Flying Lotus
Flying Lotus, born Steven Ellison on October 7, 1983, in Los Angeles, California, is an American record producer, DJ, musician, rapper, and filmmaker renowned for his innovative fusion of electronic music, hip-hop beats, jazz improvisation, and experimental soundscapes.[1][2] A pivotal figure in the Los Angeles beat scene, he founded the influential Brainfeeder record label in 2008, which has championed artists blending IDM, jazz, and bass music, and signed to Warp Records in 2006, releasing genre-defining albums such as Los Angeles (2008), Cosmogramma (2010), You're Dead! (2014), Flamagra (2019), and Spirit Box (2024).[3][4][5] Ellison hails from a storied musical lineage; he is the great-nephew of jazz icons John Coltrane and Alice Coltrane, and the grandson of songwriter and producer Marilyn McLeod, co-writer of Diana Ross's hit "Love Hangover."[6][7] Raised in the Winnetka neighborhood of Los Angeles, he began producing beats as a teenager using an MPC workstation gifted by a cousin, initially aspiring to a career in comics before pivoting to music through contributions to rap projects and early releases like the debut album 1983 on Plug Research in 2006.[8][9] His work extends beyond music into visual media, including directing the surreal horror-comedy anthology film Kuso (2017), which premiered at Sundance, the sci-fi horror Ash (2025), and creating acclaimed music videos and animations that complement his abstract sonic aesthetic.[10][11] Ellison has collaborated extensively with artists across genres, including Kendrick Lamar, Thundercat, Kamasi Washington, Mac Miller, and André 3000, often integrating live instrumentation and cosmic themes that evoke spiritual jazz traditions.[3][12] Among his accolades, Ellison earned a Grammy Award in 2021 for Best Progressive R&B Album for Thundercat's It Is What It Is, produced under his Brainfeeder imprint, along with nominations for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical (2021) and Best Dance Recording for "Never Catch Me" with Flying Lotus and Kendrick Lamar (2016).[2][13] His output continues to influence contemporary electronic and experimental music, bridging underground scenes with mainstream recognition while maintaining a commitment to boundary-pushing creativity.[4]Personal background
Early life
Steven Ellison, known professionally as Flying Lotus, was born on October 7, 1983, in Los Angeles, California.[14] He grew up in the suburban Winnetka neighborhood of the San Fernando Valley, where he experienced an alienated youth marked by social isolation and a turn toward solitary creative pursuits like video games and early experimentation with music.[15][16] This environment, while removed from the urban core of Los Angeles, exposed him to the broader local hip-hop and electronic music scenes through recordings and media, fostering an initial fascination with beat-driven sounds.[8] Ellison's interest in music production began during his teenage years, around age 14, when he started crafting beats on a workstation gifted by a cousin, drawing heavy inspiration from innovative producers like J Dilla and Madlib.[17][9] In high school, he delved deeper into digital tools, experimenting with software such as Fruity Loops to create rudimentary tracks that blended hip-hop rhythms with experimental elements.[18] These early efforts reflected a self-taught approach, prioritizing intuitive creativity over formal training, and laid the groundwork for his distinctive style. Formal education proved challenging for Ellison, who pursued filmmaking after high school, earning a degree from the Los Angeles Film School before transferring to the Academy of Art University in San Francisco in the early 2000s to study film.[19][8] However, he dropped out after a short time, frustrated by the rigid, formulaic structure of the program, which clashed with his preference for unstructured artistic exploration.[20][21] By age 20, around 2003, he had adopted the moniker Flying Lotus—drawn from a lucid dream—and was producing demos that captured his evolving sound, influenced by the introspective and boundary-pushing ethos of his key inspirations.[22]Family and influences
