Flying Lotus delivers in ‘You’re Dead’

By David Sanabria / Columnist

Flying Lotus is an expert on melding traditional jazz elements with luscious electronic productions. His revered musical style is found on some of his more recent releases including his 2010 masterpiece, “Cosmogramma.”

On his album, Steven Ellision features his famous relative Ravi Coltrane, son of saxophonist John Coltrane, and other guests, including the bass guitar phenom Thundercat. Their collaborative effort made “Cosmogramma” a fascinating album and an essential listen for contemporary jazz fans.

The Warp Records heavyweight has done it again with his new jazz-electronic album, “You’re Dead!” Several notable guests include Thundercat, West Coast rappers Kendrick Lamar and Snoop Dogg (also known as Snoop Lion) and Herbie Hancock.

The contributions, who add their lyrics or instruments to the album, work well with Flying Lotus’ intricate production. “You’re Dead!” is a complex listen and several repeated plays are required to appreciate Ellison’s vision.

The album rolls in quickly with the bass-filled intro “Theme” and it sets the pace for the album. Two minuets later, on the track “Cold Dead,” Ellison exhibits his incredible skills. His intricate production works well with the slamming bass drum and shredding guitar. Both these tracks are relatively short, which is the case for the majority of the songs on the album.

“Turkey Dog Coma” appears to be a bonus track on “Cosmogramma.” Harmonies accompany Thundercat’s bass and electric guitar. A trumpet enters the scene, giving the music a jazz fusion feel.

Only one song makes it near the four-minute mark and that is “Never Catch Me,” featuring Kendrick Lamar. This song is less jazzy than the ones that precede it, but the track does feature Thundercat on bass and Flying Lotus handling the beat work. Kendrick’s voice eventually fades out, and Flying Lotus takes center stage with his signature rhythms.

Captain Murphy, Ellison’s delinquent, drug addicted alias, also makes his presence known on two songs. He first appears on “Dead Man’s Tetris,” which features Snoop Dogg, and later on “The Boys Who Died in Their Sleep.” On the former, both musicians rap over trap snares and woozy bass notes. Captain Murphy lists some of his favorite prescription drugs on “The Boys Who Died in Their Sleep.” The end of the track is characterized by a descent into an abyss and Murphy repeating the phrase, “I know of a place inside my mind where I can fly!

Jazz elements have been a part of Ellison’s output since the last decade. Never before has he downplayed electronic sounds that characterized his previous works. On “You’re Dead!” we see a more mature artist willing to deeply explore the genre of his close relatives. Few artists have the skill and versatility of Flying Lotus. He will continue to deliver excellent albums that show his interests and natural progression as an artist.

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