Flying Lotus – Pattern+Grid World Review

Brace yourself for a new breed of FlyLo, with a new EP just months after his third full-length space opera, videogame drama, Cosmogramma. There’s more to be heard here, as Steven Ellison, the man behind the mask, takes you somewhere completely different once again. Pattern+Grid World tastes like a whole other dimension, with the otherworldly sounds and patterns that make an indistinguishable texture and quality, and we have to wonder if Ellison is really human. “Clay,” the opening track of Pattern+Grid World, sounds alien to our ears, but takes us to a time and place where music was reinvented, and had taken its own course in synth droning beats. If music really is universal, this EP might as well belong in a whole other universe (did I mention enough space imagery already?). “Kill Your Co-Workers” makes FlyLo’s drum and bass debut, with more arcade elements, as you can hear Ellison shooting for another high score. Although his beats are frenetic, and his synths get hazy, his melody sticks with you. His next track, “Pieface,” starts off with an abstract snare and cymbal, which inevitably builds into another 8-bit crescendo. Whether you are listening to his gurgling space jam, “Time Vampires,” or his synth-driven “Camera Day,” Ellison has something vastly different for your ears. At just over 18 minutes, this EP is short and sweet, and although it may feel like an acquired taste, it is still a welcome addition for any Flying Lotus fan.

Rating: 7.7/10

Recommended Tracks: Time Vampires, Jurassic Notion/M Theory, Camera Day