Flying Lotus

Add Date: May 4

Artist: Flying Lotus

Album: Cosmogramma

Label: Warp

Genre: Electronica, hip hop

Comments: It hasn't taken long for Steven Ellison, alias Flying Lotus, to reach the pinnacle of his craft. The fact he's already on the same level as Madlib, Prefuse 73 or the late J Dilla after all of three records is as scary as it is obvious after listening to Cosmogramma. Flying Lotus' blend of electronica, hip hop and jazz--he's the great nephew of Alice Coltrane, so that genre's in his blood--makes for one of the year's most ambitious, thought-provoking, and just-plain-brilliant releases.

Flying Lotus is currently on tour with Thom Yorke, who provides vocals on "... And the World Laughs With You," while Laura Darlington guests on "Table Tennis." I'm also drawn to the electropop gems "Pickled!" and "Do the Astral Plane," the psychedelic number "Zodiac Shit" (the title is DNP, but the song is instrumental), and the jazz-enriched "German Haircut."