Los Angeles

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With the Reset EP released October last year and his bootleg mixes of everyone from KELIS to MR. OIZO and MADVILLAIN circulating amongst the heads, FLYING LOTUS' name is on the lips of many as the leader of a new generation of artists emerging from California. A movement that has captured attention worldwide, fuelled by hip-hop and cutting-edge dance music, FLYING LOTUS is redefining the sound of LA. Flying Lotus is a man of many sides; from the huge sounding collabs and remixes giving indication of the slickest productions you are likely to hear on radio to his high voltage live shows (we saw earlier this year) which are somewhere between the best ever house party DJ and the most crowd-smashing live electronic act you've seen, to this new album proper - 'Los Angeles' - a deep, soulful, intricate album where glints of detail are unearthed to make this opus richer on every listen. Of course, it?s no secret that Lotus is the product of a rich musical lineage and Auntie's Harp serves not only as a collaboration with his majestic aunt (ALICE COLTRANE), but also a more fitting tribute. Testament arrives as the intro to Fly Lo's collaborator GONJA SUFI in all his mage-like splendor. Like DR. DRE & SNOOP DOGG, TIMBALAND & MISSY or BETH GIBBONS & GEOFF BARROW, the pairing of a pioneering producer & entirely distinct vocalist/songwriter is a force to be reckoned with. The feeling is only amplified with the closing opus Infintum. Enveloping vocalist LAURA DARLINGTON in a track that bridges GAINSBOURG/BARDOT territory with BROADCAST and shape-shifting post-modern R&B, it is a sublime bookend to Brainfeeder and serves as the perfect FIN to Los Angeles epic journey. Review ------ On the heels of brilliant success from early remixes and 2007's Reset, Flying Lotus releases yet another little gem of a record with Los Angeles. Lovingly adorned FlyLo by fans, Flying Lotus has always produced a fresher than fresh (mostly instrumental) electronic hip-hop sound. Ultra cool, futuristic, and representative of everything at the forefront of the title city's hip-hop and electronic music scenes, Los Angeles continues FlyLo s tricked-out lounge vibe just as well, if not better, than their previous releases. The liquidity of the tracks flows so well that it feels like a continuous stream and the next thing you know you re listening to Track 17. The EP's best new tracks include the outerspacey ''Beginners Falafel,'' the percussive and janky ''Camel,'' the lush and complex neo-soul ''RobertaFlack'' featuring Dolly (reminiscent of FlyLo's delicious remix of Mia Doi Todd s ''My Room Is White''), and the culminating pulsating ''Auntie s Lock/Infinitum'' featuring the soft vocals of Laura Darlington. Los Angeles is a beautifully complex and widespread full-length from one of LA's most creative and perceptive music producers. --Urb