Enigmatic Famine Harbinger

Flying Lotus, Cosmogramma.

Pressing play on Flying Lotus' Cosmogramma has just the same effect as flipping open the front cover to an Isaac Asimov of Ray Bradbury novel. When chaotic beginnings of “Clock Catcher” hit you, you know you're in for something otherworldly, not unlike awakening to an alien setting in some science fiction book. But don't mistake this for some cheesy sci-fi; only ten seconds in to the album those steamrolling glitch sounds makes way for the most delicate of harps, contrasting this terrifying extraterrestrial world with something soft, pure, and earthly, and he overlaps these two styles that really should never go together with ease. And the best part is, it doesn't end there. Track 2, “Pickled!,” pairs Dilla-like jazz beats with the roar of a chainsaw. This, my friends, is the essence of FlyLo.

This beat maniac hails from an alternate universe on some distant planet where pseudo nymphs, androids and Ewoks coexist in perfect harmony. It is here where he paints us more than a life-like, psychedelic portrait of his world, as he invites us in to his cosmic drama like he's manning his own version of the Starship Enterprise. If the mechanical chunk of the first three tracks take place on the claustrophic but hopeful journey to Planet Cosmogramma, “Intro to a Cosmic Drama” is that first step into this utopian place of perfectly co-existing polar opposites, as the dust clears and the polychromatic reality of harp-laden orchestras gracefully evolves into the ethereal post-hip hop of “Zodiac Shit.” You might know Flying Lotus as provider of the bump music on Adult Swim, but even after listening to the first handful of tracks, it's evident that he's evolved a ton since those now-seemingly rudimentary days. Jazz has found a much more profound place in his work with two interludes, and the influence of his aunt Alice Contrane is scattered about, trickling through here and there in the medium of the harp. Also, songs like the Thom Yorke-assisted “...And the World Laughs With You,” which could pass for an acid-induced cut on Yorke's The Eraser, the epic, celebratory, and very J. Dilla-influenced “Galaxy in Janaki,” and personal favorite “Do the Astral Plane,” which I am convinced would be the choice party track for an alien race, just wouldn't work within a 10 second time constraint. These are songs in every sense of the word, not just looped samples. They need breathing space, and while they are still fantastic on their own, when you throw them into the pot that is Cosmogramma you get a truly classic electronic record.

Flying Lotus has truly outdone himself, and is well ahead of his time with an album that just can't be labeled with a genre. Is it experimental? Of course it is. Is it post-hip hop? I guess. Digital jazz? Sure! Point is, the dude is his own genre now, and the sky – I mean, a galaxy far, far away – is his limit.  

Download Cosmogramma 

-K.Zilla