Flying Lotus’s new album “Yor’re dead” 진보하는 뮤지션, 플라잉 로터스

Photos by Flyinglotus

Instrumental in every sense of the word, it is easy to see why Kendrick Lamar chose Steve Ellison, aka Flying Lotus, to produce a substantial part of his forthcoming album. Immersed in a sea of infectious beats, You’re Dead!, the latest album from the Los Angeles based producer, is as experimental as it is ballsy, carrying on the inventiveness of 2012’s Until The Quiet Comes.

A melodic reflection of the 30 year olds mind-set, so many ideas and cultural influences are evident throughout. From psychedelic keyboarding to eccentric guitars, the listener quickly realizes that this is more than just another musical offering, this is a concept album, this is an inspection of death and what the afterlife might have in store for each and everyone of us. Both ‘Tesla’ and ‘Cold Dead’ take us on an ominous journey, with the latter alternating between anarchy and serenity so sporadically that the listener is left in a sheer state of flux. Even amidst the fire and fury, the album never once spirals out of control.

Clocking in at just under 39 minutes, this is a compact offering of arresting sounds and defiant vision. Maybe you have been an avid follower of Ellison for years, or maybe the eclectic musician has only recently captured your imagination. Whatever the situation might be, with assistance from his Adult Swim associates, the guru takes us on a g-funk rollercoaster, one equipped with resounding bass and banging drums, and one that makes you appreciate the splendour of Ellion’s vision. Collaborating with acts like bassist Thundercat and the omnipresent Snoop Dogg, L.A’s coolest cat refuses to be confined by any musical boundaries, and this album suggests that conformity is not a word familiar to the master of electronica. With the succession of songs and styles, You’re Dead! screams ingenuity, a record that elevates the possibilities for hip-hop to heights that once seemed a mere illusion.

Whether we focus on the alluring collaboration with Niki Randa, or the irrepressible brilliance displayed by Herbie Hancock, Ellison’s fifth record under the Flying Lotus moniker takes us on a chromatic, technicolor infused trip, like something out of a Jim Morrison, drug fuelled dream.

For any pure hip hop lover, the finest moment arrives with ‘Never Catch Me’, a track featuring the aforementioned Kendrick Lamar. With his being the first voice to greet us on the record, the listener realizes that they are about to encounter something majestic. Supplying us with one of the verses of 2014, Lamar doesn’t just ensure that ‘Never Catch Me’ is the most universally accessible track on offer, he ensures that this is a musical milestone propelled by lyrics that demand our attention in the most unapologetic manner imaginable. As the tempo of ‘Never Catch Me’ intensifies, climactic passions rise to a level that sheds some much needed light on the album’s two main themes, life and death

Not only is this the most immediately captivating aspect of You’re Dead!, the rich, trippy, stimulating vibe generated by both artists make this one of Flylo’s most outstanding tracks to date. Between the soulful, resounding production and the schizophrenic messages of hope and despair, this is an album that gets people talking. Metaphorical images of rebirth accompany the very real truths of dreams and disillusionment, something that makes us realize that death smiles at us all, and all we can do is smile back.

A prolific talent, Ellison guides the listener through a hazy matrimony of sexed up jazz and rousing rap, all the time delivering quality beats that leave an indelible impression. Life and death are all but one thread; both connected, both deeply intertwined, and perhaps this philosophy best sums up Ellison’s latest magnum opus.

 

Contributor, John Glynn

As a contributor of CultureM Magazine, he is writing about global culture, for example, movie, music so on.

영국 출신의 컬쳐엠매거진 컨트리뷰터 존 그린은 영화, 음악 등 문화 관련 컨텐츠에서 날카로운 분석을 통한 심도 깊은 이야기를 전해주고 있다.