Flying Lotus - Los Angeles

Presenter

Declan Doherty

Published

Tuesday 10th June

Sheffield’s Warp records have a reputation for releasing ground-breaking, challenging and genre-defying music that stands the test of time. The latest release on the label, Los Angeles, by Flying Lotus fits perfectly with other Warp producers such as Harmonic 313 and Prefuse 73. This is no surprise given the success of his 5 track EP “Reset” released last year and rotated across many of RTRfm’s programs.

Many have tried to pigeon hole FlyLo as a “future beats” or hip hop producer. However given his rich musical pedigree (partly stemming from his great-aunt Alice Coltrane), its no wonder that this album is a collage of different styles and influences. Listening to Los Angeles suggests that FlyLo was trying to present to us his hometown in music: a city of contrasts, complexity and diversity, and a place that becomes more interesting as each layer is peeled away. The tribal beats of “Melt!” would work perfectly in a smoky basement club, as would the mammoth Riot, with its dark brooding baseline and grinding beats which are dragged along almost reluctantly out of time. This is a track that would add some spice and variety to any dubstep dancefloor. The rich keys, uplifting sounds and broken beats of “Comet Course” wouldn’t be out of place on a Jazzanova release while “Goldfish”, with its bumping and rattling beats, squelches and a hint of sax sample is something that could easily be mistaken for a Matthew Herbert release. In contrast the spaced out but soulful vocals on “Roberta Flack” and the downbeat electronica of “Golden Diva”, which is in the vein of early Carl Craig, give some additional warmth and respite. “Aunties Lock / Infinitum” featuring the haunting vocals of Laura Darlington provides a warm and beautiful end to the album.

Los Angeles is a rich and busy tapestry of beats, synths, noises and samples all brought together by fat wobbling baselines which still provides the listener with the space to reflect and appreciate the diversity of influences contained within each of the works. It might even entice you to go and explore FlyLo’s real hometown, layers beneath the superficial glitz and glamour that it is mostly known for.