FLYING LOTUS
SALT’S BEST ALBUMS FOR 2010
Undeniably one of the most innovative and pioneering electronic artists of the past decade, TYSON WRAY talks to Flying Lotus, aka Steven Ellison, one of contemporary music’s most illustrious beat makers ahead of his appearance in Perth this weekend.
NOT ALL ABOUT KANYE 2010sawthemusicindustrycontinue to evolve, and the concept of ‘the album’ become less important, particularly in the electronic realm, where music is dominated by those making club tracks, focussed on selling singles and EPs. There’s still something magic about a great album – it’s a snapshot in time of an artistandthereweremanystandouts. ALFRED GORMAN reminisces. It was a big year for dubstep, with the bass heavy sounds of Skream’s Outside The Box thinking just that, and exploring the boundaries, with some interesting collaborations. Shackleton was given free reign on his own FabricLive mix, Commix brought back old school, ‘intelligent’ drum’n’bass sounds on Call To Mind, and our own Pendulum took things to the next level, turning their back on the scene almost all together, to become the stadium rock beasts they are with Immersion. Techno and minimal house got exciting again, going back to its underground and experimental roots, with some welcome ambient sounds, and some truly exquisite albums. Bonobo’s Black Sands was a masterwork of soundscapey beats, down tempo variations, gorgeous vocals and exotic strings. Flying Lotus continued to as tonish with Cosmogramma, a mind bending concoction of sounds that is his most palatable yet. Holy Fuck’s Latin was another s t a n d o u t , w i t h i t s l o w k e y, s y n t h y experimentation, swirling psychedelia and chunky grooves. Trentemoller returned from the wilderness to give us Into The Great Wide Yonder; a very different, more organic album, still impressing fans with his considerable talent.
Some legends returned with fresh albums that stood up against their older material. Massive Attack’s big comeback, Heligoland was a cracking return to form that also saw the elder statesmen of trip-hop blow away at Kings Park. Damon Albarn again displayed his musical genius and vision with Gorillaz back to monkey around on Plastic Beach with a distinct theme, an abundance of interesting music and collaborators and one of the best live tours ever. The Chemical Brothers released Further, a great album that harks back to their earlier experimental, instrumental sound. In the indie crossover realm, LCD Soundsystem were again a hit with their emotional breakup album, This Is Happening. And a young band from Manchester, Delphic impressed with their energetic, New Order type sounds on debut Acolyte. On the hip hop front it was a good year with Big Boi of Outkast releasing his long awaited debut, proving to be as integral as Andre to the band’s success. The Roots outdid themselves again, producing possibly their best album to date with How I Got Over. And of course, Kanye West caused a stir with his big comeback My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, putting his music where his mouth is. Helped out by an A-grade list of collaborators, including Kid Cudi and Jay-Z, Kanye reworked Aphex Twin and overlaid a rant from Chris Rock along with a feature length, arthouse film soundtrack. It’s a complete package, transcending hip hop and his most ambitious to date. Imma let you finish yeah.
