My Top Thirty Flying Lotus Songs

[Idioteque Stalker]

http://media.pitchfork.com/photos/592f51ad14bc83430bf25690/2:1/w_320/34af9001.jpg

In the age of Kuso (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt6131712/?ref_=nv_sr_1), I need something to remind me why Flying Lotus is my favorite working musician. If you're unfamiliar, he's known for blending electronic, hip-hop, and jazz and you've actually heard him a lot if you watch Adult Swim.

First, a few jazzy HMs under 1:30:

Until the Colours Come
Until the Quiet Comes


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZA6yUxN88k

[Idioteque Stalker]

Coleman's Groove
ideas + drafts + loops


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhmfOvzAtoI

Descent Into Madness
You're Dead!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCKNn9qTwMc

[Idioteque Stalker]

#30

Moment of Hesitation
You're Dead!

Feels like: jazz

When I first heard this as a preview for You're Dead!, it didn't make a huge impression. But I rewound the first two seconds so many times just to hear Herbie Hancock's wild intro (Kamasi Washington sounds great here too). Eventually I got a feel for the song--I always think about Bootsy Collins emphasizing the importance of "the one" (in terms of musical measures), and the propulsive nature of this thing ended up grabbing me.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNzZqcmukdk

[Idioteque Stalker]

#29

Disco Balls
5: Five Years of Hypderdub compilation

Feels like: electro

You don't often hear hard electronic sounds paired with a J Dilla beat, but Disco Balls makes it work. As fitting for a drug den as it is a club. Well, at least that's true in my imagination--I tried making it work with the EDM/dubstep crowd circa 2010 but it didn't catch on. Oh well. Song still kills.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTnyKz4Qx_o

[Idioteque Stalker]

#28

The Ritual
Duality

Feels like: hip-hop

The Captain Murphy alter-ego is not my favorite FlyLo endeavor (you can definitely trace Kuso's lineage back to Duality), but as a poor man's Madvillain it's a worthwhile and brief detour in his career--just replace Madvillainy's comic book feel with trashy z-grade horror. On "The Ritual," producer Just Blaze turns De La Soul's "Sunshine" into a song about virgin sacrifice and satanic possession.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-5mhYd6SpU

[Idioteque Stalker]

#27

Until the Quiet Comes
Until the Quiet Comes

Feels like: jazz

Quintessential FlyLo. The mixture of live and synthetic instrumentation, slightly uncanny feel of disembodied vocals, sick Thundercat bass riffs--all the foundational ingredients are here. It's not a questions of whether or not someone could do it better. No one else makes music like this.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxvXsKWMKEI

[Idioteque Stalker]

#26

GNG BNG
Los Angeles

Feels like: electro

"GNG BNG" is insanity. First it's Bollywood-turned-banger, then it devolves into this corroded dubstep where the bass doesn't wobble so much as disintegrate rhythmically. There may not be a more hype FlyLo song.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pW63jEasmc

[Idioteque Stalker]

#25

Kill Your Co-Workers
Pattern + Gridworld

Feels like: electro

Flying Lotus is well-known for his love of video games, and if Pattern + Gridworld is dedicated to gaming then "Kill Your Co-Workers" is its most exuberant ode. Although it's incredibly fast and full of 8-bit tones, it's still way too melodic to be thrown in the chiptune bargain bin.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPLNK3mn7zE

[D_Davis]

Cool thread.

Going to be listening to these. I've never been able to get into this guy's music. It's really weird. I listen to a ton of jazz, hip hop, and electronic music (often all three mixed together), but for some reason I don't like this guy's syntheses of the various genres.

For this kind of nu-jazz style, I prefer the Norwegian/German guys like Jan Bang, Nils Petter Molvaer, Eivind Aarset, etc.

Hopefully some of these tracks win me over.

[Idioteque Stalker]

Today's entries are all very chill.

[Idioteque Stalker]

#24

Turtles
You're Dead!

Feels like: jazz

On a frenetic album like You're Dead!, "Turtles" is the kind of track that could easily sneak by unnoticed. But the simple riffs, finger cymbals, and lovely vocals create an exotic, relaxing vibe that perfectly soundtracks my imaginary happy place.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEl9UBNqUTM

[Idioteque Stalker]

#23

Golden Diva
Los Angeles

Feels like: electro

The ultimate Flying Lotus litmus test. Here is where "cool" culture and "nerd" culture are intertwined and indistinct; in my dreams Lil Wayne freestyles over "Golden Diva" while playing Super Monkey Ball. Do the sounds appeal to you? FlyLo fandom awaits.



