With 2012 coming to a close, YPOIW would like to take the week to showcase our favorite releases of the year. Monday through Friday will be a countdown of our top 25 favorite albums of 2012, starting with spots #25-21 on Monday and continuing until the final #5-1 on Friday. This weekend, we'll also be taking a look at some albums that we feel deserve an honorable mention but didn't quite make it on our list as well as releasing our end of year podcast in which we discussed each and every album on this list. Thanks for reading, and most importantly, enjoy!
20. Flying Lotus - Until The Quiet Comes
Steven Ellison as Flying Lotus has been releasing full-length albums since 2006's 1983,
but within those six years, the producer's hyper-original take on
electronic music has already undergone tremendous shifts, inspired waves
of copycats, and then shifted some more. Between the more than
promising blueprint laid by the cerebral beat journeys of his debut, the
expansion of that groundwork into a full-fledged IDM and hip hop
blending masterpiece on Los Angeles, and the forays into a cosmic interpretation of the jazz world on his currently most popular Cosmogramma, observing his sound develop has been quite a thrilling process, one that hasn't lost its value with FlyLo's fourth LP, Until the Quiet Comes.
The record is decidedly more understated than its predecessor, using
its relatively subtle approach to explore the more atmospheric avenues
of Flying Lotus's music rather than as an excuse to put forth less
ideas. Proof that low dynamic is not to be confused with a shortage of
sounds is manifested in songs like the brief yet arresting "Until the
Colours Come" and the floaty Niki Randa feature "Hunger." FlyLo isn't
afraid to indulge in more danceable moments as well, however, such as on
"Sultan's Request" and "Putty Boy Strut." Then there are those moments
which walk the line between minimal and maximal perfectly, the prime
example being the second half of "Me Yesterday // Corded," which seems
to exist on another plane entirely. Until the Quiet Comes may not
be quite as powerful as the previous two Flying Lotus LPs, but it
certainly isn't any less unique. It is not only another triumph in
Flying Lotus's fascinating trajectory, but also a testament to his
position as one of the most individual artists in contemporary
electronic music. -Danny
19. Dirty Projectors - Swing Lo Magellan
Dirty Projectors—Dave Longstreth, Amber Coffman, etc.—are known in the blogosphere as the weird, arty step brother to indie rock. And that isn’t exactly wrong. They made their name early by writing very challenging tunes with strange concepts. In 2009, their breakthrough came with their catchy deconstruction of radio-pop on Bitte Orca. It was their best album by a longshot and propelled them into the bigger conversation and out of the annals of obscure bands. Now with Swing Lo Magellan, they have matched the highs of Bitte Orca by stripping a lot of, but not all of, their weirdness.
Swing Lo Magellan still isn’t your parents’ kind of rock record. My dad said of “Maybe That Was It," “This is the worst song I have ever heard.” He was not a fan of the squawking guitars or Longstreth’s strained vocals, for sure. It is enough of an endorsement for me, though! However, “About to Die” and “Unto Caesar” are as catchy as Dirty Projectors has ever been. The slow, bass-guitar led “Gun Has No Trigger” was the perfect lead single. Equal parts Dylan, cross-country drivin’ rock, and their usual post-Beatles charm, Dirty Projectors prove consistently they can write the songs that are as ear-worms and inspire think-pieces. Through the usage of handclaps, electro beats, Longstreth’s weird guitar playing and Coffman’s female vocal chorus, Dirty Projectors have written the great rock record of 2012. Swing Low Megellan is an album worth replays with tracks like these. They are timeless. -TJ
18. Dan Deacon - America
America in 9 easy steps!
1. Air-conditioned car with cracked sub-woofers.
2. Spooky sweaty church raves. “Toss me that monstrance, bro!”
3. Hit the asphalt. Color my eyes purple. They look prettier that way.
4. Lifetime Movie Network billboards painted tall by immigrant women.
5. Pause your dial-up porn and recycle this #tag.
6. Our chickens have social media! Beat them with hammers! Eat them with hammers!
7. Shimmering sand. Piss on your cactus, drink from your cactus, lest it do the same to you. The dusty highway marches with you.