Following the release of his third album Cosmogramma, 2010 has seen Ellison’s dramatic rise to prominence skyrocket. Already synonymous with ground breaking electronic music following his first two releases; 1983 and Los Angeles, Cosmogramma has proven itself as Ellison’s most defining move yet. A meticulous and intricate production, the density and multilayering is seamlessly weaved demonstrating Ellison’s growth and development as an artist. And Ellison is more than happy with the album’s reception. “It’s been a great year with Cosmogramma,” he says. “This dream that I had, this idea that I had; it’s really touched some people. It’s really moved and inspired some people. It inspired my peers and people that I look up to and that’s a great feeling. Knowing that I created something that I was completely proud of and honest with, it’s really satisfying to know that I was ‘me’ to the fullest and that people really embraced it.” Dubbed as ‘the Jimi Hendrix of this generation’ by the illustrious Mary Anne Hobbs, Ellison is widely regarded as one of the most inspired and imaginative artists of modern day but the man himself is determined to keep his ego in check. “I just want to be Flying Lotus and do that the best that I can,” he says. “If you start thinking about all these other things, what people say and what people think about you, it really slows the work down. At the end of the day, I just want to be proud of the work that I’ve created and that’s all I’m really concerned about. “I try not to think at all and just enjoy being on my machines and making my music. It’s hard to explain. I feel that thinking about my music and getting heavily obsessive is what slows me down, it allows me to create a lot more stuff.” Although Ellison finds it difficult to articulate his creative processes, he is able to share the fundamentals of his current day performances, saying that those who have only heard his records may be surprised when they witness his live set.“I think the records are a little bit more cerebral than the show is,” he says. “The show is a party and it’s got a
Flying Lotus lot of high energy. Sometimes the records may seem like that, but I believe that they’re really headphone music.” Returning to Australia over the new year period for his third visit, Ellison’s performances have dynamically developed since his last appearance on our shores. An aurally stimulating experience, he promises this tour will carry the same essentials as his previous performances whilst showcasing his development as a performer. “It’s definitely always changing; it’s never the same show,” he says. “This time, I’m actually bringing along some musicians to play with me. It’s going to be way different from the last time I was in Australia. I’m also touring with The Gaslamp Killer and Hudson Mohawke which will be a lot of fun. It’s just going to be a really, really good party.” FLYING LOTUS BAKED NYE FRIDAY, DECEMBER 31 @ THE BAKERY
BEARDYMAN NOW MORE THAN THE BEARD Darren Foreman, better known as Beardyman, is fiercely talented.The London funnyman is more than just the beat boxer he started out as. He’s an entertainer. And a bloody good one at that. Ask him about his beat boxing roots though and he doesn’t even flinch.“I don’t think I’d even say urban or beat boxing is where I’m at right now.”This guy is more original than Eminem during a stage battle and wittier than Steve Martin was in 1988. RK gets the lowdown.
Foreman is known for his beat boxing skills and use of live looping technology and despite saying this isn’t where he is right now, he does admit the beat boxing all started as a habit when he was about three years old. He didn’t really start seriously beat boxing, however, until he was 20 when he saw American beat boxer Rahzel M Brown perform.“He’s obviously on that urban vibe so it was hard for me to work out where I wanted to be,” Foreman says. “I haven’t come from an urban background so I thought dance for me was more where I was at. I focused on things like that at first; doing covers of well known songs and stuff. And sometimes when I went to a gig and did a show, I thought I might do some hip hop and some new stuff but I’ve always been one to make sure what I was doing was what I wanted as well as what the crowd wanted to hear.” Although Foreman states his current focus is dance music in its varied forms, he’s gone on to perform at both the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Montreal Comedy Festival. And not only this, his YouTube videos (some with a million or more hits) all of a sudden made him a marketable commodity, one that is uniquely creative and fiercely dignified. “I’m all about sonic manipulation technology and looping technology and improvisation,” Foreman says of his sound. “It keeps it fun for me and fun for the audience. I’m not one of these artists who does the same thing over and over. I’ve never had the time to be patient with doing the same thing twice. I’ve got too much ADD for that!” And if he isn’t a bona-fide star just yet, he probably should be. And an album should go some way to prove just that. “I’ve got my debut album coming out, there are songs without vocals; 34
Beardyman some are dubstep, some are drum’n’bass, some are IDM. But the ones that are songs - they’re the ones I’m never going to be performing exactly the same as before. I might do a harder version of one or a softer version of another but I’m always changing it up to try to keep it original not only for me but also for the crowd as well. “I think the music industry is comprised of several job markets. The performers are one part of that, whether you control your own destiny or some boy band or whatever. The fact remains that basically, if you want a career, you have to be different to other people. Sure you can get by emulating other people but you’ll never be a legend and the only people who history cares about are the innovators. “But whatever you do, whether it’s music or art you need to do it in a way that makes the best use of your abilities. I tried in the early days to pass myself off as a beat boxer that was hip hop focused. Being cool and being street is like a preoccupation. I could try to pass myself off as a hip hop artist but instead I prefer to emulate playfully rather than try to have an act. My adaptability is what makes me unique.” BEARDYMAN SOUTHBOUND SUNDAY, JANUARY 2 @ SIR STEWART BOVELL PARK, BUSSELTON www.xpressmag.com.au