A marvelous confusion

Electronic artist Daedelus escapes easy classification

When Alfred “Daedelus” Darlington takes the stage, he has a decade of material to choose from. There is the glitch-ified orchestral soundtracks of 2002’s Invention, the surreal Bossa Nova of 2006’s Daedelus Denies the Day’s Demise, and the tweaked bass and breakbeats of 2008’s Love to Make Music To. There are side projects such as the Long Lost, a 2009 folk excursion made with his wife, vocalist and visual artist Laura Darlington; and the whimsical avant-hop of The Weather, his 2003 album with rappers Busdriver and Radioinactive. More than most of his electronic contemporaries, Daedelus escapes easy classification.

Based in Los Angeles, Daedelus has become something of an elder statesman in that city’s widely celebrated beats ‘n’ bass scene. Yet he clearly stands apart with his eccentric look – modeled after Victorian dandies of the 19^th and early 20^th century – ever-present monome keyboard, and studious disregard to convention. His recordings may sound lovely and pastoral at times, but his live performances (captured on the 2009 disc Live at Low End Theory) make them nearly unrecognizable. Instead, he culls the melodies and hooks and attaches them to a series of jackhammer beats that resemble early 1990s UK hardcore jungle, or “rave music.” They are experiences unto themselves.

Daedelus is currently on tour in Asia, so he chose to respond to a few questions via email.

Plug One: Please explain your visual and conceptual aesthetic. It’s been called “steampunk” and Victorian, but it’s actually Edwardian, right?

Daedelus: It’s been so knocked around and twisted, I’m mostly interested Victoriana and all things inventor-ly. Now much like a Venn diagram Steampunk also intercepts with such, but also includes plenty of Edwardian touches, even some WW1 weirdness, and is seems to me more about historic (re)visionary-ism (wow that isn’t a word!). Nothing against all that fun, I’m just not that interested in that much modern-ism in my historic ramblings.

Plug One: Which instrument(s) do you use for shows? Do you rely on presets, and if so, how do you generate organic sounds?

Daedelus: I am quite embroiled with this fantastic instrument / controller called Monome. Using two versions; one being 256 buttons and the other 64, which are both connected to a computer. In many ways it is like traditional keyboarding, or finger percussion at times, but with unlimited sounds to choose from. This is simplifying things a bit, after all it is still pretty DIY electronics, so night to night the show can vary by huge margins as called for.

Plug One: When I’ve seen you perform live, your sets tended to be much more chaotic and noisy than your recordings. Is that typical of your performances? Overall, can you describe your approach to live performance?

Daedelus: Sturm und Drang is a very useful concept for performance I believe. As is tension and release, expectation, and exuberance. All qualities to aspire for, often fail in to execute, and try try again.

Plug One: In recent years you’ve trumpeted “rave” and “hardcore,” especially during your sets. But “rave” is a relatively vague term, especially here in the U.S. When you say “rave music,” what are you referring to? And how do you explore “rave” in your music?

Daedelus: There is currently a marvelous confusion of tempo in the dance music world, mostly centering around 140bpm. Genres like Dubstep, Electro, and Footwork (a little faster paced then the others) are staples of the current Rave scene. Without getting into what makes these styles stand apart, I’m enjoying the possibilities in a shared tempo with different feels throughout a live set. Getting historical, Rave Ups were all night dance parties in the 1960s fueled by music and substances, pretty familiar territory to our current concept of Rave, right? Things don’t change time just bends and strings touch, some physics, and poof!

Plug One: Can you talk about your relationship with Flying Lotus? I know you were something of a mentor to him, and lent a remix to his first album, “1983.” Also, Laura Darlington has sung guest vocals on all of his full-lengths.

Daedelus: I’m a fan and consider myself a friend. He seems to be making waves for the best reason, good music! We’ve had a connection thru the LA music scene for a spell, and I was honored to have my EP “Righteous Fists of Harmony” be one of the early releases on his label Brainfeeder.

Plug One: Speaking of Ms. Darlington, she’s been a close collaborator with you since “Invention,” and you even released an album together as the Long Lost in 2009. Can you talk about your work together for a minute? How is the Long Lost project different from your solo work?

