I know that we’re now in a new year, working on accomplishing our new goals for 2015 and forgetting or leaving behind some things from last year, but I think that there are always some things that we should take with us into our new beginnings. This is where the “newish” artist Flying Lotus comes into show. I say “newish” because he’s actually been around since the early 2000s but has become a little more well known from his recent album, ‘You’re Dead!‘, and his collaborations with artists like Kendrick Lamar, Thundercat, Snoop Dogg and more.

Now, this album isn’t one you’d hear everyday. This album, I can respectively say, has a unique sound you’ll rarely ever hear in your lifetime. For an album with nineteen songs and a duration of only thirty-eight minutes, Lotus has figured out a way to make you feel you’ve listened to three different albums with genres you didn’t even know existed. There’s so much diversity in every song, yet every song intertwines into the next. It’s like a puzzle set with every piece in place except for the one you’re holding in your hand, and all you have to do is connect your piece for the full essence of the picture.

The album starts off with a jazz piece in quick tempo, some odd chords that fit together perfectly, and some hard hitting saxophone, base, guitar, and drums. Before you know it, you’re at the end of the fourth track and onto the most popular song on the album, “Never Catch Me” ft. Kendrick Lamar. There is a certain part in the album that I specifically appreciate, which is actually a transition from the sixth track, “Dead Man’s Tetris” ft. Captain Murphy and Snoop Dogg into the seventh song, “Turkey Dog Coma”. It never ceases to make me smile. The album starts to slow down a bit and re-enters the quick jazzy sound, then it gets a little chilling at this point. It’s almost like you’re walking from an unfamiliar neighborhood into exploring a dark, foggy wood. And before you know it, you’re at the final track of the album, “The Protest,” which I consider to be like a “thank you for coming” track as you walk out of the vortex of Flying Lotus.

If you want to know more about Flying Lotus, visit his website here, and his tour dates here.