Fan-made video, but it's pretty cool and the music is unchanged.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IIiivffC2s

[D_Davis]

#24

Turtles
You're Dead!

Feels like: jazz

On a frenetic album like You're Dead!, "Turtles" is the kind of track that could easily sneak by unnoticed. But the simple riffs, finger cymbals, and lovely vocals create an exotic, relaxing vibe that perfectly soundtracks my imaginary happy place.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEl9UBNqUTM


I dig this one. Has a Tortoise vibe. It's called Turtles. An homage maybe?

[Idioteque Stalker]

#22

Camera Day
Pattern + Gridworld

Feels like: electro

The "feels like" bit on these posts should always be taken lightly, but "Camera Day" is particularly tricky. Rhythmically it's pretty much trap music (I always hear Rick Ross grunting), but ultimately the song is actually about the eerie, swirling background synthesizers and the 8-bit noise of an arcade character falling in a hole.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ko-JFwyy6zg

[Idioteque Stalker]

I dig this one. Has a Tortoise vibe. It's called Turtles. An homage maybe?

I'm not sure, but I certainly wouldn't put it past him. Glad you like it.

[Idioteque Stalker]

#21

Zodiac Shit
Cosmogramma

Feels like: hip-hop

Uh-oh... the Cosmogramma floodgates have opened. This is probably Flying Lotus's most popular song, and it's not hard to hear why. It's totally the type of song you play for high people to blow their minds.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keH_yXpJzXE

[Idioteque Stalker]

#20

The Nightcaller
Until the Quiet Comes

Feels like: electro

If Until the Quiet Comes is FlyLo's approximation of a psychedelic trip, then "The Nightcaller" is its star gate sequence. Even as the impossible colors and sounds swirl around you, the knowledge remains that you're definitely going somewhere--and fast. Rather than 2001's sterile hotel, however, you arrive at a crowded waiting room where everyone dances to decomposing muzak until they lose their mind.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcUPxzhlbkQ

[Idioteque Stalker]

#19

1983
1983

Feels like: hip-hop

The first cut off his debut album, "1983" is still the coolest Flying Lotus song. Is it G-funk or IDM? Dr. Dre or Dntel? The monstrous bass line doesn't walk so much as stumble, yet it always ends up exactly where you want it. He could've made a pretty good career out of just doing stuff like this.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CybO7XtYpdU

[Idioteque Stalker]

#18

DMT Song (Feat. Thundercat)
Until the Quiet Comes

Feels like: jazz

When I saw this song on the tracklist for Until the Quiet Comes I was... concerned. "Oh great. 'DMT Song'--how tactless and on-the-nose." I was right. It's not subtle. But I'll be damned if it's not the most gorgeous thing he ever composed.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iw-DrYR6THM

[Idioteque Stalker]

#17

The Diddler
ideas + drafts + loops

Feels like: hip-hop

Here's where FlyLo pokes his head in to see what Clams Casino and the other cloud rap producers are doing. "Oh you mean kinda like this?" And "The Diddler" is born. Clean your house to this and you'll feel like a superhero. Turn it up loud enough and you'll swear it's a living thing.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAB-4pwoaGg

[Idioteque Stalker]

#16

Breathe. Something / Stellar Star
Los Angeles

Feels like: hip-hop

There's something very in-your-face about "Breathe." It's not particularly loud or rambunctious, but the way the beat comes in, the jazzy chord progression, and the ambient sci-fi clutter all make it feel much more like an anthem than your typical blunted head-nodder. After the success of 1983 and his Adult Swim bumpers, "Breathe" was a proclamation that he wouldn't remain still. Here is the moment FlyLo opened himself to the cosmos.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEF8wgSajlM

[Idioteque Stalker]

Huh. The next five songs prominently feature other artists. It just worked out that way.