8. Wet autumn leaves on the rails matter not.
9. Rise erect! Forge our rusty steel mills into casinos and mini-malls! This is our land!
You are a monster. Hug your sister and brother monsters. -Steve
17. Swans - The Seer
What can you say about The Seer that doesn't evolve into a discussion about its madness? The haunting first track is entitled "Lunacy" for heaven's sake. The biggest appeal of The Seer is likely Swans mastermind Michael Gira's uncanny ability to plunge you into the depths of his own inner darkness. His musical madness. Something for which Swans has always been known is their level of abuse and punishment, most often inflicted upon their listeners. It's a quality of their music I think most expect, and pretty much want from their releases at this point. But perhaps admission into the secret club of people who "get" Swans is not unlike the prolonged admission into a sick, twisted cult. No one just gets in at first; there are unavoidable hazing rituals involved, and those can be undeniably brutal, painful, and even humiliating. But once you've endured the torture and have found yourself in this club, you may just get the appeal and enjoyment out of this band after all, though your mind might be warped as a result of it. -Robby
16. Ty Segall - Twins
Over the past few years, San Francisco native Ty Segall has been building a repertoire of eccentric, noisy, and sometimes chaotic and lo-fi garage rock albums, showcasing a love of psychedelic rock, punk, and all things 60's. Twins sees Segall making what seems to me like a pop album; the explosive hook on the opener "Thank God for Sinners" turns the song into an unlikely anthem, and it's perhaps one of the most infectious things Ty has penned, and could've been a staple of early 70's radio in an alternate universe. The infection that opener has spreads to the rest of the album, thankfully; with larger than life choruses, good-time melodies, all slathered in Ty's characteristically distorted and sometimes lo-fi production styles. Like Segall's two other albums released this year, Twins is a damn good record and further showcases that, while the styles aren't as blogosphere-friendly as they were a few years ago, Segall is without qualification the solitary frontrunner in garage rock and lo-fi rock today. No questions asked. -Robby
Recommended by Danny Spiteri.
Before I begin, I'd like to communicate just how much Flying Lotus's music means to me. My introduction to him came about via late night television block Adult Swim, who often uses his music as the soundtrack to the bumpers they air between shows and commercials. It was 2008, shortly after his Los Angeles LP was released, and at fourteen years old, I was but a budding music nerd, ignorant to the wider world of independent music outside of a small handful of artists to whom I devoted my fanaticism. The existence of the blogosphere was completely unbeknownst to me, so I relied on a limited set of sources to discover music, one of the most pivotal being Adult Swim. My foray into their repertoire, which was aided heavily by this website's extensive archival, opened me up to a wide array of electronic and hip hop artists, spanning the rosters of a handful of established independent labels. The most notable of which was Warp Records, home to electronic music pioneers such as Boards of Canada, Aphex Twin, Autechre, Squarepusher, Prefuse 73, Clark, and of course, Flying Lotus. My newfound fascination with these artists marked two landmark changes I made in my listening habits: expanding my focus to a wide variety of artists rather than obsessing over a few, and allowing independent electronic music to become my genre of choice. And yet, in spite of my enlarged attention span, I found it difficult not to obsess over Flying Lotus, the artist most responsible for sparking this transition in me. His strikingly original and experimental yet emotionally relatable approach to electronic music made a profound impact on me then, and it continues to resonate with me today. He is my favorite artist of all time, and accordingly, there will be an inevitable strain of bias running throughout this review.
Steven Ellison has been releasing full-length albums as Flying Lotus on a two year clock since 2006, birth year of his debut for Plug Research, 1983. Comparatively to the albums that would follow, 1983 was somewhat embryonic. Not quite as distinctive or sonically dense as the producer's definitive work, it also is currently his shortest and most disjointed LP, often feeling like a canvas for him to toy with his influences without fully developing his ideas. Despite that, 1983 is still a great record, housing some of Flying Lotus's most captivating songs, such as the melodically potent title track and the Tito Puente-sampling "Unexpected Delight," which features the vocal talents of common FlyLo guest Laura Darlington, and laying the foundation for what would evolve into a more multifaceted, unparalleled sound.