Flying Lotus, born Steven Ellison, hails from a prominent musical lineage deeply rooted in jazz and soul. His great-aunt, Alice Coltrane, was a renowned spiritual jazz pianist and composer, while her husband, his great-uncle John Coltrane, was a legendary saxophonist whose improvisational innovations defined modern jazz.[6][22] His grandmother, Marilyn McLeod, was a prolific Motown songwriter and producer, co-writing hits like "Love Hangover" for Diana Ross, which immersed Ellison in soul and R&B from an early age.[12][8] Ellison was raised listening to Alice and John Coltrane's records, which provided a foundational exposure to spiritual jazz's meditative and exploratory qualities. Family gatherings often featured live jazz performances, where relatives played instruments and shared musical traditions, instilling in him an appreciation for organic improvisation and rhythmic complexity.[6][12] Among his extended family, cousin Ravi Coltrane, a saxophonist continuing the Coltrane legacy, further influenced Ellison's improvisational sensibilities through collaborations and shared sessions that emphasized fluid, boundary-pushing expression.[6][23] Beyond family, Ellison drew from hip-hop producers like J Dilla and Madlib, whose beat-making techniques shaped his rhythmic precision and sample-based innovation, as well as DJ Shadow's atmospheric trip-hop constructions. Electronic artists such as Aphex Twin inspired his experimental sound design and glitchy textures during his college years exploring Warp Records. Visual media, including the anime film Akira, contributed thematic elements of futurism and dystopia to his aesthetic. These influences converged to cultivate Ellison's signature hybrid style, blending jazz's spiritual depth with hip-hop's groove and electronica's abstraction.[24][16][25][8][26]Musical career
Early releases and Warp Records (2006–2008)
In 2006, Flying Lotus gained initial prominence through a commission from Adult Swim, the late-night programming block on Cartoon Network, which licensed a selection of his instrumental beats for use as short interludes during commercial breaks.[27] These beats, characterized by their lo-fi hip-hop aesthetics and abstract electronic textures, helped introduce his sound to a wider audience and marked his entry into professional music production.[28] That same year, Flying Lotus released his debut album, 1983, on October 3 via Plug Research.[29] Named after his birth year, the album drew inspiration from his family's jazz heritage while blending glitchy, IDM-influenced beats with hip-hop rhythms and experimental electronics, creating a psychedelic fusion that evoked the Los Angeles beat scene.[22] Tracks like "São Paulo" and "Orbit Brazil" showcased his ability to layer stuttering percussion, warped samples, and atmospheric synths, earning recognition for pushing boundaries in instrumental hip-hop.[30] Following the release of 1983, Flying Lotus signed with Warp Records in February 2007, after the label expressed interest in his burgeoning catalog of demos shared online.[31] This deal positioned him alongside electronic innovators like Aphex Twin and Boards of Canada, aligning his work with Warp's legacy in intelligent dance music (IDM).[32] His first release on the label was the Reset EP, issued on October 1, 2007, which expanded on the abstract experimentation of his debut through six tracks featuring guest vocalists like Andreya Triana on "Tea Leaf Dancers" and more intricate beat manipulations.[33] The EP highlighted his evolving production techniques, incorporating live instrumentation and cosmic jazz elements to deepen the genre-blending approach.[34] During this period, Flying Lotus built momentum through early live performances and DJ sets in the Los Angeles underground scene, including a notable radio mix for dublab on October 24, 2006, where he previewed his beat-driven style to local tastemakers.[35] These appearances in intimate venues and on community platforms fostered buzz within the IDM and West Coast beat communities, solidifying his reputation as an innovative force before his full Warp-era breakthrough.[36]Brainfeeder founding and Los Angeles (2008–2009)
In 2008, Steven Ellison, known as Flying Lotus, founded the Brainfeeder record label as a dedicated outlet for himself and fellow artists from the burgeoning Los Angeles beat scene.[37] Initially emerging from the weekly Low End Theory club nights in Los Angeles, which served as a hub for experimental producers, Brainfeeder provided a platform to release music that captured the eclectic, bass-heavy aesthetic of the local underground.[38] The label quickly became synonymous with the scene's innovative spirit, fostering collaborations among talents like The Gaslamp Killer and others who performed at these influential gatherings.[39] That same year, Flying Lotus released his sophomore album Los Angeles on Warp Records, a 17-track project dedicated to his hometown and marking a significant evolution in his sound.[40] The record featured vocal contributions from singer Niki Randa on tracks such as "Getting There" and "Hunger," blending her ethereal style with Ellison's production to create a denser fusion of jazz improvisation, hip-hop rhythms, and psychedelic electronics.