Flying LotusPsychedelic Beatscape Dream Weaver

Bio

Steven Ellison (born October 7, 1983), known by his stage name Flying Lotus or sometimes FlyLo, is an experimental multi-genre music producer, electronic musician, DJ, filmmaker, and rapper from Los Angeles, California. FlyLo has been a central figure in the LA beat scene since first gaining attention in the early 2000s, and founded Brainfeeder records. He has released 5 full-length albums and a number of collaborations with other musicians. He also raps under the moniker Captain Murphy, and in 2017 Ellis made his directoral debut at the Sundance Film Festival with the film Kuso.

Ellison is a grandson of songwriter Marilyn McLeod (the co-writer of Diana Ross' "Love Hangover"), as well as a great-nephew of pianist Alice Coltrane, and therefore a cousin of saxophonist Ravi Coltrane. While attending Los Angeles Film School, Ellison made a track called "Toilet Paper Nostrils". While lying on the couch at his mother's house, he saw an advertisement on Adult Swim/Cartoon Network asking for song submissions. He sent some in, was accepted, under the name Flying Lotus (a moniker inspired by lucid dreaming).

After releasing his debut album 1983 in 2006, Ellison was signed to Warp Records and quickly rose to the top of the pack in the experimental electronic scene of his home city. With the release of five full-length Flying Lotus albums between 2006 and 2014, acclaim and attention only grew larger for FlyLo, making the musician a household name of sorts. In 2008 he founded his own independent record label, Brainfeeder, showcasing experimental music with a focus on electronic music, hip hop and jazz. Brainfeeder has since released records for such established artists as Thundercat, George Clinton, and Daedelus.

Style and Influences

Flying Lotus is known for his rich, psychedelic production style blending experimental electronics with jazz-flavored hip-hop. His albums have featured collaborations with a variety of other artists, including hip hop legends such as Erykah Badu, Snoop Dogg and Kendrick Lamar, jazz instrumentalists Thundercat and Kamasi Washington, and even indie-rock frontman Thom Yorke of Radiohead. Flying Lotus has stated that he is influenced by Madlib, MF DOOM, his aunt Alice Coltrane and J Dilla.

FlyLo’s live performances are renowned for their visually stunning stage show, titled ‘Layer 3’ and the product of a collaboration with visual artists Strangeloop and Timeboy. Layer3 puts Ellison between transparent scrims set with interactive front and rear projectors, mixing Hubble-like atmospheres with 3D pattern grids and light bursts appearing to sprout from Ellison’s body, rendering the live show a truly mind-blowing package.

Discography

	1983	Plug Research	2006
	Los Angeles	Warp Records	2008
	Cosmogramma	Warp Records	2010
	Until the Quiet Comes	Warp Records	2012
	You're Dead!	Warp Records	2014

Learn More

Read

Read Vice's 2014 interview with Flying Lotus about the inspiration behind his 2014 album You're Dead!

Watch

See the Layer3 visual stage show in action in this video featuring an interview with Flying Lotus, Timeboy and Strangeloop.

Listen

Hear album cuts and new and exclusive tracks on FlyLo's personal SoundCloud page.