It was Flying Lotus's next full-length excursion, Los Angeles, that catapulted him to transcendent levels. With its astonishingly intricate layering, top-notch production, stimulating off-kilter rhythms, imaginative sampling, emotionally affecting composition, and cohesive presentation, Los Angeles is nothing short of a masterpiece in my own eyes. From the shimmering synthesizers that open with "Brainfeeder" to the heated percussive exercise of "Melt!," from the upbeat and danceable "Parisian Goldfish" to the gorgeously minimal beauty of closer and Laura Darlington feature "Auntie's Lock/Infinitum," and throughout everything in between, Los Angeles gracefully exhibits a wide range in creative perspective, nailing a wealth of brilliant ideas with staggering precision. Although I don't deny the possibility of FlyLo releasing something that removes it from this perch, it now stands firmly as my favorite release in the Flying Lotus discography.
Whereas Los Angeles was Flying Lotus's breakthrough record, 2010's Cosmogramma is his most popular. Arguably more ambitious than its predecessor, Cosmogramma marked the introduction of FlyLo's incorporation of heavy influences from the world of jazz. His addition of Stephen Bruner, a.k.a. Thundercat, as a frequent collaborator factored in highly melodic bass lines, which worked in conjunction with the chords Flying Lotus was borrowing from jazz. The electronic nature of his music was still at its core, however, often taking on an even more maximalistic form than his previous work, such as with tracks like the abrupt opener "Clock Catcher" and the cinematic "Galaxy in Janaki." I find Cosmogramma to be slightly less consistent than Los Angeles, but it also reaches highs that are among the highest Flying Lotus has ever achieved, including the somewhat celebratory "Computer Face // Pure Being," the danceable "Do the Astral Plane" and the thrilling build its string and horn section help execute, the continuation of winning Laura Darlington contributions in "Table Tennis," and the euphoric finish of the aforementioned "Galaxy in Janaki."
Until the Quiet Comes is only Flying Lotus's fourth LP, but considering the multitude of EPs, demos, bootlegs, and mixes he has under his belt, it's far from being his fourth statement. His earliest demos, such as July Heat and Demo 06, were not particularly challenging, and yet despite not doing much to distinguish themselves from other post-J Dilla instrumental hip hop, they were still among the most interesting of such peers. 2007's Reset EP was a moderately moody, wonderful precursor to Los Angeles that packaged some of his most powerful work, particularly the breathtaking "Massage Situation." The L.A. EP trilogy that followed Los Angeles featured both original material that functioned as an excellent afterthought to the LP and remixes from other artists that offered it refreshing new perspectives. Between the first and second of those EPs came Shhh!, a collection of six reinterpretations of songs ranging from Madvillain's "Shadows of Tomorrow" to Nelly Furtado and Timbaland's "Promiscuous." The Pattern+Grid World EP that followed Cosmogramma is FlyLo's most frantic release yet, producing some of his most stimulating moments with highlights like the 8-bit exploration "Kill Your Co-Workers" and the driving "Physics for Everyone!" This is all in addition to a wealth of other singles, demos, and unofficially released material that rest under FlyLo's belt, most of which range from solid to incredible, and almost always carrying the sonic qualities that make his music so distinguishable.
After a quiet 2011, Flying Lotus has returned with Until the Quiet Comes, the full-length successor to Cosmogramma. Following such an album is a difficult task for a number reasons. Of course, the overwhelmingly positive reception of Cosmogramma creates heightened expectations around subsequent material, which places even more importance on the display of progression between releases. Considering the voluminous form that record took on, it seems that FlyLo's only choice in making his next move was to head in a more subdued direction. Until the Quiet Comes is still denser than much contemporary electronic music, but unlike with past material, its sonic focus is centered less around barrages of sound and more around smooth, pretty textures. Paring back volume doesn't come at a cost of personality, fortunately, for Flying Lotus's penchant for exploration keeps the album feeling like new ground for the artist. Although atmosphere has always been a crucial element of FlyLo's music, taking a relatively soft approach allows him to bring forth his often latent ambient side, at times surpassing the standards set by most of his previous flirtations with predominantly atmosphere-driven work. The brief yet stunningly beautiful "Until the Colours Come," for example, could be compared to Los Angeles cut "Orbit 405" or perhaps Cosmogramma piece "Intro / A Cosmic Drama" in their similar track lengths and absence of percussion, but the former, though it does function well as an interlude, also succeeds not only as a standalone track, but as one of the most affecting on the LP as well.