[41] This approach built on his earlier Warp releases, intensifying the atmospheric and textural layers that defined his growing profile.[42] Brainfeeder's inaugural compilation, released in 2008, highlighted emerging artists from the LA beat scene, including early works from producers like Samiyam and Daedelus, underscoring the label's role in nurturing new voices beyond Ellison's own output.[43] Concurrently, Flying Lotus began expanding his live performances with integrated visual elements, collaborating with animators to project custom visuals that synchronized with his beats, enhancing the immersive quality of shows at venues like Low End Theory.[44] Los Angeles garnered widespread critical acclaim, earning the #2 spot on Pitchfork's list of the best albums of 2008 and solidifying Ellison's position as a central figure and tastemaker in the LA beat scene movement.[40][39]Cosmogramma and collaborations (2010–2011)
In 2010, Flying Lotus released his third studio album, Cosmogramma, on Warp Records on May 3.[45] The album marked a significant evolution in his sound, incorporating orchestral elements and guest contributions that expanded its scope beyond electronic abstraction.[46] String arrangements were handled by Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, a frequent collaborator known for his work with OutKast, adding lush, live-recorded layers to tracks like "Zodiac Shit" and "Do the Astral Plane."[47] Thom Yorke of Radiohead provided vocals on "...And the World Laughs With You," infusing the project with ethereal, introspective influences reminiscent of Radiohead's experimental edge.[48] Other notable guests included Laura Darlington on vocals, Niki Randa, Ravi Coltrane on tenor saxophone, Rebekah Raff, and Thundercat on bass, creating a collaborative tapestry that blended jazz improvisation with electronic production.[48] The studio process for Cosmogramma emphasized live instrumentation amid chaotic overdubs, transforming Ellison's laptop-based beats into a dense, multi-layered composition.[49] Recorded primarily in Los Angeles, sessions involved musicians layering strings, horns, and percussion in real-time, often resulting in unpredictable sonic collisions that Ellison described as a "space opera"—a narrative-driven journey through cosmic and dreamlike realms.[50] This approach prioritized organic interplay over polished sequencing, with Atwood-Ferguson's arrangements providing structural anchors for the album's frenetic energy.[51] The result was a 17-track opus clocking in at around 45 minutes, where tracks like "Computerized" and "Margin" showcased the tension between digital glitches and acoustic warmth.[52] Later that year, on September 20, Flying Lotus issued the Pattern+Grid World EP on Warp Records, serving as a sonic precursor that distilled Cosmogramma's innovations into more abstract, bite-sized explorations.[53] Spanning seven tracks under 20 minutes, the EP introduced fragmented soundscapes with titles like "Time Vampires" and "Physics (For Everyone!)," emphasizing playful rhythms and minimalist electronics over the full album's orchestral density.[54] It extended his experimental streak while hinting at future directions in beat manipulation and atmospheric drift.[55] During this period, Flying Lotus engaged in several high-profile collaborations and remixes that broadened his influence. He produced tracks for Erykah Badu's New Amerykah Part Two: Return of the Ankh, contributing to its fusion of neo-soul and experimental beats, announced during live performances in early 2011.[56] Additionally, he delivered remixes for artists including Björk, Massive Attack, and Stereolab, released as a collection of unreleased demos in June 2011, showcasing his ability to recontextualize diverse genres through glitchy, bass-heavy reinterpretations.[57] These efforts, supported by Brainfeeder's growing network for artist discovery, solidified his role as a versatile producer bridging electronic, jazz, and hip-hop scenes.[58] To promote Cosmogramma, Flying Lotus embarked on a tour featuring a full live band, shifting from solo DJ sets to immersive multimedia experiences.[59] The ensemble, often including Thundercat on bass, Atwood-Ferguson on violin, drummer Gerry Gibbs, and percussionist Andres Renteria, performed at venues like London's Infinity in August 2010, blending improvisational jazz with projected visuals created by collaborators like Strangeloop Studios.[59][44] This format marked a pivotal transition to theatrical, band-driven shows that incorporated cosmic imagery and real-time video mapping, enhancing the album's "space opera" theme and captivating international audiences through 2011.[60]Until the Quiet Comes and Captain Murphy (2012–2013)
