Breakthrough

by The Gaslamp Killer

It must have been tough for The Gaslamp Killer to have his album Breakthrough debut so close to Flying Lotus's seminal Until the Quiet Comes, because the latter definitely overshadowed the former in the world of dark, atmospheric instrumental electronic hip-hop (if that's what you'd call this).  And that's a little unfair, as this is a very good album.

There are definite similarities between the two artists beyond their choice of record label, but Gaslamp Killer is the more traditional of the two.  He may not push the envelope much with his music, but he knows which edge of it he's most comfortable on.

He fills this seventeen-track deep album with some nice fuzzy beats, aided by the always recognizable Gonjasufi on two tracks, and by other artists I admire like Dimlite and Shigeto.  I especially like 'Flange Face', a driving beat that has Miguel Atwood-Ferguson's strings floating above it.

I could have done without the two interludes, one a parsing of the F-word, and the other a lengthy phone message left by his mother, but the rest of this album bangs from a dark place, and it sounds terrific.

Until the Quiet Comes

by Flying Lotus

I think Flying Lotus's new album, Until the Quiet Comes, is probably my favourite album of the year.  In these eighteen tracks, FlyLo takes his music into some places he hasn't gone before, delivering a complete package that is more thoughtful, beautiful, and also accessible than anything he's done before.

I've admired his work for some time now, but sometimes have found listening to him to be distracting or a more cerebral than enjoyable endeavour (depending on my mood).  With this album, he wraps everything in such lush, atmospheric sounds, that I find I can leave the album on repeat for hours and just get lost in it.

A big part of what makes this album work so well is the blending of electronic music with live instruments, with guests such as Thundercat, Austin Peralta (RIP), and Miguel Atwood-Ferguson adding to the richness of the tracks.  There are vocals by Niki Randa, Laura Darlington, Thom Yorke, and Erykah Badu, providing some of the nicest tracks on the album.  My favourite track, though, is 'Putty Boy Strut'.

Flying Lotus is one of the most exciting artists in the business right now.  His music is almost impossible to categorize - he uses the phrase dubstep, but I still think of it more as post hip-hop - and I look forward to seeing what he does next.

AQUARIUSSSSSSS

by Carlos Niño & Friends

I'm not sure that I entirely understand the love given in hip-hop circles to Carlos Niño.  Sure, his music is hauntingly beautiful, and he was instrumental in the whole Suite for Ma Dukes symphonic interpretation of J Dilla's music (god I love that disc), and he was featured on Exile's brilliant Radio album (he's the guy who keeps saying, "Love, let's say it again" on one track), but it's impossible to listen to Aquariusssssss, his lovely new recording, and think of hip-hop.

This is a collection of pretty ambient music, which some would easily file into a New Age section of a record store.  It's better than that entire genre, but it does have the crashing waves, the bird song, and the random spoken word poetry (all on one track - 'Listening to the conversations of the Birds...').  It also has some terrific music, and the strings of Miguel Atwood-Ferguson.  It also has some ridiculous track names, such as 'Bath of Breath Crystal Crescendo', 'Tears Of Transcendence', and 'Trance Elation of Transformance'.  One would expect to find pictures of fractals circa '94 in the liner notes, but instead we get a picture of Niño swimming in the ocean.

As easy as this project is to poke fun at, I find that I love leaving this playing while I'm reading at the end of a long day.  It's not for everyone, but it's lovely.

Timeless: Suite For Ma Dukes

arranged by Miguel Atwood-Ferguson

Alright, so I love Dilla, but somehow this project escaped me.  I got the first, four-track EP that Miguel Atwood-Ferguson put together with Carlos Nino, also called Suite For Ma Dukes, and thought it was lovely, and I knew that this concert had been held back in 2009, but the fact that this cd/dvd combo had been released never penetrated my consciousness until just recently. 

What we have here are fifteen tracks of a 60-piece orchestra playing some of Dilla's greatest songs, as arranged by Miguel Atwood-Ferguson.  Most of the pieces are composed of just the instrumentals, although later on the orchestra is joined by Dwele on 'Angel', and by Psdnuos and Talib Kweli on 'Stakes is High'.  A whole ton of people participate in 'Fall in Love', including Bilal, Illa J (Dilla's brother), Karriem Riggins, and Ma Dukes herself.

This is an absolutely beautiful cd.  Somehow, the act of having Dilla's wonderful beats played by so many people brings them a new intimacy, as they speak directly to the soul.

Were there just the cd in this package, I would have been happy with the purchase, but included in the pack is a DVD of the concert, shot in black and white.  It helps make it easy to appreciate the music and the power of Dilla's legacy.  This is an incredible project.

Cosmogramma

by Flying Lotus

The new Flying Lotus album starts with ten seconds of the growing sound from Super Mario Brothers, and you think you're in for one annoying piece of work.  Twenty seconds later, you're listening to some of the most textured and beautiful post-hip hop electronica you've ever heard, and you can relax and let this disc wash over you.

This is a very accomplished collection of music that moves between a number of different moods and atmospheres, although there is an underlying feeling of optimism throughout the experience.  While there are dark tracks, this is by no means a dark album.

Flying Lotus makes use of a number of interesting sonic combinations, including on 'Table Tennis', the sound of ping-pong balls getting whacked around.  Some tracks feature some truly psychotic drum'n'bass breaks, while others have lovely harps and strings, some of which are provided by Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, of 'Suite for Ma Dukes' fame.

Much like Los Angeles, his previous album, this complex work is hard to describe, and is better simply experienced.  While the influences range through hip-hop, jazz, electronica, and more, I got a definite Portishead (circa Third) vibe off the end of the album.  This is something that's going to stay in heavy rotation for a while I feel.