Daedelus: The Long Lost predates my solo work by a couple of years, we’ve been collaborating that long! It has been song driven from the get, and often revolves around the instruments of our shared past (meeting in high school orchestra) flute, bass clarinet, bass, and guitar. By having a limited sound palate (unlike those previously mentioned monome) and a strong willed writing partner in Laura we’ve had a small output but very focused in sound.

Plug One: A new Daedelus album is set for release this year. What’s the title? Will it have special guests?

Daedelus: The album is entitled “Bespoke” and features guest appearances from Milosh, Inara George, Bilal, Amir Yaghmai (as Young Dad), Baths, Om’mas Keith, Busdriver, Poirier, Pete Curry, and a first release from vocalist Kelela Mizanekristos. It’ll be my 4th LP for Ninjatune.

Plug One: Okay, time to play “Daedelus for Dummies.” If you could recommend one album(s) and/or song(s) for someone unfamiliar with your work, which would they be?

Daedelus: Let’s start at the beginning, and perhaps my first released song would be quite telling. “A Mashnote” from 2001 appeared on Dublab’s Freeways compilation, from so long ago, but I still can totally relate to the purposefully slack drums and simple melody, I hope others can hear something of now from way back then as well…

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This interview was originally conducted for the Sacramento News & Review. It appeared in the January 20 issue.

Flying Lotus, Cosmogramma
Warp

Though based in Los Angeles, Flying Lotus has the trend-absorbing drive of a European electronic producer. His 2008 breakthrough, Los Angeles, deconstructed UK dubstep and bass; but Cosmogramma turns to the future soul of his native city, and the spiritual house music of Theo Parrish. During its quieter songs like “MmmHmm,” he allows bassist Stephen “Thundercat” Bruner and harpist Rebekah Raff to take over several passages. But even Thom Yorke, who appears for an inspired vocal on “…And the World Laughs with You” can’t overshadow Flying Lotus, whose sound signature on this surprisingly reflective work is indelible.

Directed by Beeple. Taken from Pattern + Grid World, in stores now.

82. Flying Lotus, 1983
Plug Research
Released October 3, 2006

Born Steven Ellison and a nephew of Alice Coltrane, Flying Lotus appeared in random spots before 1983: a beat for Adult Swim here, a Mia Doi Todd remix there. And the luminous cluster burst that was his debut resembled other phenomena: the romantic indulgences of Daedelus (who contributes a hopped-up remix of the title track), the vocal chops and edits of Scott Herren, and the breakbeat soul of Madlib, Jay Dee and many others. But his vision was original. The “Space is the Place” vibe of the opening title track unfolded into “São Paolo,” a series of handclaps syncopated into percussive funk. The minute-long “Bad Actors,” a backhanded homage to Lotus’ native L.A., morphs into “Pet Monster Shotglass” and an unfocused stutter-step. There is the final epiphany of “Untitled #7” and its soft, synthetic patter, the psychedelic ballad “Unexpected Delight” (voiced by Daedelus’ partner Laura Darlington), and the Daedelus remix. That’s eleven songs, 33 minutes, and one mostly instrumental journey into laptop metaphysics.

Video time. First up: a clip featuring Thundercat, a lady in green foliage, and 8-bit gaming graphics.

Directed by Special Problems. Taken from Cosmogramma, which is in stores now.

I find it hard to embrace the new Flying Lotus album, Cosmogramma. It’s not as if it’s a bad album — it’s great, in fact. But the secret is out about FlyLo. He’s not mine anymore.

I wasn’t one of the dudes who trend-spotted his work via early Dublab sessions and late-night Adult Swim broadcasts. When he dropped a remix on Mia Doi Todd’s La Ninja: Amor and Other Dreams of Manzanita, I didn’t even notice, even though I had a copy of the CD. I first discovered him through a Pitchfork.com review of his debut album, 1983. (Yes, I proudly admit that Pitchfork.com can be a great source of information.) The reviewer, Brian Howe, wrote a typically condescending opinion, dismissing it as a “genre exercise“. But the name — Flying Lotus — was so memorable. It stood out to me. So I immediately requested a CD from Plug Research. A week later, I had 1983 on near-constant rotation.

