AOTY #14: Flying Lotus - You’re Dead

The fifth album from Flying Lotus is essentially the definition of a headphones album. Steven Ellison, the thirty year old Los Angeles producer, recruits jazz veterans Herbie Hancock and Kamasi Washington to join him in the sonic playground of You’re Dead!, both of whom are able to boast a wide diversity of collaborators themselves. Ellison seems to channel a similar propensity for jazz fusion here, beginning from a solid jazz base, but willing to deviate into offshoots of hip-hop and electronica whenever necessary

I can see the darkness in me and it's quite amazing
Life and death is no mystery and I wanna taste it
Step inside of my mind and you'll find curiosity, animosityThe thematic centerpiece of the album is the fifth track, “Never Catch Me”. Kendrick Lamar’s verse delivers the knowing wink of someone who has cheated death in the m.A.A.d streets of Compton. Kendrick has stated that he wanted to keep the track for his own album. Given his track record of concept ablums, what does that say about his upcoming release? Look for a much darker sound from K.Dot in the future; he may be trying to catch people off guard with the sonic outlier of “i” as the lead single

The descent into madness
There is no escaping out that hole
Darkness in your soul
Welcome to the descentThe next track, "Dead Man's Tetris" proves to be the most worthwhile Snoop Dogg performance in years and Suicidal Tendencies' Thundercat pops up in “The Descent Into Madness.”

The soundscapes presented throughout You’re Dead! are pure bliss; Flying Lotus blessed us with another thirty eight minutes of delectable ear candy. Ellison blurs the line between stoner philosophy and serious ruminations on death, providing surprising clarity on metaphysical happenings in the form of astral projections and out of body experiences. This meditation on death throughout You’re Dead never gets conquered by the weight of its own concept. Instead, Ellison is able to maintain his playful spirit and in turn delivered one of the albums from 2014 that made me feel most alive

- Benjamin R. Swanson

Come back tomorrow for album #13 and follow along with the list here!