Flying Lotus 3D
18th January 2020
The Town Hall, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Sarah Kidd. Photography by Richard Myburgh.
There are few live music experiences where you are handed a pair of 3D glasses upon entering a venue, but last night Auckland finally had the pleasure of witnessing Flying Lotus perform his visual extravaganza 3D show which promised to deliver an experience like no other but ultimately delivered so much more.
Born in Los Angeles, California, music was embedded in FlyLo’s (aka Steven Ellison) DNA from the very start, his family tree including such names as jazz pianist Alice Coltrane and singer-songwriter Marilyn McLeod. His influence stretches far and wide, dedicated fans well aware of his work with Adult Swim, his education at LA Film School and Academy of Art University only expanding his creative horizons. Undisputedly reinventing instrumental hip-hop as well as founding Brainfeeder record label, home of fellow artists such as The Gaslamp Killer, Lapalux and of course Thundercat and FlyLo can quite easily be considered a musical genius.
Last here in 2015 where his set at Laneway was completely overshadowed by that of his Powerstation show the very next night where he donned an insect style mask and drenched the crowd in hypnotic visuals and jazz infused, hip hop beats, Saturday night’s performance was like an expanded upgrade, the visuals even more mind-bending, the addition of the 3D glasses provision for an immersive escapade.
Visible from any position throughout the town hall, those that really wanted to absorb everything on offer moved towards the back of the room, the 3D effect even more realistic in certain sweet spots. Emerging from the shadows, FlyLo’s arrival was enthusiastically heralded as he settled in behind his podium adorned with a large paisley wall hanging, skulls and bunches of dried foliage like a ceremonial voodoo priest.
How appropriate then that David Lynch’s voice was soon permeating the air, his monologue ‘Fire is Coming’ from FlyLo’s latest album Flamagra accompanied by images of children in outfits made of animal fur listening intently to the apocalyptic warning, their faces slowly crumpling in dismay. Indeed, FlyLo’s show last night evoked emotional responses individual to each attendee, their physical reactions just as varied. While some danced, their bodies writhing to the at times tribalistic beats, others stood completely still, their lips ever so slightly parted as they took it all in, their neural pathways no doubt igniting like the blue-tinged surges of electrical lightning that pulsated across the screen.
The show, rather than being separated into stock standard individual tracks, flowed continuously, the occasional blackout giving people a chance to reset for a second before the next wave hit. ‘Post Requisite’ and ‘Actually Virtual’ which was accompanied by astral bodies composed of mirrored glass pieces soon making way for one of the longest cinematic sequences; ‘Zodiac Shit’ an absolute trip as brightly coloured animations folded in on themselves, the images slowly increasing in speed until they cannibalised each other before hundreds of hungry eyes.
To capture every detail of the show in written word is not only impossible but would be a disservice to the transcendent creation that FlyLo presented last night, the lucid images that reached out into the audience each speaking a unique language to those that viewed them. Musically the show was just as enlightening, each note seeking out its place, ‘Never Catch Me’ feat Kendrick Lamar and ‘Black Balloons Reprise’ feat Denzel Curry bringing a sense of familiarity that cocooned the listener even if the bass was so sonorous that it at one point dislodged a fire exit sign much to the amusement of many.
But is was ‘More’ that brought the crowd together as one; hunched over his controls, you could almost feel a small smile pass across FlyLo’s lips as the track featuring the esteemed Anderson .Paak momentarily broke away from the animated visuals, a portrait of the late Mac Miller rising in its place, the audience paying their respects with jubilant applause. Following it up with ‘Them Changes’ by Thundercat and the crowd almost exploded in ecstasy, the only thing that could have topped the moment being if Thundercat himself had shuffled out, but alas it wasn’t to be.
How do you bring to a close a set such as this? A set that has seen intergalactic starships emerge from the shadows, and masterful remixes of tracks such as Soulja Boy’s ‘Crank That’ which will forever change the way they are heard? FlyLo answered this question the only way he could, by stepping out from behind his podium as his rap alter-ego Captain Murphy and performing ‘Cosplay’ as the audience lost its collective mind staring up at the giant gold sunglass wearing character on screen who loomed over them before dissolving before their very eyes leaving behind nothing but a manically grinning skeleton.
But it wasn’t quite over yet, FlyLo returning for an encore that once again brought everyone together to celebrate the here and now to the tune of ‘Do the Astral Plane’, FlyLo dancing across the stage before joining the audience on the floor and creating a huddle circle that left those within it forever spiritually enlightened.
Indeed, as we all were.
Were you there at The Town Hall for this experimental electronic performance? Or have you seen Flying Lotus perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
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