[Idioteque Stalker]

#15

Between Friends (Feat. Earl Sweatshirt)
Duality

Feels like: hip-hop

http://factmag-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/earl020514.jpg

The Captain Murphy detour would've gotten waaaay more flack if not for this song. Earl Sweatshirt pretty much equals instant credibility, so Adult Swim had everyone wondering who this mysterious Captain Murphy guy was even though his verse is obviously the song's low-point (FlyLo soon revealed it was him the whole time--shrug). "Between Friends" begins with an epic tease and ends with sci-fi boom-bap, but in between it's easily the most straightforward hip-hop song FlyLo ever made, with a beautiful xylophone melody and so much assonance even MF Doom took notice. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcS_AHCAWG0)



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FS35SshVxQ

[Idioteque Stalker]

#14

Robertaflack (Feat. Dolly)
Los Angeles

Feels like: hip-hop

http://factmag-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/ahu2new.jpg

What relevant hip-hop producer doesn't cite J Dilla as an influence? Flying Lotus certainly shares this with his peers, but still--nobody else is crazy enough to turn what might've been their most radio-friendly R&B jam into an unapologetically sloppy, cluttered mess of a song. "Robertaflack" shouldn't work, but somehow it's still one of the coolest, sexiest--and when the distortion ramps up, dare I say emotional--songs of his career.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbkRvclQS4M

[Idioteque Stalker]

#13

Never Catch Me (Feat. Kendrick Lamar)
You're Dead

Feels like: jazz

http://thefader-res.cloudinary.com/images/w_1440,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:b est/jsdrxzskxlk4trgtlamg/kendrick-lamar-nominated-for-seven-grammys.jpg

While certainly exciting at the time, "Never Catch Me" makes a lot more sense to me in the years following Kendrick's To Pimp a Butterfly (an album on which FlyLo played a significant role). A friend said at the time, "Wow, this is totally the type of beat Kendrick would rap over." And at the time I thought, "Is it really?" Now I almost expect him to stop ruminating on mortality for a second just to say something about how his dick ain't free.

From a musician's standpoint this has to be one of Flying Lotus's most impressive songs. Here's a cool video of some very talented people covering it. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAV_x85prBc) The piano loop, the intricate drum patterns, the background vocals--it's basically one big crescendo to a sublime instrumental outro featuring my favorite Thundercat bass riff.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHVTb0KzJIs

[Idioteque Stalker]

#12

...And the World Laughs With You (Feat. Thom Yorke)
Cosmogramma

Feels like: electro

http://i1.mirror.co.uk/news/technology-science/technology/article4330311.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/Thom.jpg

This song wouldn't feel out of place--and would in fact be a highlight--on an actual Radiohead record. Unlike something like "Never Catch Me," however, it's not really an epic collaboration; in fact, after Cosmogramma's blistering first act it feels downright subdued. But doggone does Thom Yorke make all the difference. Who else could make the simple refrain "I need to know you're out there" sound so mournful? And as the disembodied voices swirl toward their chilling climax, we begin to understand: he needs something to be out there because in here it's hell.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZ82udFQ2uI

[Idioteque Stalker]

#11

Robo Tussin (Feat. Lil Wayne)
n/a

Feels like: hip-hop

http://www.lilwaynehq.com/images/blog/roy-demeo-chico-lil-wayne-music-video.jpg

Flying Lotus took "A Milli"--the instant hip-hop classic of startling minimalism--heard something no one else heard, and flipped it upside down. Some people prefer the instrumental without the vocals, but they're missing the point. The beat is smooth as butter, surely, but the real magic of "Robo Tussin" is how it turns Wayne's exuberant performance into a sing-song rap so magnetic the universe itself seems to harmonize.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbZsDV_h9z4

[Idioteque Stalker]

#10

Massage Situation
Reset - EP

Feels like: hip-hop

https://espngrantland.files.wordpress. com/2015/07/eyes-wide-shut-fidelio.jpg?w=700&h=525

This one's a gimme. It's the "Stairway to Heaven" of Flying Lotus songs. It's what Adult Swim sounds like. The first half is Tom Cruise sneaking into a nightclub so exclusive even he wasn't invited. The second half is him realizing what's really going on.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyiViMtQ0H4

[Idioteque Stalker]

Wow. FlyLo, Radiohead, Kendrick Lamar, Eyes Wide Shut, video games... This thread should be renamed "shit about which I'm a hopeless fanboy." More geeking to come.