In 2012, Flying Lotus released his fourth studio album, Until the Quiet Comes, on Warp Records on October 1. The album featured vocal contributions from artists including Laura Darlington and Erykah Badu, marking a shift from the frenetic energy of prior works toward more subdued, dreamlike atmospheres characterized by intricate rhythms and ethereal soundscapes.[61][62] This release built on the collaborative momentum from Cosmogramma, incorporating guest appearances that emphasized introspective, lyrical elements over purely instrumental experimentation. That same year, Flying Lotus introduced his rap alter ego, Captain Murphy, debuting anonymously with the track "Between Friends" featuring Earl Sweatshirt as part of Adult Swim's 2012 Singles Series on July 23. The persona culminated in the release of the Duality mixtape on November 15 via SoundCloud, a 35-minute project produced by collaborators including Flying Lotus himself, Madlib, Teebs, and TNGHT, with guest verses from Earl Sweatshirt and others exploring dual themes of light and darkness through animated visuals and lo-fi aesthetics.[63][64] Captain Murphy's identity as Flying Lotus was revealed in early 2013 through interviews, including a January 11 feature with XXL Magazine where Ellison discussed the project's origins in his desire to explore rapping without preconceptions tied to his producer reputation. The revelation followed speculation fueled by the Duality tracks and live performances, confirming the alias during a period of heightened interest in his hip-hop forays.[65][66] The "Between Friends" single served as a stylistic bridge between Flying Lotus's electronic production and Captain Murphy's raw lyricism, blending hazy beats with introspective rhymes to merge the personas. In 2013, this experimentation continued with additional Captain Murphy output, including the Adult Swim single "Bookfiend" featuring MF DOOM (as Viktor Vaughn) on August 13, further integrating rap narratives into Ellison's sonic palette. During this period, Flying Lotus ramped up production for emerging hip-hop artists, notably contributing the beat for "The Last Slumber" on Chance the Rapper's debut mixtape 10 Day in April 2012 and "S.D.S." on Mac Miller's Watching Movies with the Sound Off in June 2013, emphasizing off-kilter grooves and atmospheric layers.[67][68][69]You're Dead! (2014–2015)
Flying Lotus released his fifth studio album, You're Dead!, on October 6, 2014, through Warp Records. The record conceptualizes the abruptness of death and the transition to the afterlife, drawing inspiration from the Tibetan Book of the Dead and personal reflections on mortality following losses in his life.[70][71] Its structure emphasizes this theme through nineteen short tracks—many under two minutes—with seamless, rapid transitions that mimic the sudden end of life, blending electronic beats, hip-hop, and jazz into a continuous sonic journey.[72][73] Guest vocalists including Kendrick Lamar on the track "Never Catch Me" and Snoop Dogg alongside Captain Murphy on "Dead Man's Tetris" add narrative layers to the exploration of impermanence.[74] The album pays homage to jazz legends by incorporating live instrumentation and collaborations with key figures in the genre. Bassist Thundercat, Flying Lotus's cousin, provides prominent performances across multiple tracks, while jazz icon Herbie Hancock contributes keyboards to "Tesla," evoking the improvisational spirit of fusion pioneers like Weather Report and Sun Ra.[75][76] These elements fuse Flying Lotus's electronic production with hard-bop and spiritual jazz influences, creating a tribute to forebears amid the album's psychedelic soundscape.[77][78] In support of the release, Flying Lotus toured extensively in 2014–2015, performing You're Dead! with a live band that highlighted its jazz components, including shows at major festivals and events like the Red Bull Music Academy sessions in Tokyo.[79] These renditions often featured expanded ensembles to capture the album's orchestral ambitions, emphasizing its blend of live musicianship and visual projections.[80] You're Dead! received critical acclaim and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Dance/Electronic Album at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards in 2016.[81] The single "Never Catch Me" featuring Kendrick Lamar was additionally nominated for Best Dance Recording.[81] Enhancing its multimedia appeal, the album incorporated visual elements through artwork by Japanese manga artist Shintaro Kago, whose surreal, grotesque illustrations for the cover and individual tracks depicted themes of death and rebirth, accompanying promotional videos and packaging.[72][82]Kuso (2016–2018)