This emphasis on space carries over into most of the percussive songs, but although the sounds are consistently magnificent, the songs themselves produce somewhat mixed results. Structurally speaking, a portion of these tracks plateau early, shifting different components without a particularly strong sense of direction. Both "All the Secrets" and opener "All In" hold impressive shares of interesting ideas, but they also meander in a way that prevents their potential from being fully realized. Lack of clear aim in such tracks is a minor issue when considering that the bulk of the record was constructed to act primarily as a series of mood pieces, though the few "bangers" that appear also suffer slightly from underwhelming form. The most notable example is "The Nightcaller," which both in vibe and placement on the album's timeline recall Los Angeles's "Parisian Goldfish" and Cosmogramma's "Do the Astral Plane" without approaching the jubilant emotional heights of either. The other two relatively urgent tracks, "Sultan's Request" and "Putty Boy Strut," are more successful, the former on the strength of its thick bass and immediate melodies, and the latter by way of its infectious vocal samples, though they do feel just slightly undercooked. This less defined manner of arrangement bothers me less as I become more comfortable accepting that Until the Quiet Comes isn't a linear extension of preceding Flying Lotus material, but I still can't help but feel that a handful of these songs could use more developed structures.
A few of the lead melodies are alienating as well, particularly those contributed by certain guest vocalists. Thom Yorke feature "Electric Candyman" is one of the most cerebral songs Until the Quiet Comes has to offer, and in contrast to his appearance on Cosmogramma's "...And the World Laughs With You," places his vocals in a comparatively obscure place. While his ghostly voice and the treatment Flying Lotus applies to it works especially well with the song's creeping aura, the notes he sings don't add up to anything markedly striking. Similarly abstract is the first half of the following track, the Niki Randa collaboration "Hunger," which could benefit from a sharpened melody, though it ultimately does succeed on the strength of the mind-bending soundscape it creates. The only real pothole on the record is "See Thru to U," which gives Erykah Badu the spotlight as lead vocalist. Although I appreciate Erykah Badu for her understated yet passionate delivery, I find her melodies on that track to be almost completely inconsequential. Backed by appealing organic percussion that drowns at the hand of a messy instrumental, "See Thru to U," though not remotely offensive, feels like a sacrificed opportunity at what could have been an exceptional pairing. Moments like these are far from destroying the album, but they do show that occasionally, FlyLo's music could profit from more grounded songwriting.
Despite sometimes being too abstract for its own good, Flying Lotus's adventurous composition ends up being one of the most admirable aspects of Until the Quiet Comes. As his music continues to inspire an increasingly large generation of copycats, FlyLo seems to venture further into experimentation with unusual chord progressions and melodies, which is one of the main facets of his music that keeps him standing out from his contemporaries. It may not always connect emotionally on this LP, but it does so more often than not, frequently with astonishing results. The superb "Heave(n)" excels by way of its alluring vocal sample and blissful aesthetic, and the following "Tiny Tortures" effectively juxtaposes calming instrumentation against an uncommonly heavy kick drum. "Only if You Wanna" begins as one of the most straightforward examples of beat music on the record, providing one of its most physically engaging moments before descending into a brief jazz exercise that foreshadows the run of more dreamlike songs that comes afterward. Undoubtedly one of the album's most prime examples of compositional success is the second half of the previously mentioned "Hunger," a piece set in 7/8 that builds airy vocals and strings upon an arresting duet between bass guitar and something that vaguely resembles an electronically manipulated acoustic guitar. Moments like these go to show that when FlyLo's music utilizes the right amount of discipline, the result can be stimulating on a number of levels.
