Released - 5/3/10
Label - Warp Records
BLURB - It's remarkable how we discover new music. I first heard about Flying Lotus in 2008 from a friend of mine (Kristina Hedrick), as she thought I'd be into him after reading this article in the New Yorker. At that point in my life I had fully dove into the world of electronica and was really only listening to STS9 and Eliot Lipp. Kristina figured FlyLo would be right in my wheelhouse. And so it was. But there was something different about Steven Ellison's approach to production. It was pure expression and art, translated and fixed to a record. He wasn't just pushing buttons and making beats - he was on a different level. There were no definitions, no protocol...no patterns to follow. Rather it was beautiful, atmospheric wanderings that weaved in and out of hip-hop, electronica and jazz. 'Los Angeles' drew me in and now 'Cosmogramma' has solidified myself as a lifelong fan. Prepare to be dazzled.
Rating - 9 out of 10
FULL STORY - When listening to Flying Lotus you really have to check your expectations at the door. You're not going to find any choruses, verses, or even structure for that matter. What you will find are deep interpretations and experiments with countless effects, samplers, synths, instruments and drum machines. Often times there is so much going on that it is near impossible to recognize what you're hearing and experiencing. But the results are inarguably rewarding and possess the ability to rearrange how you hear and react to music.
The album begins with a brief introduction in 'Clock Catcher' before it dives into the deep end with 'Pickled!' Here Ellison blends uptempo drum patterns with rapid jazz bass lines that casually dance around computer effects and clouds of haze. While it is one of Flying Lotus' simpler tracks, is does help ease the listener into the record with any type of sensory overload.
'Nose Art' pushes in with a much more chill beat, while blasting laid back lines of bass that establish a serious groove. It's hard to decipher what exactly is being used to accomplish these riffs, but it comes off as a very heavy, low register synth that sounds like something that could easily be incorporated into a cool dub track. The relaxed vibe on 'Nose Art' does a great job segueing into 'Intro // A Cosmic Drama,' which breezes by with light string sections, sounding like something that would run during the opening credits of a science-fiction film.
The jump out track on the album is 'Computer Face // Pure Being.' Mixing video game noises, loads of synthesizers and catchy little spacey riffs over a huge bed of bass - this track is as close to perfection as one can get. This is one of Ellison's rare tracks that does actually feature several different motifs that are constantly revisited and tweaked as the backing percussion remains anything but steady. At points, entire sections drop out completely leaving either new drum patterns or just straight blasts of synth, helping to keep the song varied and fresh. There is also something celebratory or monumental about this track as it just feels powerful and larger than life. It's impossible not to get into this one.
The madness of Flying Lotus makes a bold appearance on 'Arkesty.' After beginning with random noises and effects the song cautiously morphs into several different beings. After about thirty seconds a solo improvised drum beat appears and soon begins to mix with bop saxophone solos, which are accented elegantly by harps. Really? Who thinks of this? From here the track is struck with a few piano chords and then moves into something of dark choir chamber before it fades out. What Ellison accomplishes here is the ability to mix and remix samples of live performance and instrumentation into a creatively weird track that is anything but electronica - his supposed forte; thus showing his audience that he's more than a man with a keyboard and a Mac.
'Do the Astral Plane' comes off as a super-cool hipster lounge track. Accompanying a clap track are metallic hooks of synthesizers that quickly establish that perfect low key party vibe. As more and more weird percussive accents start to emerge, the track begins picking up pace and gathering steam. Halfway through the track some latin-tinged strings peak through the blinds, suddenly giving an entirely new feel to the original groove. From there Flying Lotus pushes into much more of a chaotic, electronic experience, while not necessarily getting rid of any of the instrumentation that has led to this point. He brilliantly finds a way to push his music through all of these twists and turns without compromising his original thoughts or ideas.
Thom Yorke drops by on the dark '...And the World Laughs With You.' If I had to describe this song in one word it would be wet. It's mysterious and just sort of floats around in mid-air creating a dark and ominous tone. It's very dream-like, almost nightmarish. The track is really an amalgamation of subtle, dark electronic tones that basically occupy the space in between Yorke's muffled lines of vocals. While not my favorite track on the album, it's definitely out-there and something unique to check out.
'Cosmogramma,' for lack of a better description, is all over the place. The record is filled with unique and clever fusions of sounds and interpretations. The precision with which the overwhelming amount of effects, samples, beats, etc. are sliced up and mashed together is almost unheard of. With each listen you hear something new, whether it be cool passing jazz tones or futuristic keyboards or simply just a crazy drum line that you didn't hear on the first take. Invariably, these new sounds and noises that continuously surface with each listen only end up positively augmenting each song.
The only possible complaint with the album is that you really have to go in with a blank slate in your head. Often there is so much going on that you can't just listen to one track and move on. This is definitely one of those records that, when you listen to it, you have to commit to listening to it...and that means about forty-six minutes of your attention. But that shouldn't be a problem.
Tracks
1.) Clock Catcher
2.) Pickled!
3.) Nose Art
4.) Intro / A Cosmic Drama
5.) Zodiac Shit
6.) Computer Face / Pure Being
7.) And the World Laughs With You (Ft. Thom Yorke)
8.) Arkestry
9.) Mmmhmm (Ft. Thundercat)
10.) Do the Astral Plane
11.) Satellliiiiiiteee
12.) German Haircut
13.) Recoiled
14.) Dance of the Pseudo Nymph
15.) Drips / Auntie's Harp
16.) Table Tennis (Ft. Laura Darlington)
17.) Galaxy in Janaki
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