FLYING LOTUS: Reset EP (Warp Records)

By

Posted on Oct 11th 2007 11:36 pm

Filed in Singles/EPs | Tags: ,
Comments (0)

Flying Lotus: Reset EP

FLYING LOTUS
Reset
WAP228 / WAP228CD
Warp Records 2007

06 Tracks. 17mins32secs
Format: 12″ / CDS

Flying Lotus is the project of Los Angeles resident Steven Ellison, a young musician with an impressive pedigree, counting Alice Coltrane as his great aunt no less, yet he owes his burgeoning music career to Snoop Doggy Dog, whose Doggystyle album made a strong impression on a thirteen years old Ellison.

Ellison’s debut album, 1983, was released last year on Plug Research and received critical acclaim for its impressive scope. A tight exercise which freely borrowed from hip-hop, jazz, tropicalia and electronica, the album called on comparison with the likes of Daedelus and Dntel, but Ellison’s sonic dexterity made it a remarkable personal effort. Now signed to Warp, Flying Lotus has just delivered a dense six track EP, ahead of his second album, scheduled for next year.

The aptly titled Reset pretty much does just that. If the former musical connections are still clearly applied here, they are given a rather different sheen. Very much like on 1983, Ellison consciously keeps his compositions short and sweet, with only two tracks going just over four minutes. On the bass heavy Tea Leaf Dancers, which opens the festivities, teams up with British vocalist Andreya for a very convincing slice of narcotic soul, and later, Spicy Sammich seems to have been cast out of a similar mould, although the more minimal approach and sparse use of vocal samples give the piece a much more unsettling tone. In comparison, the intricate beats and gritty synth of Vegas Collie and the smooth groove of Massage Situation are refreshingly uplifting. Ellison concludes this effort with the smart minimal electro Dance Floor Stalker, which finds its roots somewhere between the Black Dog of Bytes and early 808 States, but the track is undoubtedly contemporary and promises wonders for the future.

4.2/5

Icon: arrow Flying Lotus | Warp Records
Icon: arrow Buy: CD | 12″ | iTunes

Filed in Singles/EPs | Tags: ,
Comments (0)

Comments are closed.