Episode 106 - Cosmogramma by Flying Lotus

Oh lawd, we ain’t messing around this year.

Without Flying Lotus, the much vaunted Brainfeeder jazz/hip hop/electronica scene that gave rise to Kendrick Lamar, Thundercat, Kamasi Washington and Anderson .Paak, wouldn’t exist. Although those guys had all been in each other’s orbits for a while, it took FlyLo’s record label to really bring attention to all of the good shit that was coming out of LA in the late 00s and early 10s.

He’s worked with all of those artists, and yet he’s remained obstinately, steadfastly different. Beginning his career doing instrumental hip-hop a la DJ Shadow, he’s crossed multiple genres on his way to substantial underground success. Bringing his rich heritage of jazz to an entirely new audience by splicing it with IDM, Drum n Bass, hip hop, psychedelia and electronica to absolutely stunning effect.

Comsogramma is his third album, and as we will go on to argue, marks the moment when his musical vision grew more cinematic and ambitious. He pours everything he has into this cosmic whirlwind of an album. Every version of FlyLo is heard on this record - from jazz fusion freak outs to lush string laden experimental hip hop and everything in between - has been expanded on ever since. But this, this is where the artist is truly born.

Is it his best work? Does it deserve a place in our discography? You decide.