In the early ’80s, Hip Hop producers were heavily influenced by avant-garde musicians (e.g., Kraftwerk and Yellow Magic Orchestra) who were experimenting with synthesizers to create otherworldly songs. Classic B-Boy anthems such as Afrika Bambaata‘s “Planet Rock,” Hashim‘s “Al-Naafiysh (The Soul)” and Cybotron‘s “Clear” revealed the burgeoning genre’s ability to effortlessly merge Electronic influences with Jazz, Funk and R&B and, in return, laid the initial groundwork for more circuit-driven genres like Techno, House and Drum & Bass.
Let’s fast forward to 2008. Rap is now a huge part of mainstream culture and no longer seen by many as being musically innovative and on the cutting-edge of technology. Armed with a trusty laptop, LA’s very own Steve Ellison (AKA Flying Lotus) plans to change all of this by bringing the “robotic, futuristic, George Jetson” funk back into the Hip Hop equation. His second full-length release, Los Angeles, fuses diverse elements (e.g., IDM Electronica, Jazz Fusion and Boom Bap-era Hip Hop) to create a tapestry of sound that is both ethereal and urban. Although the songs on this album are not going to change the way most people think of what Hip Hop music is, the jams that Flying Lotus provide are gentle reminders that this pop-obsessed genre is capable of becoming so much more than what it is today.
Ellison makes forward-thinking magic when he warms the coldness of the synthesizer with Soul and Rhythm. For example, “GNG BNG” is a marvelous showcase of sampled beats and Electronic manipulation, conjuring up images of J. Dilla working alongside the likes of Aphex Twin to create a pastiche of spaced-out, funky rhythms. “Parisian Goldfish” is yet another masterful combination of robotic flava’ and Electro Funkiness that shows the energetic and fun side of instrumental Hip Hop. “Robertaflack” (Featuring Dolly), one of few vocal tracks on the album, is a sizzling slow-burner that somehow mixes glitchy drums, Star Trek laser effects with hauntingly jazzy vocals without missing a beat. Other tracks worth noting include “Golden Diva,” “Melt!” and “Testament” (featuring Gonja Sufi).
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Nevertheless, Los Angeles reaches low points when the tracks veer too much into the muddy realm of abstract Electronica and thereby sounding “too technical” for normal ears to enjoy. Take, for instance, “Orbit 405” and “Sleepy Dinosaur.” They sound less like cohesive songs and more like experimental exercises in the manipulation of echo effects and other forms of computer trickery. Other tracks on the album, such as “Auntie’s Lock” and “SexSlaveShip,” suffer from vapid repetitiveness that is symptomatic of music that relies too heavily on the complexity of knob twiddling and not enough emphasis on bringing that ol’ hardcore Funk.
On Los Angeles, Flying Lotus cleverly defies the odds by giving listeners an album that sheds light on the genre’s more technologically-driven roots. He completes his mission when adding the necessary elements of Funk and Soul to his computer-driven creations and accomplishes much less when he relies too much of his efforts on studio manipulation. Nevertheless, in an era blindly obsessed with musical mediocrity, will Rap ever return to its former glory as the champion of Electronic innovation? If Ellison‘s sophomore album is of any indication, the future of Rap will sound more robotic than we could have ever imagined.
