane | clip | ||||
11 | Satellliiiiiteee | clip | ||||
12 | German Haircut | clip | ||||
13 | Recoiled | clip | ||||
14 | Dance Of The Pseudo Nymph | clip | ||||
15 | Drips//Auntie’s Harp | clip | ||||
16 | Table Tennis ft. Laura Darlington | clip | ||||
17 | Galaxy In Janaki | clip |
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