But the one thing I've been unable to do is give a critique of jazz that's worth half a shit.
I have a fairly eclectic taste in music, but I'd be lying if I said I knew anything more than the beginners guide to jazz. I prefer Miles Davis over Coltrane, and Mingus over the both of them, but I really can't tell you why. I can't even begin to explain what makes one session of improvisational free jazz better than the other, and I have no clue why Kind of Blue is considered Davis' best. Nonetheless, the like jazz, specifically fusions. If I had to pick a favorite album from the genre, I'd more than likely go with Frank Zappa's Hot Rats because its, well, awesome. And that's all I can really say about it. Furthermore, I've always subconsciously preferred hip hop with a little bit of jazz. For as long as I can remember, A Tribe Called Quest has been my second favorite group, and Digable Planets isn't all that far behind.
Which brings me to another topic. Know to his mother as Flying Lotus, Ellison's first major album was 2006's 1983, but by all accounts, his real debut came two years later when he released Los Angeles. The album perfected the sound brought on 1983, and consequentially planted the seeds of tons of Flying Lotus babies across the map. Any instrumental hip hop album with an obvious electronic tinge and off-kilter production style is usually measured up against Los Angeles, and rightfully so, but Lotus had no plans of letting off the ambition. He followed up with the only album that would have been able to meet the insanely high expectations he set for himself: Cosmogramma. His 2010 LP found him most in touch with all of his biggest influences, and as a result, he was able to craft a forward thinking, yet inviting soundscape without compromising his artistic identity. Both albums were revolutionary in a sense (I'll likely never be able to comfortably say which one I prefer), and they've given Flying Lotus the stature and respect to basically do whatever the fuck he wants.
So what exactly is the point of this ridiculously disjointed write-up? To summarize, its hard for me to comprehend the idea that one of my favorite hip hop producers is now closer to a jazz artist. I can't imagine this being a problem for new listeners, but for someone who fell in love with Flying Lotus through songs like "Melt!", "GNG BNG", "Zodiac Shit" and "Do the Astral Plane", listening to the opening sequence of "Theme" and Telsa" was a little unnerving. Not bad, but I needed some time to settle in. I had the same issue with Until the Quiet Comes, and the project remains my least favorite of Ellison's albums by a fairly significant margin. That album marked the first time that I was genuinely more interested in hearing what the guests had to offer. Thundercat and Erykah Badu are great, but I'm not looking for them to highlight an album from one of the most interesting artists alive. The whole album reeked of the laid back "perfection" that occasionally turns me off of jazz classics. Two years later, Flying Lotus has returned with the same blueprint used on his last solo effort, but with about ten times the tenacity and energy. With You're Dead, FlyLo knocks the fucking hinges off the door he cracked open a few years ago, crafting a 38 minute blend of maximalism, mind-melting improvisations, and cohesion. And maybe some Takashi Miike. (I mean, look at that cover)
In a nutshell, Ellison has continued his exploration of jazz, but this time, he's focusing on the parts that I love. We get some vintage samples from drum solos (there's really nothing more badass than a well done drum solo), the magical baseline of Thundercat is once again present, and Herbie Hancock, a member of Miles Davis' band and a star in his own right, makes an appearance. And yet its the man's most accessible album to date. For all the countless sub-genres of music that can be found throughout the nineteen tracks, you don't have to be overly knowledgeable about any of them to enjoy You're Dead, which is ultimately the album's biggest strength. A close second, through, is its cohesion, which almost sounds impossible considering this is arguably his most sporadic album. By the seventh song, we've experienced a couple colorful jazz numbers ("Theme, "Tesla"), a pair of prog-rock tracks ("Cold Dead", "Fkn Dead"), a cartoonish banger ("Dead Man's Tetris"), and the best song on the album: the Kendrick Lamar assisted "Never Catch Me." Incredulously, the theme of following the soul immediately after death (his aunt, Alice Coltrane, used a similar theme on one of her albums after the death of her husband) keeps things on track.
I recall FlyLo stating that the opening of the album was meant to be overly chaotic, symbolizing the confusion after death. Soon after, though, comes realization. That's where "Coronus, the Terminator" steps in and makes everything chill the fuck out. Ellison's singing mixed with a surreal, but definitely more hip hop oriented instrumental serves as a necessary come down from the impossible heights reached on the album's first segment. This continues on "Siren Song" and "Moment of Hesitation", two songs that are greatly enhanced by Angel Deradoorian's singing on the former, and Herbie Hancock's excellent musicianship on the later. This is still Ellison's world, though, and unlike his last album, he makes sure you realize that. While all these guests are phenomenal, they sound like they're following whatever Flying Lotus set up for them on their short run-times, further helping the overall cohesion. Personally, would've liked to have seen an extensive jam friendly groove song, but that's a very minor complaint.
Fans expecting Cosmogramma 2 are going to be disappointed, but if you've followed Flying Lotus to this point, I doubt you'd expect him to repeat himself. Still, the two albums have their similarities. Both fly by, encompassing more stylistic changes in 40 minutes than you'd ever think possible, making for an at times overwhelming density. You're Dead is to a lesser degree, but there are still songs on here that appear frustratingly disjointed on the first couple listens. The records are also paced in an eerily similar fashion, but that's hardly a bad thing. In all likelihood, this is the album FlyLo would have made four years ago had he been this interested in jazz from the get go. I'm not sure where You're Dead falls when ranking Flying Lotus albums, the test of time will be the determining factor in that, but for now, Steve Ellison's exploration of jazz and death makes for what is unquestionably one of the best albums of 2014.
Rating: 4/5