Aforementioned missteps aside, the guest spots on Until the Quiet Comes are generally efficacious as well. Renewing his role on Cosmogramma, Thundercat does double duty as both bassist and occasional vocalist. His flavorful, melodic bass lines are an essential cornerstone of a bulk of the LP, even going as far as to be the primary driving force behind songs like the standout title track. His sole vocal feature, "DMT Song," accurately represents its subject matter with a dreamy state that makes most current dream pop feel plastic in comparison, an effect that is achieved largely by his soft, boyish voice. Additionally, newcomer Niki Randa delivers two strong performances, especially on the haunting "Getting There." Laura Darlington excels as usual, contributing an eerie melody that works effectively alongside the song's mysterious aura. Each guest musician adds a significant element to the album without ruining its cohesion or causing it to feel like anything but FlyLo's own statement, which serves as a testament to his nearly impeccable taste in collaborators. Until the Quiet Comes reaches its peak as it approaches its final few minutes with "Me Yesterday // Corded." As its title suggests, the song is divided into two halves, which are linked smoothly despite being distinctly different; the second strikes me as being clearly the strongest, though the first half also offers a fair share of quality. Wistful playing from what sounds like slightly muffled keyboards open the track, and soon after are joined by a somewhat sparse beat and altered vocals that remind me faintly of parts of the Nicolas Jaar EP that came out last year. The second half kicks off just after the two-minute mark with a relatively straightforward yet still off-kilter beat, simple yet well-chosen chord progression, and minimal yet powerful plinking melody. Over the course of the next two and a half minutes, Flying Lotus builds the piece into a cathartic powerhouse, introducing characteristically melodic bass lines from Thundercat, complementary vocal samples, and his signature "laser" sounds, all in addition to a variety of other sonic ornaments. In a way, this song is a culmination of the album's assets, showcasing both the experimental and emotional sides of his composition, representing both his electronic and organic sides at their finest, and utilizing his mass of typically intriguing sounds to create one of his most gripping sonic landscapes yet. FlyLo has a history of choosing strong closers (see "Auntie's Lock / Infinitum," "Galaxy in Janaki"), and although "Me Yesterday // Corded" technically isn't one, it feels properly conclusive. This is not to neglect "Dream to Me," however, a short yet delightful piece that feels appropriately reflective, concluding with finesse the colorful journey the record takes throughout its 48 minutes.
The context of my life has certainly changed drastically since I first became a Flying Lotus fan. I am no longer struggling to find sources of new music, nor am I as wide-eyed and naive in regards to the music world, and my sensibilities as a music fan have extended far beyond my then almost exclusive diet of independent electronic music. Flying Lotus's music has changed discernibly as well, and yet throughout the arc it has made, it has retained the originality and devotion to pushing boundaries that drew me to it in the first place. Until the Quiet Comes may not always strike an emotional chord with me, but it's loyalty to these qualities renders it a consistently enthralling experience nevertheless, and as previous FlyLo albums have, it feels like a singular phenomenon that never veers too closely to the already established ideas of others. In many ways, Flying Lotus is at the head of his generation, transcending waves of faceless imitators with his own pronounced personality traits, and eluding the confines of in-the-moment trends by setting his own. He is my favorite artist of all time, and bias accounted for, I'd be hard pressed to name many others who have as many truly substantial things to say.
Score: Decent to Strong 8 (Do you appreciate Flying Lotus as much as I do? More? Not even close? I've all but abandoned my Twitter, but feel free to let me know on Tumblr!)
This year's Adult Swim Singles Program hasn't been without its solid offerings, but none have been able to excite me as much as the most recent addition, a Flying Lotus collaboration with Odd Future phenomenon Earl Sweatshirt and an unknown rapper Captain Murphy. Titled "Between Friends," the track will not be appearing on FlyLo's upcoming LP Until the Quiet Comes, which is looking at an October 2 release in the U.S. and an October 1 release in the U.K. by way of Warp Records. Stream the single by heading over to Adult Swim's website.
Without question, Earl Sweatshirt is my favorite MC of the OFWGKTA collective. In fact, I may be representing a somewhat unpopular stance in saying this, but Earl is the only rapper in the group I find to be generally interesting, although that's not to say that I don't think members such as Tyler, the Creator have had a few shining moments. His flow is consistently engaging, and his lyrics are less needlessly edgy than they are clever, though that's not to say that the sort of controversy-stirring vulgarity that is so often associated with OF did not color his work in the past. Post-Samoa Earl, however, seems to have moved on from this. The lyrics on "Between Friends" are definitely not without plenty of self-approbation, but they're among the most tasteful Earl and the majority of the rest of Odd Future has written. Factor in the interplay between Earl and Captain Murphy, and the result is a stimulating look into what one of the most talented members of a wildly uneven collective, as well as a currently unnamed associate, has to offer.
