Flying Lotus – Live DJ Set on KCRW

I've heard a lot about Flying Lotus, a Los Angeles-based producer who is signed to Warp Records, but NOTHING could have prepared me for what I saw in the studio as he took over the airwaves with a Guest DJ set during Garth Trinidad's show Thursday night. From the minute he walked in, he seemed to be bubbling over with all this kinetic energy and as soon as he got his various pieces of equipment plugged in, he was moving and grooving. He really is like a mad scientist – his back was turned and he was so involved with what he was doing, I don't think it would have mattered if anyone was in the room or not. He is his own audience, he creates for himself – that is clear. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he's one of those guys who spends entire days locked up in a room mixing beats, missing meals and sunrises, and perfectly happy doing it.

The music was futuristic and almost dizzying in its manicness but in a totally appealing way. It was intense, fresh and really surprising and he barely came up for air during his entire set. I highly recommend listening to the set AND the interview – my favorite line was when he told Garth that the hardest part of his career so far was deciding what to put on his first EP – "What do you say when you knock the door down?" Check it all out here

Also, Talib Kweli dropped in to talk about his new project, Idle Warship. It’s a supergroup of sorts, featuring singer Res and Graph Nobel. You can hear some music on their MySpace page and check out the interview here.

RR