Multi-genre music producer, electronic musician and rapper Flying Lotus took the audience at the Paradise Rock Club in his hands Oct. 17 and threw them back, confused and satisfied, at the Boston leg of his tour to promote his new album, “You’re Dead.”
Born Steven Ellison, Flying Lotus — known as FlyLo among his fans — made a name for himself by producing experimental electronic music. FlyLo takes the tropes of his contemporary electronic producers and twists them using old-school instrumentation and form.
Listeners of FlyLo still get the satisfaction of the “drop” they’ve all grown to love, but the process and progression to the drop is where the musician separates himself. Using real instruments — bass, drums, guitars and others — combined with custom-built software plug-ins, the “You’re Dead” album and tour were sure to please.
The openers, DJ Peabody and Thundercat, provided a nice setup for the headliner, with each act embodying one side of FlyLo’s style.
DJ Peabody pumped up the crowd with both original tracks and remixes of some classics. Peabody closed his set with his version of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” that was almost identical to the original.
Thundercat took the stage next, donning a fox pelt on his head and playing a six-string electric bass. Accompanying him were a keyboardist with three boards and perhaps one of the most creative and energetic drummers that has ever graced the stage at Paradise.
Unfortunately, Thundercat was not very impressive overall. While it was clear that all the musicians were experts on their individual instruments, together the set sounded like a group of guys trying to outdo each other and prove to the crowd who was the best musician.
When FlyLo finally hit the stage and told the audience that they were dead, a reference to the title of his new album, which was released Oct. 7, all the strange, drawn-out preparations became clear. He opened with the first track off his newest album, “Theme,” right after he pulled a black mask over his face — a mask with two glowing yellow lights where his eyes ought to have been.
FlyLo’s visual performance was just as complex and unexpected as his sound. Before he took the stage, a team of roadies worked for an hour setting up systems of screens, sheets, projectors and lights on stage, gradually building up excitement in the crowd.
The visuals during the performance were mesmerizing. FlyLo stood at his podium in the middle of the stage with his laptop and MIDI pads, or Musical Instrument Digital Interface pads, which are used to connect multiple electronic instruments and other musical devices. Images were projected onto both a screen behind him and a transparent sheet in front of him. Sandwiched between these bright, flashing pictures, FlyLo was floating in an ocean of mirages — an ocean polluted by the intensity of his bass.
The set was basically split into two different parts. In the first part, FlyLo left his mask on and stayed at his podium behind the first screen, performing more instrumental songs with an emphasis on bass, beat and drop.
In the second portion of the set, FlyLo took on his rap alter ego, Captain Murphy. He stepped in front of the screen and exuded an undeniable “Mr. Cool” vibe.
FlyLo had featured a rapper named Captain Murphy on several songs before revealing that Flying Lotus and Captain Murphy are one and the same in November 2012. It was refreshing to see the dichotomy between the producer and the showman for once. FlyLo was a great performer in the first half of the show, but he really connected with the audience on a more intimate level standing on the edge of the stage rapping the crowd favorites as the Captain.
FlyLo played many songs off his “You’re Dead” album, including “Descent Into Madness,” “Fkn Dead,” “Never Catch Me” and “Dead Man’s Tetris,” but also performed tracks from his older albums as well.
After the set, FlyLo walked on the front of the stage and high-fived everyone in the crowd. His last words before he shut his computer and walked off the stage? “All right, that’s it.”