As for the beat, I've come to expect nothing short of fantastic from Flying Lotus. Appropriately, it stays relatively dialed back during the verses, taking a light, jazzy approach and allowing the MCs to dominate the foreground. The outro, however, finds FlyLo showing off his production chops to a much greater extent. What sounds like an ensemble of pitch-shifted vocal samples creates an enormously effective melody, which are complemented heavily by the producer's extremely well-tuned drums. Despite being instrumental, it strikes me as the most emotive and rewarding part of the song. This song succeeded in sparking my interest in Earl's future endeavors, but even more so, it increased my excitement for Until the Quiet Comes by a wide margin.
W'zup internet? Austin up in this piece. Today brings you, the listener, a list of my 5 favorite instrumental hip-hop artists. Unlike normal, let's just jump right into it, shall we?
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5) DJ Shadow
I know he seems like he should be a lot higher on the list, and the more I think about it the more I reconsider his place on it, but while I love love love love x infinity Endtroducing..., it's gotten to a point where I hardly even consider it hip-hop. It's in a world of it's own. Still, Shadow's a master of all trades hip-hop, and I would be unworthy of writing this if I didn't include him.
4) Madlib
Another person that a lot of people would say should be higher on the list. And I really should have prefaced this with "In No Particular Order", because I love all of these artists close to equally, Madlib being no exception. Ignoring how madly prolific he is, and the fantastic production he does for some of the best rappers of all time, his instrumentals are still gritty, organic, and sampling-mini-miracles of the highest degree. The records this man samples are most likely owned by nobody in the country besides him; this is demonstrated by his Madlib Medicine Show series (11 discs in a year, I told you he was prolific) which showcases some of his rarest and most interesting records. Italian prog, dub b-sides, Brazilian funk, and Afrobeat: Madlib has heaps of them all, and he chops them like there's no tomorrow.
3) Gold Panda
I know he seems like an unorthodox choice among the likes of Madlib and Shadow, but the guy makes some seriously beautiful compelling music. And he's less organic in his sampling than Lib or Shadow, but not in a negative way at all. Madlib samples a bassline from an old jazz tune, let's say, and the character and heritage of that sample and the record that it's from are retained and put out front and center. Gold Panda will take a sample and reverb it, and delay it, and pitchshift it until it's almost an entirely new piece of audio, and one that's totally his own.
2) J Dilla
What's that??? Dilla's not in the #1 spot? you say, outraged. And I do feel, where you're coming from. Because when I first heard Donuts, it was literally all I listened to for three days. For reals. As mentioned in my last post, I'm a big [adult swim] fan, and I had heard a lot of the donuts individually before I picked up the album. And when I did, I was amazed at how many of them had jammed there way into my head just by one or two listens on TV. If there was ever a producer who made it look easy, it was Dilla, and I'm sure he inspired a lot of people into making their own music because of that. Every single song on Donuts is worth listening to, which isn't something that can be said about most albums. But what can be said about Dilla that hasn't already been said?
1) Flying Lotus
More than anyone else in the entirety of my history with the whole of hip-hop music, Flying Lotus was a relevation. Again, in my [as] music phase (which, if you haven't figured it out, is where a good deal of my favorite instrumental hip-hop comes from), the was a bump entitled "Baggage Room", which had a song called "Massage Situation" by a guy named Flying Lotus. And I must have listened to that song a hundred times when I first found it on the internets. It's really hard to convey how otherworldly I found of of this music at a yound age, but it really did have a profound effect on me, and it sent me on the path to writing this list. And in the same way as Shadow, I find myself loving Lotus so much because he steps so far out of bounds of what it normally referred to as "hip-hop". Flying Lotus makes Flying Lotus music, and nothing else. Which, if you think about it, is remarkable for someone who deals so heavily in sampling. There's jazz in his sound, and hip-hop, and electronica, but he blends it all in a way (especially in his third album, Cosmogramma, which has become my favorite) that expels all your preconceptions about all three genres. Dude transcends hip-hop, and most of humanity too.
Just a couple days ago I posted about an old track that Flying Lotus put up on his Soundcloud. Tonight, the producer threw up another song titled "Candy Cainer 2009". Sonically, the track travels along similar lines as tracks like "Kill Your Co-Workers", which I felt was a real standout on last year's Pattern+Grid World EP. Hear it below.
