Anticipation is brimming tonight; it’s been a long time since Flying Lotus visited Glasgow and a lot has happened since then; three more critically acclaimed albums and a forage into hip-hip as both a producer and rapper to say the least, throw into that the 3D visual spectacular promised and the fact he’s performing with long time collaborator and bass virtuoso Thundercat and you’ve got a mouthwatering prospect.
The place quite unsurprisingly erupts when FlyLo swaggers on stage masked up, announcing “last time I saw y’all was at the Temple of Boom with Rustie and HudMo,” his last Glasgow visit at Sub Club way back in 2009, then making a few cheeky digs at the weather before taking his place behind the screen set up.
A flat screen sits directly behind FlyLo, who stand on a platform with laptop and synth set up and those Lotus eyes on his mask glowing, in front of him is what lifts the visual impact of the show, an almost cube like structure creating a three dimensional visual affect.
It’s mighty impressive too, as coordinated, lush visuals engross the audience creating an awe-inspiring, but unnerving, atmosphere as tweaking synths and siren-like effects combine with a clacking beat as we begin what is to be the first part, of a two part journey that is a Flying Lotus set.
The first half of the set comes from FlyLo’s experimental electronics that saw him working with Adult Swim and being signed to Warp, which merges meticulously with the damp, hazy visuals as the man stands in the centre of it all, like he’s the focus of some insane superhero trip.
The haunting addictive bleeps of ‘Putty Boy Strut’ and soothing liquid beat of ‘Ready err not’ form two highlights of the first portion before the second section kicks off with Thundercat walking on front stage and performing tracks like ‘DMT Song’ and ‘Descent Into Madness’ from Flying Lotus’ most recent album, You’re Dead, taking on six-string bass duties and eventually joining FlyLo behind the screen for the remainder of the set.
Indeed it’s introduction of the dazzlingly skillful bassist that forms the catalyst of taking the set up a level, FlyLo removes his mask, the crowd raises up a notch and that rumbling bass gives way mind bending skull visuals and the apocalyptic funk of ‘Sultan’s Request’ and the floating twitches and emphatic bass of ‘Coronus, the Terminator’, before we are encouraged to “summon the spirit of Captain Murphy” as almost voodoo imagery takes over the visuals.
It’s at this point that things take another turn, you could say the second half of the set is split into there, as we enter the Flying Lotus as MC alter-ego, Captain Murphy, portion as tracks like ‘Mighty Morphin Foreskin’ and ‘Shake Weight’ sandwich FlyLo tracks where he has a go at the vocal track, teasing the crowd with “Earl Sweatshirt in the house… Just kidding” before hitting into ‘Between Friends’.
The final section of the set sees the ABC transformed into some kind of LA party with FlyLo upping the ante covers of Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Wesley’s Theory’ and Dr. Dre’s ‘Let Me Ride’, before Thundercat takes centre stage of the partied up version of ‘Oh Sheit It’s X’.
Kendrick’s vocals are again pulled in for the jazz enthused beat and free flowing verse of recent FlyLo single ‘Never Catch Me’ before things close of with a fitting tribute DJ Rashad with ‘Pass That Shit’.
FlyLo doesn’t leave the stage conventionally either, jumping down to the crowd to party with his fans as the lights go up and people start to head for the exits.
This is truly spectacular stuff, from the trippy atmospherics of the early portion to all out hip-hop party; it’s enthralling from end to end with special nods going to animators Strangeloop and Tameboy who add that extra element, tying together a perfect event.
Words: Iain Dawson
Photos: Vito Andreoni