Many wondered if Flying Lotus was just a precocious take on J Dilla and Madlib styles, another member of that weird L.A. beat shit, a netherworld of hip-hop, electronics and California soul. And I admit that I kinda fronted on Flying Lotus in my reviews, too, even though his music had already won my heart. Attention, aspiring music critics: Learn to not only reflect your expert analysis of a genre, but also how a piece moves you. If something truly inspires you, then the heart should always win out, no matter how logy or derivative the recording may sound.

Regardless of what I wrote, I was a super-fan. I told countless friends about him. Any mixtape I made included the requisite FlyLo beat. I ripped his demo tracks off his MySpace page. (Remember when people used to do that?) I even hyped up Samiyam, his beatmaking protege from Detroit, Michigan. And when FlyLo signed to Warp, I was one of the first people on the Internet to announce it. I am proud that I anticipated the Flying Lotus gravy train, and how it would eventually impact the entire Los Angeles beat music scene. I may not have discovered him first, but I embraced him hardest, while others stood on the fence and vacillated over his potential to grow beyond “genre exercises.”

When Los Angeles finally landed in 2008, I was all over that shit. I interviewed him several times, including a lengthy pre-release interview for Plug One. When I spoke with him, the album wasn’t even released yet. FlyLo told me, “fuck a Pitchfork,” as if he cared whether or not the almighty tastemaker liked his album. Of course, he really did care. And when Pitchfork.com awarded him a positive review, XLR8R published a cover story, and The New Yorker delivered a lengthy appraisal, Los Angeles became required study for a nation of indie hipsters.

Two years later, the gravy train has left the station, and I can barely get on it. It took several angry emails to land a small review in Spin magazine, while the big profile was awarded to a New York electronic writer. (Much respect to you, Andy Beta.) More than just sour journo grapes, though, Flying Lotus and the L.A. beat scene is no longer a well-kept secret. It is now a flavor to be tasted by any self-respecting music critic. A horde of followers and bandwagon jumpers try to jack the recipe, and their dilution efforts earn near-daily coverage on dozens of blogs and the L.A. Weekly.

Not coincidentally, Cosmogramma connects with the Sa-Ra cosmic ball. It flits along classic trip-hop (thanks to the Thom Yorke cameo), straight-up 8-bit beats, deep house a la Theo Parrish, and jazz fusion workouts with Stephen “Thundercat” Bruner. It blows past the quirky turntablist in-jokes that endeared me to Los Angeles into future soul sounds that feel elegant and worldly. Most importantly, it’s a party that’s open to everyone. Old diehards like myself stand uncomfortably by the punch bowl while big industry dicks work the room, offer salutary weed blunts and effusively praise this “new” wunderkind.

All that’s left for me are those wonderful hours when I vibed to FlyLo as I drove along the highways, his sounds transporting me somewhere else. Three years ago, Flying Lotus inspired me to become a Stan for him. Though I still love his music, that moment of obsession is gone, disintegrated into the Cosmogramma.

Photo by Timothy Saccenti.

Flying Lotus is embarking on a brief buzz-building tour prior to the May 4 release of his third album, Cosmogramma. Dubstep scion Kode9 opens on most dates.

(February 26 update) Almost forgot to mention that FlyLo will support Thom Yorke & Atoms for Peace on a brief tour in April, too.

Here are all the dates:

• 3/17: The Phoenix, Austin, TX (1)
• 3/27: Mezzanine, San Francisco, CA (2)
• 3/30: Le Poisson Rouge, New York, NY (2)
• 4/01: Magic Stick, Detroit, MI (2)
• 4/02: Double Door, Chicago, IL (2)
• 4/03: BarFly Loft, Minneapolis, MN (2)
• 4/05: Roseland Ballroom, New York, NY (3)
• 4/06: Roseland Ballroom, New York, NY (3)
• 4/08: Citi Wang Theatre, Boston, MA (3)
• 4/10: Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, IL (3)
• 4/11: Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, IL (3)
• 4/14: Fox Theatre, Oakland, CA (3)
• 4/15: Fox Theatre, Oakland, CA (3)

(1) SXSW
(2) w/Kode9
(3) w/Thom Yorke & Atoms for Peace

Photo by Timothy Saccenti.