Following the experimental legacy of You're Dead!, Flying Lotus composed the score for his directorial debut film Kuso, a surreal body horror project that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2017. The music, released as a companion soundtrack on Warp Records later that year, features 17 tracks blending grotesque, psychedelic electronic sounds with hip-hop beats and ambient textures, designed to complement the film's post-earthquake nightmare narrative.[83][3] The production process drew heavy inspiration from anime aesthetics, horror cinema, and glitch art, with Ellison citing influences like British animator David Firth's Salad Fingers series and Japanese horror elements to create a disorienting sonic landscape. Collaborators included vocalists such as Shabazz Palaces (Ishmael Butler), who contributed ethereal, distorted vocals on tracks like "Post Requisite," alongside contributions from Aphex Twin and Akira Yamaoka for additional electronic and ambient layers. The score's boundary-pushing surrealism emphasized warped samples, pulsating rhythms, and nightmarish sound design, marking Ellison's first major foray into film scoring.[24][84] In support of the project, Flying Lotus embarked on a North American tour in late 2017 and into 2018, debuting a 3D live show with immersive visuals that synced holographic projections and psychedelic animations to tracks from the Kuso score and prior albums. The performances, featuring collaborators like Thundercat, took place at venues including Hollywood Forever Cemetery and Brooklyn Steel, emphasizing spatial audio and visual experimentation to replicate the film's hallucinatory vibe.[85][86][87] Critics praised the Kuso score for its innovative fusion of electronic genres and visceral intensity, though the overall project received mixed reactions for its extreme content, with some hailing it as a bold extension of Ellison's sonic universe. A limited edition vinyl pressing of select score tracks was issued with film-inspired packaging, including artwork echoing the movie's grotesque imagery, appealing to collectors of experimental soundtracks.[88][89]Flamagra (2019)
Flamagra, Flying Lotus's sixth studio album, was released on May 24, 2019, through Warp Records, marking his first full-length project in five years.[90] The 27-track record embodies a conceptual "hero's journey" through themes of fire and rebirth, inspired by the eternal flames of Los Angeles and drawing from cosmic, afro-futurist motifs to explore cycles of creation and destruction.[91][92] This fiery narrative unfolds across an hour-long runtime, blending electronic production with jazz-funk elements to evoke a sprawling, astral symphony.[93] The album features contributions from over 30 artists, showcasing an expansive all-star lineup that includes vocalists like Anderson .Paak on "More," George Clinton on "The Climb," Solange on "Land of Honey," and Tierra Whack on "Yellow Belly," alongside rappers such as Denzel Curry and instrumentalists including Thundercat and Herbie Hancock.[94][95] These collaborations infuse the project with diverse textures, from psychedelic funk to spiritual jazz, highlighting Flying Lotus's role as a curator of intergenerational talent. Production spanned five years and incorporated live band recordings with a core ensemble, including real-time improvisations, alongside orchestral elements like strings and horns to add sweeping, cinematic depth.[96][97] Complementing the album, Flying Lotus released multimedia extensions, including the short film "Fire Is Coming" directed by Kahlil Joseph, featuring David Lynch as a prophetic wolf elder in an animated, dystopian narrative tied to the title track.[98] The project also inspired immersive VR experiences during its 2019 tour, produced by Strangeloop Studios, where 3D visuals synchronized with live performances to enhance the album's otherworldly immersion.[99] Flamagra debuted at number 45 on the Billboard 200 and topped the Dance/Electronic Albums chart, selling the equivalent of 13,000 units in its first week.[100] Critics lauded its ambition, with Pitchfork praising the "sweeping jazz-funk" as a limitless sketchbook of innovation, Variety calling it a "wild fusion" of genres, and The Guardian highlighting its soundtrack-like cosmic voyage, though some noted its length could overwhelm.[101][94][102]Yasuke and recent releases (2020–present)
