The Nephew of John and Alice Coltrane, Flying Lotus has continued his family’s tradition of breaking down barriers in music.
Born Stephen Ellison in 1983, Flying Lotus’ first mark on the world was his debut album, fittingly titled ‘1983’. It introduced his experimental, J Dilla influenced sound to the world and went on to inspire a whole movement.
In 2007 Flylo found himself becoming part of the Warp Records family, a label renowned for its work with pioneering electronic musicians such as Aphex Twin and Boards of Canada among others. His popularity really began to take off as he released 2008’s ‘Los Angeles’ and after impressing Radiohead’s Thom Yorke he remixed a track off their ‘In Rainbows’ album, introducing himself to a whole new audience.
On his third album ‘Cosmogramma’ he began to embrace his Jazz heritage with amazing results. The album was a critical smash and found itself on many best of 2010 lists including the ever hard to please Pitchfork’s. It also marked the start of a relationship with key collaborator Thundercat whose dynamic bass playing has become a staple of Flying Lotus’ sound.
Whilst continuing to release albums to critical acclaim, Flying Lotus also developed a rapping alter ego ‘Captain Murphy’ who has collaborated with the likes of DOOM and Earl Sweatshirt.
2014’s ‘You’re Dead’ saw Flying Lotus reach heights of popularity never before experienced. Collaborations with the likes of Kendrick Lamar and Snoop Dogg helped to bring his ground-breaking style to a totally new audience. One of the finest musicians active today, Flying Lotus is sure to keep winning over critics and fans for years to come.
Sam Morril
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