Steven Ellison’s Flying Lotus project has reached cruising altitude. With 2008 breakout Los Angeles and legacy-securing Cosmogramma now firmly in the rearview mirror, he’s embracing artist maturation by releasing a series of well-received albums in a row, including the newly acclaimed You’re Dead.
The latter tunnels through the vapors of the afterlife by way of the usual blocky, psych beats. As such, the 2014 Flylo live experience offers a hypnotic, post-Earth journey. He hangs a thin, translucent screen in front of his face, plastered with inorganic projections of life, love, and some vectored computer hell.
Ellison comes off as soft spoken, so it’s apropos the projections do all the talking. He’s in his safe space – alone, flashbulb goggles on – commanding an army of electronics.
Something strange happened back in 2012, when a mysterious LP under the Captain Murphy moniker came forth from Flying Lotus’ homegrown Brainfeeder label. It was quickly learned that Murphy is Ellison’s MC persona, which meant the reticent producer was finally stepping out in front of the beats. Fun Fun Fun Fest got a taste of that Sunday night, and it’s gratifying to see an exceptionally talented artist break his own mold.
He sounded great, too, even if he was fighting nerves. “I’m not even drunk!” might be the most honest thing anyone ever yelled between verses. It was one of the few moments of genuine humanity in the midst of math-problem dance music. Flying Lotus is a star.
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This article appears in November 7 • 2014.