Electronic experimentalist Flying Lotus has been throwing some rough ideas and various leftover tracks and remixes up on his SoundCloud for a few months, a lot of which have turned out to be pretty cool. Today, he dropped an outtake from his 2008 LP Los Angeles. The track, entitled "Mister Murky Socks", is built on the beat that is found in the latter half of Los Angeles track "Robertaflack". Check it out.
West Coast rapper Blu has a new album coming out entitled NoYork. The album already leaked, so Blu has been giving it away for free digitally, but it's still looking at an official release at some unannounced time. Anyway, here's a video for a track in which Blu raps over a Flying Lotus beat I've always loved.
Here's a hip hop act free from the digital grid-locked rhythm of today's generics yet binded to the coolest weird you'll find in the recently immortalized Flying Lotus. Greg Enemy takes the sophisticated P-funk inspired wit of Outkast's Aquemini and throws the raw, chaotic layering of Los Angeles and Cosmogramma into the mix. Xtra Small's density comes from a high mass low volume formula, occupying less than 40 minutes of playtime, packing way more jabs than hooks. Its fun, delightfully disorienting, nerdy, and deeply referential to its influences. It goes without saying that there is plenty of bass on this piece of work. Give it a listen.
When the lineup for Treasure Island Festival in San Francisco was first announced, [insert clever analogy illustrating my tremendous excitement]. As I read through the lineup for the first of the two days, three names stuck out, in a way that seemed to get progressively better: Shabazz Palaces (Black Up is one of my favorite albums of 2011), Battles (I consider myself a fan, Mirrored is one of my favorite albums of all time), and finally Flying Lotus. The latter was the real dealbreaker. Not only am I a pretty huge Flying Lotus fan, but due to basically all the shows he plays in my area being 21+ (a limit that unfortunately still affects me), I still hadn't seen him live. So here I was, after years of trying to see the guy live, finally getting my chance, along with a couple other artists I happen to love.
Due to being friends with mostly jobless young people, and only a fraction of those friends sharing a similar level of interest for these artists, I had no luck getting anyone to go with me. This officially marked the first time I went to a show by myself. Because I don't drive, I had to get there (to Treasure Island in San Francisco from my house in San Jose, about an hour drive without traffic) via public transit. And of course despite my efforts to get there on time without any trouble - taking an earlier train, bringing really specific walking directions and back-up train times - I had to run into some trouble getting there. First I missed the train I was trying to make, which delayed me about an hour. Then I guess some construction was being done on the tracks or something, so I had to get off the train at an earlier stop and transfer to another transit system, ultimately arriving in SF about an hour and a half later than I expected to. And because this transit dropped me off in a different part of SF than the other train would have, I had no idea how to get to Treasure Island. So I literally ran to some Walgreens, got directions, then ran all the way to the shuttle that goes to the island, about a 20 minute run with a backpack (I really wanted to see Shabazz Palaces!) I ended up making it in time for about half of Shabazz Palaces' set, so I was satisfied.
So that was the first act I saw. The cool thing was that the first song I saw them play was "Are You… Can You… Were You? (Felt)", which is easily one of my favorite Shabazz Palaces songs. "Chuch" and "Free Press and Curl" were among other highlights. They played a great set overall, really. In an age where bringing solely pre-recorded beats is often considered sufficient accompaniment for an MC, it's really interesting to see just how much these guys are able to pull off live. Ishmael "Butterfly" Butler is up there simultaneously rapping, controlling effects on his vocals, and triggering samples, all while percussionist Tendai Maraire supplies mostly acoustic percussion and background vocals. I definitely recommend trying to see them if you have any interest in their music.
Next was YACHT, I wasn't particularly interested in their set so I mostly just walked around and explored a bit. Bought a Flying Lotus shirt too. The cool thing about Treasure Island is that the two stages are within reasonable distance of each other, and only one act plays at a time, so no matter where I was in the park I was able to hear, and in most places even see, each act. There's also no having to choose between acts.
After YACHT was The Naked and Famous, playing a brand of indie synth pop that wasn't leaving much of an impression on me to be honest. So instead of watching them I secured my spot up front on the other stage for the next act, Battles.