In 2021, Flying Lotus composed the original soundtrack for the Netflix anime series Yasuke, which chronicles the story of the first African samurai in feudal Japan. The score fuses his signature electronic production with traditional Japanese instruments such as shamisen and taiko drums, alongside African percussion, to create atmospheric samurai-themed soundscapes that blend glitchy synths, orchestral swells, and rhythmic intensity.[103][104][105] The project features vocal contributions from collaborators including his cousin Thundercat on the opening theme "Black Gold," Niki Randa on tracks like "Hiding in the Shadows," and Denzel Curry on "Street Fighter Mas."[106][107] The full Yasuke soundtrack album, comprising 27 tracks, was released on April 30, 2021, via Warp Records.[108][109] The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted live activities, prompting Flying Lotus to pivot to virtual formats for his ongoing production and DJ residencies. In November 2020, he curated a global live stream extravaganza through Brainfeeder, featuring audio-visual performances and DJ sets from label artists.[110] Subsequent virtual appearances included a DJ set for Adult Swim's YOLO: Crystal Fantasy premiere in July 2020 and an improvisational session with Marc Rebillet and Reggie Watts on the H3 Podcast in June 2021, adapting his experimental style to online platforms.[111][112] These efforts sustained his creative output amid restrictions, building on the collaborative ethos seen in prior works like Flamagra. Post-pandemic, Flying Lotus continued releasing music and touring with renewed live energy. In October 2024, he surprise-dropped the Spirit Box EP on Warp Records, an eight-track project exploring bouncy electronic grooves, fusion-funk influences, and house-infused beats with guest spots from Dawn Richard on "Let Me Cook" and Sid Sriram on "The Lost Girls."[113][114][115] The EP includes psychedelic instrumentals like the Twin Peaks-inspired "Garmonbozia" and marks a rare vocal appearance by Ellison himself.[116] In 2025, Flying Lotus composed the score for his directorial film Ash, releasing the track "Oxygene" from the soundtrack on March 11.[117] Live performances resumed robustly, including a set at the Shambhala Music Festival in July 2025 on the Grove Stage, where he incorporated fresh material such as "Garmonbozia" alongside classics like "Crust" from the Yasuke era.[118][119] Additional 2025 shows, like at JAZZMI Festival in Milan on November 4 and Mira Festival in November, highlight his sustained DJ residencies and evolving stage presentations.[120][121]Brainfeeder
Founding and operations
Brainfeeder was founded in 2008 by producer Steven Ellison, known as Flying Lotus, as an independent record label serving as a creative outlet for experimental sounds emerging from the Los Angeles beat scene.[37][38] The label's origins are closely tied to the Low End Theory club nights, which began in 2006 at The Airliner in Lincoln Heights and provided a platform for innovative beatmakers like Flying Lotus to showcase instrumental hip hop and electronic music in a communal setting.[39][122] Initially launched as a low-key, digital-only operation, Brainfeeder evolved into a more structured entity by 2010, expanding to physical releases and securing a distribution deal with Ninja Tune to handle worldwide manufacturing, promotion, and international reach while retaining U.S. distribution through partners like Alpha Pup Records.[38] Based in Los Angeles, the label's operations center on curating and releasing music in genres such as beat music, jazz fusion, and experimental electronic, reflecting Flying Lotus's personal aesthetic and fostering a collaborative environment for like-minded artists.[123][124] Flying Lotus plays a central role in the label's day-to-day management as its primary A&R representative and curator, scouting talent, guiding artistic direction, and frequently performing alongside roster members at label showcases and events to build community and visibility.[37][124] During the label's growth phases in the 2010s, operations expanded amid rising demand, involving coordination of releases, tours, and artist development to sustain its underground ethos while navigating increased commercial pressures.[39][38]Notable artists and impact
Brainfeeder has nurtured a roster of innovative artists who have become central figures in experimental electronic, jazz, and beat music. Among the label's early signees, Thundercat (Stephen Bruner) debuted with his breakthrough album The Golden Age of Apocalypse in 2011, blending virtuosic bass lines with cosmic jazz and hip-hop elements under Flying Lotus's executive production. Teebs (Mtendere Mandowa) followed closely with his 2010 debut Ardour, a textured collection of ambient beats and field recordings that captured the introspective side of the Los Angeles beat scene. Samiyam (Sam Baker) contributed to the label's foundational sound through his 2011 album Sam Baker's Album, featuring lo-fi hip-hop instrumentals rooted in the West Coast underground. Dorian Concept (Fabian Kummer), an Austrian producer known for his intricate electronic compositions, joined later with his 2018 