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Los Angeles | 
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| Artist: Flying Lotus
Label: Warp Records
Category: Music
List Price: $14.99
Buy New: $9.78
You Save: $5.21 (35%)
New (42) Used (9) from $9.78
Rating:  10 reviews
Sales Rank: 3591
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.1
Dimensions (in): 5 x 4.9 x 0.2
MPN: 165
UPC: 801061016524
EAN: 0801061016524
ASIN: B00177Z58M
Release Date: June 10, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | Brainfeeder | | • | Breathe. Something/Stellar Star | | • | Beginners Falafel | | • | Camel | | • | Melt! | | • | Comet Course | | • | Orbit 405 | | • | Golden Diva | | • | Hot | | • | GNG BNG | | • | Parisian Goldfish | | • | Sleepy Dinosaur | | • | Robertaflack | | • | Sexslaveship | | • | Auntie's Harp | | • | Testament | | • | Auntie's Lock/Infinitum |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Album Description
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.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...
 Highly polished electronic and experimental music November 8, 2008
Flying Lotus' debut on Warp Records is a curious development of musical ideas, drawing from its influences and predecessors to create something in between glitch, hip hop, and free jazz. More One Word Extinguisher than Donuts, more Beauty & The Beat than Madvillainy, Flying Lotus puts together a variety of contemporary hip hop styles to create a swirling mix of fuzz, beats, and melody. Established melodies reconstruct into minimalist beats, beats get thrown into the sounds of space. Track like "Comet Course" take fuzzed out downtempo and evolve them into the glitch of "Orbit 405" (which really sounds like things in orbit, the R&B of "Roberta Flack" shakes its way into the seduction of "SexSlaveShip." The record is consistent in its deconstruction and reconstruction, never letting the record get too organic or human. Is that supposed to be like the city it's named after? Possibly. Regardless, this is a great listen, if not one of the best of the year.
This album is more than "just beats" November 7, 2008
Los Angeles is an album that will have you asking the question "what's next?" The plethora of sounds are simply mind boggling. The way each song seamlessly leads into the other make this such an enjoyable listen. This album may not be for everyone, but if you're willing to take the time to listen and feel carefully it'll definitely keep your attention and take your mind on an exciting trip!
The futuristic soul-electronica October 31, 2008
Dedicated to the city in which he grew up, Los Angeles is a largely instrumental collection, with only a handful of tracks featuring vocal contributors. Flying Lotus effortlessly glides through dense atmospheres, crisp soundscapes and razor sharp beats to create compelling sonic vignettes which range from just under a minute to just over four. Los Angeles sounds excellent inside my head. It's a really good record.
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For those who are familiar with Flying Lotus' specific style of electronica, 'Los Angeles' can be marked simply as Steve Ellison's Warp record. Ellison has slowly been moving himself among the L.A. hip hop scene attempting to craft something that sounds like the meeting point of Aphex Twin and Madlib. Daedalus and Gaslamp Killer can also be seen as clear relations to Flying Lotus as they should considering all three artists are common performers in the L.A. music scene. '1983' represented a more clearer view of Ellison's take on instrumental hip-hop, 'Reset' was marked by the decision to move Flying Lotus into a more beat heavy existence, and with 'Los Angeles' we begin to see the artist reveling in the perceived intelligence of his label peers like Prefuse 73 and Autechre.
Opener 'Brainfeeder' shows clearly that this is going to be a different type of Flying Lotus record. Absolutely no percussion is used through the songs entire minute and a half length which seems daring for a producer who is known for his superbly crafted rhythms. The track is highlighted by the swirl of dynamic synths that help the second track 'Breath.Something/Stellar Star' slowly and perfectly shift in as a follow up. Noticeable about the first two tracks also is how deeply Flying Lotus has seemed to delve into his atmosphere. He is pressing for a more psychedelic feel and 'Breath' demonstrates this with synths that sound like wandering Theremins. 'Melt!' mixes chants with a very tribal drum feel and encompasses the influence it seems Bollywood has had on Ellison and 'Golden Diva' leaves an unremarkable impression of Boards of Canada. As the record reaches the midpoint it starts reaching for more rhythm based pieces. 'Riot' is a heavy bass aided track that uses steel drums and hand claps to create a massive low end. The song slowly evolves until the bass bridges into a seemingly random pattern as the drums around it come to a steadier beat. The track then leaves the more upbeat rhythm and concludes with a drifting synth barrage. 'GNG BNG' comes off as mix between the pioneering sounds of early New York DJs and Beat Konducta's recent forays. 'Parisian Goldfish' finishes off the trio of dance heavy tracks as Flying Lotus's most club based composition yet. As a whole the variety of sounds found on the record are what 'Los Angeles' success stems from with tracks as relaxing as 'Sexslaveship' before what seems like improvised vocals on 'Testament'. . 'Los Angeles' finishes off with a variety of vocal performances included a meet up with one of Ellison's early collaborators. `Los Angeles' ends on a positive note with the simply beautiful 'Auntie's Lock/Infinitum' which is made even more luscious with a vocal performance from Laura Darlington. The track drifts the otherwise cluttered sonic palate into a serene and simple finish and I could not see the record ending any other way.
Flying Lotus has once again proved that he is an artist that can consistently reinvent himself and make his new sound just as effective as it was before. While I wouldn't say this record succeeds in providing the same level of consistent quality I think '1983' did, it is pretty hard to criticize 'Los Angeles' as anything other than a great record. Ellison's developments as always have entertained me enough that I'm willing to remain excited for his next release. Until then `Los Angeles' remains as one of the best examples of "instrumental hip-hop" in 2008. (Jared W. Dillon Review from .sputnikmusic[...])
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Flying Lotus's family credentials could hardly be more legendary. Grand son of Marilyn Mcleod, who penned songs for Diana Ross, The Four Tops and countless other Motown legends, and great nephew of jazz legend Alice Coltrane and cousin of Ravi Coltrane, Steven Ellison has quite a lot to live up to. The new generation of West Coast hip-hop-influenced artists.
 funknasty October 14, 2008
FlyLO has an amazing ability to create thick, rolling beats that pop and crack over smoked out basslines. He is the nephew of Alice Coltrane, the widow of John Coltrane. With roots in music that go that deep, it is no wonder that he can bring something so new and fresh to a dying genre. I consider HipHop to be dead, or at least sleeping silently. Its not until someone like FlyLo comes along and does CPR on his turntables until they explode, that I remember my love of beats. The joints on the album are Roberta Flack and Infinitum.
strange and beautiful August 8, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
i don't agree w/ the reviewer who says Los Angelas is a letdown after Reset. i think it's a very nice progression. both are unique and superb and some of the most interesting and exciting electronic music being made today. highest recommendation.
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