Flying Lotus
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Flying Lotus image courtesy of nialler9.com
It’s 6:30 p.m. and my girlfriend and I are getting ready to go out and meet up with some friends, have some drinks and then party down at the Flying Lotus show at 170 Russell. While she’s deciding on an outfit, I get on my phone to find out where we’re meeting and who’s coming. “We don’t need to go that early anymore”, says a mate, “his set time got pushed back to 1:45, ‘flight delays’.”
Awesome, this night just got a whole lot longer, and I have work at 8 a.m. Decisions, decisions.
Not really though. Coming off the release of the much hyped You’re Dead (2014), FlyLo is touring Australia and New Zealand with Laneway Festival showcasing his new sounds as well as the amazing Layer 3 visuals that come with it. Picture a stage with a huge projector screen on it and behind that is where the decks are, and behind the decks are 2 additional screens which create the sense that the visuals (slightly different on each screen) are being emitted from and around Flying Lotus himself. Having seen his live show once before in 2014, there was never really much of a choice; we were going to that show.
Awesome, this night just got a whole lot longer, and I have work at 8 a.m. Decisions, decisions.
Not really though. Coming off the release of the much hyped You’re Dead (2014), FlyLo is touring Australia and New Zealand with Laneway Festival showcasing his new sounds as well as the amazing Layer 3 visuals that come with it. Picture a stage with a huge projector screen on it and behind that is where the decks are, and behind the decks are 2 additional screens which create the sense that the visuals (slightly different on each screen) are being emitted from and around Flying Lotus himself. Having seen his live show once before in 2014, there was never really much of a choice; we were going to that show.
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After a few extra hours of beers and chats in the city, we were warmed up and ready for one helluva show. There was no line for entry at about 12:30 a.m. (a nice surprise) and when we got in, the crowd was way smaller than usual for an artist of FlyLo’s stature, but even at this late juncture, we were still early.
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 Flying Lotus image courtesy of fromneartofar.com
We managed to catch the last half of Silent Jay’s set featuring vocalist Jace XL. A bit slow from when we arrived, the vibe was relaxed as Silent Jay played some low, smooth beats that made everyone feel especially laid back. The crowd was swaying to the hypnotic beats until XL was brought out on stage to add some brightness to the sound. Having never heard Silent Jay or Jace XL before, I thought it was a pretty quiet approach to what would be a very loud and animated show when FlyLo eventually got on stage. Maybe they were lowballing us so we would be shocked by how crazy the place was about to get.
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At 1:30 a.m. we could see the setup happening behind the front projector screen, with silhouettes shuffling about. It was about to happen. Then Flying Lotus jogged onto the stage. Only a shadow of him though, a familiar spectre standing behind the decks. He talked to the crowd as he was setting up, apologising for the delay. People screamed back “We love you FlyLo!” He adjusted his mask, a new addition to the show; a gas-mask contraption with goggles containing LED lights. Suddenly “YOU’RE DEAD”: flashing lights and his album cover appeared on the screens accompanied by frantic noise making me feel like I just got kicked in the chest by bass.
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He then proceeded to play two massive tracks in “Galaxy in Janaki” (Cosmogramma, 2010) and “me Yesterday//Corded” (Until the Quiet Comes, 2012) within the first third of the show, which was a bold move that paid off in spades; a bit like starting the movie with the good guy beating the bad guy. After getting the crowd well and truly jumping, he went on a rap spree causing hip hop lovers to reach for the sky when he played an unreleased Kendrick Lamar track, a Chance Tha Rapper track and one of the biggest hip hop bangers of 2014: Schoolboy Q’s “Man of the Year”.
It needs to be said that the addition of the new mask gave the whole show the feeling of being observed by FlyLo while he was making the room bounce. Worn slightly above his forehead, the goggles gave the impression that he was staring directly at the audience while he was actually looking down at the decks. It also gave the impression he was looking up irreverently when he was actually looking at the crowd. This tiny detail helped create the lasting impression that FlyLo really was using the whole show to control the entire room and everyone in it.
It needs to be said that the addition of the new mask gave the whole show the feeling of being observed by FlyLo while he was making the room bounce. Worn slightly above his forehead, the goggles gave the impression that he was staring directly at the audience while he was actually looking down at the decks. It also gave the impression he was looking up irreverently when he was actually looking at the crowd. This tiny detail helped create the lasting impression that FlyLo really was using the whole show to control the entire room and everyone in it.
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At around 2:40 a.m. he stopped the show and came out from behind the screens as he always does to interact with the crowd. At this point the crowd was still thirsty for more, but the chance to hear him speak candidly with the audience adds a personal touch to the experience. He was genuinely funny and got pointers on the actual pronunciation of ‘Melbourne’, to which he preferred “Melburrrn” than “melben”. He had the crowd in awe of his realness and was obviously making an effort for the fans who showed up even though he was late. Or maybe it’s because he was late that he didn’t have time to “get fucked up on alcohol and shit like last time [he] was here”. In any case, he definitely wasn’t losing the audience.
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Flying Lotus image courtesy of resolume.com
When he was done talking, the lights went down and he returned to his rightful place behind the decks and continued to play for another 30 minutes before finishing up, extending his set time by an extra half hour. He played “Never Catch Me” to a sea of screams and even a hallelujah from one excited attendee. A tribute to the late DJ Rashad was also an amazingly classy touch in such an stunning show. The music died down, the lights came up, and FlyLo announced the after party would be held at the old Miss Libertines on Franklin
St. As excited fans hustled out of the building, my friends and I decided “We need to get tickets to see him at Laneway”.
Nick Van
St. As excited fans hustled out of the building, my friends and I decided “We need to get tickets to see him at Laneway”.
Nick Van