Brainfeeder debut The Nature of Imitation, expanding the label's scope into glitchy, improvisational territory. Key releases have underscored Brainfeeder's role in documenting its artists' growth, such as Thundercat's The Golden Age of Apocalypse, which established a template for jazz-infused beat music and influenced subsequent label output. The 2018 compilation Brainfeeder X, marking the label's 10th anniversary, compiled 36 tracks including 22 unreleased pieces from core artists like Thundercat, Teebs, and Flying Lotus collaborators, highlighting the imprint's evolution from intimate LA sessions to a broader collective sound. The label has profoundly shaped the West Coast beat scene by fostering a diverse fusion of jazz, hip-hop, and electronic music, encouraging artists to blend spiritual jazz improvisation with glitchy production techniques. This cross-pollination, evident in releases that merge bass-driven grooves with avant-garde experimentation, helped redefine instrumental hip-hop's boundaries and inspired a new generation of genre-blurring creators in Los Angeles. By the 2020s, Brainfeeder had evolved to incorporate international acts like the UK-based Lapalux and the Norwegian Jaga Jazzist, alongside global live events such as the 2020 "Flying Lotus x Brainfeeder" livestream extravaganza featuring Teebs and Salami Rose Joe Louis, which adapted the label's communal ethos to virtual formats amid the pandemic. The label has continued its output into 2025, with releases such as Salami Rose Joe Louis's Lorings (April 2025) and Thundercat's singles "I Wish I Didn't Waste Your Time" and "Children of the Baked Potato" (September 2025), sustaining its influence in experimental and jazz-infused electronic music.[125][126] Brainfeeder's influence has garnered critical acclaim, with frequent coverage in outlets like Resident Advisor, which has profiled releases such as Dorian Concept's 2018 album and the 2018 anniversary compilation for their innovative electronic and jazz integrations.Filmmaking
Kuso
Kuso marked Flying Lotus's directorial debut, a surreal body horror musical anthology film that premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival in the Midnight section. Produced by Brainfeeder Films under the pseudonym "Steve" for its director, the low-budget project drew stylistic influences from Adult Swim programming, reflecting Flying Lotus's prior musical contributions to the network. The film explores grotesque, post-apocalyptic vignettes broadcast via a makeshift network of discarded televisions, blending live-action with animation to depict mutated survivors navigating bodily mutations and absurd scenarios in the aftermath of a catastrophic earthquake in Los Angeles.[127] The narrative unfolds as an interconnected series of sketches featuring extreme bodily horror and improvised musical sequences, emphasizing themes of physical decay, sexuality, and surreal humor. Key characters include Kazo, a man dealing with a parasitic growth, played by comedian Hannibal Buress, and Dr. Albert Clinton, portrayed by funk legend George Clinton, who treats afflicted patients in bizarre medical scenes. Additional cast members, such as animator David Firth voicing the Roach Man and Tim Heidecker in a supporting role, contribute to the film's chaotic ensemble, highlighting interpersonal absurdities amid the disaster's chaos. The plot prioritizes visceral, dreamlike episodes over linear storytelling, incorporating elements like talking boils, incestuous encounters, and hallucinatory creatures to evoke a nightmarish urban decay.[128][129] Visually, Kuso combines practical effects for its grotesque prosthetics and bodily transformations with hand-drawn animation sequences reminiscent of anime's exaggerated expressiveness, creating a hybrid aesthetic that amplifies the horror-comedy tone. This approach was inspired by the transgressive, campy filmmaking of John Waters, evident in the film's unapologetic embrace of scatological and taboo humor, while practical makeup and stop-motion techniques underscore the tangible revulsion of its body horror elements. The production relied on a small crew and innovative low-fi methods to achieve its distorted, otherworldly look, fostering an intimate, experimental feel.[127][129] Upon release, Kuso sparked controversy for its explicit depictions of gore, nudity, and depravity, leading to numerous walkouts during its Sundance screening and earning descriptors like "the grossest movie ever made" from critics. While some reviewers praised its audacious creativity and boundary-pushing surrealism as a fresh take on midnight movie traditions, others criticized its perceived lack of coherence and overreliance on shock value. Over time, the film cultivated a dedicated cult following among fans of experimental cinema and body horror, appreciated for its unfiltered exploration of human vulnerability. The project ties directly to Flying Lotus's contemporaneous album Kuso, whose psychedelic, genre-blending sound enhances the film's immersive, disorienting vibe in a multimedia synergy.[130][88][131]V/H/S/99