[Idioteque Stalker]

#9

Parisian Goldfish
Los Angeles

Feels like: electro

http://www.overservedblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/030214.png

Who knows if Eric Wareheim's hilariously NSFW video has helped or hindered this song's legacy, but you can't say he wasn't in tune with the fuck-all bacchanalia. Riddled with cowbell and sporting a hyperactive bass line, "Parisian Goldfish" is as eager as your friend who wants the whole crew to do fireball shots at the worst possible time. If I put a Flying Lotus song on a mixtape--and for the last ten years I almost always do--there's a 50/50 chance it's this.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hj2RIL4lgK4

[Idioteque Stalker]

#8

Satelllliiiiiiiiteee
Cosmogramma

Feels like: electro?

http://www.gamer-buzz.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Psycho-Mantis-Metal-Gear-Solid-Easter-egg.jpg

How do you begin to describe this song? It's like a chopped and screwed hip-hop remix but someone got the fast forward and slo-mo buttons confused. It's like Aphex Twin attempted tropicalia and featured a sobbing person plus Nicki Minaj holding her nose. It's like the first-ever track an Inuk throat singer would find dope enough to freestyle over. It's like having your mind scrambled by Psycho Mantis but it doesn't hurt and is actually kind of peaceful.

Whatever. It's not like anything.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1geZ_27a4M

[Idioteque Stalker]

#7

Computer Face // Pure Being
Cosmogramma

Feels like: electro

http://i.perezhilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/tumblr_mxnzwwawmu1s8in72o1_400 a.gif

I feel like this is the type of song that could prove the virtues of dumb, repetitive music to even the snobbiest of classical music purists. It's not complex, but it's still adventurous. It's not easy listening, but it beckons you along. There aren't really any dynamics, but it definitely goes places. "Computer Face // Pure Being" is not one of FlyLo's most nuanced tracks, but I will always proudly offer it as one of his most virtuosic.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aV81i3sASo

[Ivan Drago]

In the age of Kuso (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt6131712/?ref_=nv_sr_1), I need something to remind me why Flying Lotus is my favorite working musician.

I can't tell if this is an indictment of the film or not. Will not hold it against you if you didn't like it though, because it's the furthest thing from approachable.

Anyway, I discovered FlyLo through the radio station he curated in GTA V in 2013 and circled back into finally diving deeper into his discography this year. The dude's music is getting me through the pandemic, man. It gives me the feeling that I'm at a high-energy party with friends that I miss along with a chill, relaxed feeling at the same time. You're Dead! is my favorite album of his so far, but Until The Quiet Comes is off to an excellent start. I still need to go through his older albums but I can't wait to do that and scroll through your list while doing it!

[Ivan Drago]

#17

The Diddler
ideas + drafts + loops

Feels like: hip-hop

Here's where FlyLo pokes his head in to see what Clams Casino and the other cloud rap producers are doing. "Oh you mean kinda like this?" And "The Diddler" is born. Clean your house to this and you'll feel like a superhero. Turn it up loud enough and you'll swear it's a living thing.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAB-4pwoaGg

This was the track that got me hooked on FlyLo in the first place. It makes driving feel like cruising.

EDIT: I realize this is an almost 4-year-old thread. Just stumbled onto it while searching for something else and felt super late to the party!

[Idioteque Stalker]

I can't tell if this is an indictment of the film or not. Will not hold it against you if you didn't like it though, because it's the furthest thing from approachable.

I never actually saw it... Honestly never wanted to. Maybe it's time. I'm a little scared.

Maybe I'll finish this list as well?

[Ivan Drago]

I never actually saw it... Honestly never wanted to. Maybe it's time. I'm a little scared.

Maybe I'll finish this list as well?

It’s essentially Eraserhead with Troma's sense of humor and the structure of a Robot Chicken episode, and really hard to justify a recommendation considering it’s an amalgamation of things that aren’t for everyone. It's an incoherent, disgusting mess, and yet...there's something about the experience of watching it that's fascinating. I dunno, maybe it's just me because I'm a big fan of weird midnight movies. I'd hate for it to ruin your feelings about him as an artist, though. You've got a lot of passion for his work and I'd be along for the ride to the end of this list with you!

[Ivan Drago]

Also, what are your thoughts on Flamagra if you've heard it?