Flying Lotus released his fourth studio album in September and is currently on road in the US and Europe playing his amazing and peculiar sounds. The album called 'Until the Quiet Comes' is a perfect manifestation of the innovative nature of Steven Ellison aka Flying Lotus aka FlyLo. I said peculiar, because the electronic jazz album has a blend of free jazz with the varying musical tones, shifts, ghostly vocals and irregular drum beats. As magnificent he is as a producer, he is also as good of a DJ. This is why you get the feel of being on a musical trip all the way through the album, that shows the quality and skills of a masterful DJ. It's not often a DJ can produce such an eccentric sound and still get the crowds going ape-sh*t. Of course the otherworldly stage show concept must also have a part in this! Check out the video of the innovative 'Layer 3' stage show assisted by the Red-Bull Music Academy!
The album release has been a success both critically and sales-wise. Selling 13,000 copies in the first week and deputing at number 34 on the US Billboard 200, there's no doubt we're dealing with a piece of eccentric art here. But let's look a little into the stage show accompanying the album on tour.
FlyLo explained the 'Layer 3' concept in simple terms: “There are three layers that make it. The front transparent scrim, the second layer is my area where I’m performing and behind me there’s another scrim. Three layers. Layer 3. Simple.” it may sound like an uncomplicated affair, but the audiovisual experience is actually mind-boggling.
“I think as we get older that idea of magic is just taken from us… I really try to dabble in things that feel magical,” FlyLo explained the idea, “I can add moments that are synced up to the visuals if we wanted to. That idea is really fun to me, because I’m really into the show feeling very cinematic but still very danceable.”
Check out the video explaining more closely how the stage-show comes into being and see the mesmerizing performance yourself!