Flying Lotus

Music runs in the family for Steve Ellison (aka Flying Lotus). The great-nephew to John and Alice Coltrane, Ellison embodies a similar tendency for meditative music but calls upon his hip-hop influences to inform his production style. His highly acclaimed debut album, 1983, was released on Plug Research last year; earlier this year, Flylo signed to Warp to put out this EP. "Tea Leaf Dancers” has a dry, minimal down-tempo beat; it’s a sluggish, thick groove that drags a quarter-step behind. The weighted beat is lightened with the falsetto female vocalist twisted with effects. "Vegas Collie” slams you with psychedelic breaks and "Spicy Sammich” has a deep, heavy, rolling bass and sparse percussions that build to a funky down-tempo break. "Dance Floor Stalker” is a bit more tech-y, with hand claps, punchy bass beats and psychedelic swirls, à la Trans Europe Express. It would be interesting to hear Flylo’s production with some MCs. The only complaints about this album are, first, the jams are too short. The closest comparison is J Dilla’s Donuts - the grooves come hard and fast like sweet interludes that keep you wanting more. And second, it’s only an EP. What a tease!