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Flylo with the jams, in the Majestic Theater of Detroit, on 10.15.12
Hands down off the chain…Nah nah, he broke the chain.

Jeremiah Jae kicked off with some of his own stuff, a pinch of rap, and a quick hit of J’Dilla. Decent but it seemed like it just went on and on with long transitions between songs and a subdued pace. I was jonesing for the funk nasty.

Teebs opened next in a big way. He launched into a super ethereal and white-blue sounding set that flowed in and out of itself like snow fall. A continues stream of beats with seamless transitions.. He’d check in with us every once in a while, otherwise it was a ton of tunes – Blessed assurance, and personal winter to name a few. All around, ill set. If you fancy Flylo, definitely check-out Teebs.

The Main Man: Flying Lotus aka. Steven Ellison. It was a smaller and chiller crowd leading up, but the minute the 29 year old, L.A. born producer and electronic wizard stepped into the lime light the crowd lost their damn minds. People did not stop dancing till the very last. There were two 30×30 foot silk screens hanging from the ceiling to the floor, one behind Flylo’s table of equipment, and one in front that formed a giant visualizer. The two sheets gave depth to the graphics of geometric shapes and half the time it felt like an i-max screen. Since this genre of electronic music doesn’t lend itself to live performance, the visualizer helped amp the crowd and added flavor and zest. A couple of my buddies thought that seeing the performer, who is this case was just somebody turning nobs and dinking with their laptop, was more important that a fancy light show. I whole-hearted disagree. I loved the mix medium, and I thought it made helped him make his music better, make it visual, and complete the night’s vibe.

In terms of musical background, Flylo is the great-nephew of Alice Coltrane, the cousin of Ravi Coltrane, and therefore incredibly close to the influence of John Coltrane. He also is known as lover of the work of J’Dilla, a legend in the beat making world. Alternatively, he chose some fantastic quotes for the night including an in-your-face Intergalactic by The Beastie Boys, a more subtle Kfir by Camille, and a faint hint of Grizzly Bear.

Flylo really starting picking up in 2006 with his first EP release, Pink Sun under Plug Research. Now with 7 EP’s and 4 full albums under his belt with a variety of labels, Flylo is remains signed with Warp, Brainfeeder, and Plug Research. His current tour is featuring his new album Until the Quiet Comes.

HunTer Chee

Check check it out.
The Art of Cosmogramma

Saturday night. Half way to the theater, bucket started pissing and thunder cracking – soggy ass sweater. Got into theater drenched and dripping, shook my hair out, and trotted down the isle to sit with 20 other people.

The film happened. Beauty and stark reality tag-teamed in and out of it for the full 90 something minutes.

After the film ended, we all clapped, and then it felt like everyone let out a breath in unison. Nobody moved. People finally stated mozying to the doors, speechless after the credits finished and silence settled.

: :: : :: : :: : :: : :: : :: : :: : ::

In a way, I have little to talk about. I can describe the particulars of the film or analyze it or tell you my opinion; sure, I’ll do a bit. Yet it was one of those experiences that is so personal and renders words useless. All in all, I think the directors achieved exactly what they wanted to – I’d love to hear what you think about it!!

That being said, for me, this was a monumental work and a MUST experience film. All around amazing, beautiful, and fresh, I’d definitely go see it again.

The film had many scenes of nature, different cultures, and individual lives – all soo very great. The time-lapse of deserts or sunrise or moonrise were like nothing I’d ever seen. Jaw on the ground, drool splashing, incredible. As it went on, it became clear that you couldn’t possibly know which of the 25 countries the film was from.

I’m all about experiencing the new in a ever-curious and productively naïve way – Samsara, was brewed with this in mind for sure. There were so many things I had never seen or heard of and I kept asking myself, “The hell is this? What does this mean? My god, what is that?” so much that I eventually forgot the questions and just began accepting what I was being given. A very meditative state. That seems like it would push the general and modern attention span – maybe why there were only like 20 people there, sooo ya, I geeked out real hard the whole time.

On another Note…

Samsara had Thich Nhat Hanh’s inter-be and inter-are not to mention an overall emphasis on impermanence, the cycle of life and death, all over it like poppy seeds on a goddamn buttered bagel. For every experience I have, there seem to be parallel experiences in opposition. I don’t have trash in open pits around my house because somebody else does. So, in the world, my comfort is at the same time, discomfort and vice versa; paradoxical experience and reality known so well by Confucism, Daoism, and Zen practice. This can be a depressing understanding about the nature of humans but I got the feeling that the film’s intention as a piece of art was less to make you feel like a shitty nihilist, and more to inspire consciousness and awareness of human nature and our world’s state.

Enough somber and serious gabbing.
Lighter stuff to come.
Down right sweet and healthy film.

FlyLo tonight. HELL YES>

Danks . Hunter Chee

Ps. 70mm. Sure, cooL, great. But DAYUM!! When you see that shit during the introduction and the beginning it feels obscenely surreal. Reminded me of Avatar. No way in hell did it feel like I was looking at shots of real environments or happenings on our planet. WacKo cooL.