Battles played pretty much exactly how and what I expected them to, but fortunately I'd say my expectations were pretty high. They opened with "Africastle", then I think "Sweetie and Shag" was next. After that it was the super epic post-Tyondai version of "Atlas", complete with the pre-recorded children choir vocal substitute, which was as great as ever. I don't really remember the order after that but I remember them playing "Wall Street", "Futura", "My Machines", "Ice Cream", and possibly one more but I don't know. They teased part of "Tonto" at some point in there too. Really great performance, playing was really tight, energy was up even without Tyondai, and Ian Williams has easily some of the best on-stage dance moves (and mustache) I've ever seen in my life. Cool little side note: I could see the dudes from Shabazz Palaces watching from the side of the stage throughout the set, and they were clearly digging it.
Dizzee Rascal was next. He's the kind of artist I don't think I'd ever listen to in a non-live setting, but I can't deny that he puts on a fun live show. Really danceable, bass-heavy beats paired up with Dizzee's signature eccentric UK rapping style. In terms of his setlist the more dance-oriented stuff took prominence over the more grimey stuff of his earlier days, which was a little unfortunate I felt, but it was still a fun show.
At this point it was getting harder to put off the fact that getting home was gonna be a huge pain due to the fact that the train I was going to take would probably still not be ready by the time I needed to leave. But like a freaking miracle I ended up running into a friend who had driven up and had space in his car, so that completely took care of all my problems getting home. The next act was this group called Buraka Som Sistema, playing some style of Portugese dance music I had never heard before called Kuduro. It was once again something I wouldn't really listen to on my own, but it was still really interesting to see live.
Next up was Chromeo, but I didn't really have an interest in them and I wanted to be in the best possible place for Flying Lotus anyway, so I just waited up front at the other stage.
And then there was Flying Lotus. I think the fact that I've been trying to see him for so long made this feel all the more epic, because honestly it was just about the most rewarding experience I could imagine. One of the cool things about Flying Lotus's sets is that for the most part he doesn't play songs in their full, but instead segues parts of them into each other, sometimes even mashing parts of them up (pairing at one point, for example, the vocal part from "RobertaFlack" up with "Melt!"), and with almost no breaks, so it feels sort of like one long mix. Anyway, he played a bunch of my favorites ("Massage Situation", "Camel", "Nose Art", "Zodiac Shit", "Do the Astral Plane", "Kill Your Co-Workers", "Jurassic Notion", to name just a few haha). He also asked the crowd to yell out suggestions, that's how we got "Massage Situation" played. He even dropped "Yonkers", as well as that Africa Hitech song "Out in the Streets" (both which I do dig, even though I'm not the biggest Tyler fan). At the end he actually offered to play a free 2-hour set in the city if someone could find him a place to play; I don't think it ended up happening but still I thought it was pretty cool. To top all that off, remember that Flying Lotus shirt I said I bought earlier? Well, when he came down right in front of the stage to talk to the people in the front row, I got him to sign it! *Ultimate fanboy moment*.
After all that, Cut Copy had already played a fair amount of their set. I'm not really a big Cut Copy fan anyway (just a style I haven't gotten much into), so that was a good time for a sitting break.
Then it was Death From Above 1979. I admittedly don't listen to them on my own, but I was still pretty interested in seeing their live set due to what I'd heard (and seen on Youtube) about their live set. And I wasn't disappointed. Even though I didn't have the connection to their music that the fans there clearly did, the energy, and just general volume/noisiness, was really great. Definitely a good live band, and something that I would have been totally in love with if I was a fan of their music.
Finally was Empire of the Sun. I'm actually really not a fan at all, so I was expecting to hate this, but I actually didn't dislike it nearly as much as I expected to. I mean, it didn't convert me into a fan or anything, but I do have to give it to them for putting on a pretty ambitious production. And when I say ambitious, I mean a half dozen or so dancers, costumes, visuals, stage lights, etc. Yeah, I still thought it was all cheesy, but I wouldn't deny that they succeeded in making it feel huge. And some of their songs are pretty catchy, even if they're not really my thing.
And there you have it, my Treasure Island Festival experience. You may have noticed I made no mention of the festival's second day. That would be because I didn't go. Don't get me wrong, there were some artists on the lineup I would have loved to see (particularly St. Vincent, also The Antlers to a lesser but still notable degree), but not enough for me to justify shelling out the extra money. And besides, I really couldn't have asked for much more fulfillment out of the experience.