As widely announced, Flying Lotus is set to issue his third album. Set for release via Warp on May 4 (after being pushed back from its original April 20 “4-20″ date), Cosmogramma features guest spots from Laura Darlington from the Long Lost, Thom Yorke from Radiohead and others.

Just for old times’ sake:

Looking back, his full-length Warp debut, Los Angeles appears to be much more of a mission statement than a simple introduction – laying the foundation for a field on which an entire generation of artists would soon be playing. While that album was an introspective, moody travelogue through the Californian metropolis, it certainly hinted at Flying Lotus inclination to expand his sound beyond terrestrial means.

As you may deduce from the title of his latest opus, he s done just that. Not only has an entirely new range of sounds been unlocked by our intrepid astral traveler, but every genre touchstone associated with his name has been merged into a self-described space opera . Seamless in execution and too wide in scope to properly describe, it is the authentic embodiment of his unique musical heritage. The spirit of his famed aunt, Alice Coltrane permeates the record, notably in the powerful collaborations with relative Ravi Coltrane, bass virtuoso Thundercat and the brilliant harp prodigy, Rebekah Raff.

Certainly these are further reaches into a musical space that Flying Lotus had hitherto been exploring, however other collaborators such as Erykah Badu and Outkast string arranger Miguel Atwood-Ferguson and guest vocalists Thom Yorke and a returning Laura Darlington (featured on Los Angeles epic closing track Inifinitum ) help deliver Cosmogramma to dizzying new heights. All this name-dropping, however, is not to detract from the genius of the wizard-like figure behind it all. The most powerful aspect of FlyLo s output has always been it s ability to communicate his boundless love and enthusiasm for music in all it s forms and that is what is boldly on display here.

Here’s the track listing:

• 1. “Clock Catcher”
• 2. “Pickled!”
• 3. “Nose Art”
• 4. “Intro//A Cosmic Drama”
• 5. “Zodiac Shit”
• 6. “Computer Face//Pure Being”
• 7. “..And The World Laughs With You” (feat. Thom Yorke)
• 8. “Arkestry”
• 9. “Mmmhmm (feat. Thundercat)
• 10. “Do The Astral Plane”
• 11. “Satelllliiiiiteee”
• 12. “German Haircut”
• 13. “Recoiled”
• 14. “Dance Of The Pseudo Nymph”
• 15. “Drips//Auntie’s Harp”
• 16. “Table Tennis (feat. Laura Darlington)
• 17. “Galaxy In Janaki”

Over a year after Flying Lotus first launched the EP addendums to his memorable album Los Angeles, he’s finally finishing the series. LA EP 3×3 lands on July 20 via Warp and features new tracks and remixes by Take, Dimlite and harpist Rebekah Raff. Both 1×3 and 2×3 sold out in a matter of months, so preorders are recommended.

• 1. “Infinitum (Dimlite’s Re-finitum)”
• 2. MatthewDavid, “Comet”
• 3. “Endless White”
• 4. “Parisian Goldfish (Take Remix)”
• 5. “Spin Cycles”
• 6. “Testament (Breakage’s Bill’s Suit Mix)”
• 7. “Auntie’s Harp (Rebekah Raff Remix)”

On December 9, artist-of-the-year candidate Flying Lotus will drop L.A. EP 2×3, the second installment in a trilogy of limited-edition addendums to his Los Angeles epic.

The Warp release will feature remixes of Los Angeles tracks from Brainfeeder associates Samiyam and Ras G as well as fellow space travelers Mike Slott and Hudson Mohawke. Unlike L.A. EP 1×3, there won’t be any new tracks from Flying Lotus himself.

Collectors (i.e. you and I) will want to pick up this up the moment it hits stores. The first installment sold out immediately upon its June release, and now trades upwards of $100 on Ebay.

Thanks to XLR8R for the tip.

• 1. “RobertaFlack” (Martyn’s Heart Beat mix)
• 2. “Sleepy Dinosaur” (Ras G mix)
• 3. “Camel” (Nosaj Thing remix)
• 4. “Grapesicles” (Samiyam remix)
• 5. “RobertaFlack” (Mike Slott Reflunk)
• 6. “Secrets” (Soundmurderer Refix)

Photo by Tim Saccenti.