Flying Lotus directed the "Ozzy's Dungeon" segment for the 2022 Shudder horror anthology V/H/S/99, a found-footage short that parodies 1990s children's game shows infused with shock rock elements referencing Ozzy Osbourne.[132] Co-written with Zoe Cooper, the segment blends satire and horror in a style reminiscent of his earlier film Kuso.[133] The plot unfolds as a mock snuff film depicting a vengeful family's torture of a bigoted game show host after their daughter suffers a severe injury during a contest, escalating into a grotesque ritual summoning a tentacled cosmic entity.[134] Key cameos include actor Steve Ogg as the sleazy host and Sonya Eddy as the girl's mother, adding layers of dark humor to the revenge narrative.[135] Production emphasized authentic VHS aesthetics through degraded video quality and low-fi visuals, achieved via collaboration with a visual effects team to simulate analog tape degradation while incorporating practical gore elements like excrement and melting faces.[135] The segment was completed prior to the film's October 2022 release, showcasing Flying Lotus's growing expertise in genre filmmaking.[136] Critics highlighted "Ozzy's Dungeon" as a standout for its irreverent humor, nostalgic recreation of '90s TV tropes, and seamless fusion of body horror with cosmic dread, further solidifying Flying Lotus's credentials as a multifaceted horror director.[134][135]Ash
Ash is a 2025 American science fiction horror film written by Jonni Remmler and directed by Flying Lotus, marking his second feature-length directorial effort following Kuso (2017). The film stars Eiza González as Riya, an astronaut who awakens with amnesia on a remote alien planet called Ash, where she discovers her crew has been brutally murdered, forcing her to navigate isolation and paranoia alongside survivor Brion, played by Aaron Paul. Supporting roles are filled by Iko Uwais, Kate Elliott, and Beulah Koale, with the narrative centering on themes of psychological dread, body horror, and fractured trust amid an unforgiving extraterrestrial environment.[137][138][139] Development on Ash began in September 2022 under producers Nate Bolotin of XYZ Films and Mathew Metcalfe of GFC Films, with principal photography commencing in May 2023 primarily in studios around Auckland, New Zealand. The production faced challenges inherent to its microbudget scale, relying on a blend of practical effects for gore sequences—evoking visceral body horror akin to The Thing—and over 340 digital visual effects shots crafted by local VFX house PRPVFX to depict the desolate alien landscapes and nightmarish creatures. Flying Lotus drew inspiration from survival horror video games such as Dead Space, Death Stranding, and Resident Evil, infusing the film with atmospheric tension and exploratory dread that emphasizes human vulnerability in vast, hostile spaces. Building on his prior experience directing the "Ozzy's Dungeon" segment in the anthology V/H/S/99 (2022), he self-taught CGI techniques via online tutorials to enhance the film's immersive, game-like aesthetic.[140][141][142][143][144][145] The film had its world premiere at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival in March 2025, receiving praise from critics for its striking visuals, throbbing sound design, and seamless integration of horror elements, though some noted the script's reliance on familiar tropes. Distributed theatrically by RLJE Films and later on Shudder, Ash represents a mainstream breakthrough for Flying Lotus, expanding his multimedia profile with innovative effects and star power. The film grossed $1.1 million worldwide and received generally positive reviews, earning a 71% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 92 reviews (as of November 2025). It became available for streaming on Shudder and Amazon Prime Video in April 2025.[146][147][138][148])Discography
Studio albums
Flying Lotus's debut studio album, 1983, was released on October 3, 2006, by Plug Research. The record features glitchy, jazz-inflected beats drawing from the producer's family legacy in music, including influences from his great-aunt Alice Coltrane.[30] His second album, Los Angeles, arrived on June 9, 2008, via Warp Records. It incorporates live instrumentation alongside electronic production, evoking the city's diverse sonic landscape with hip-hop, jazz, and funk elements. Cosmogramma, released on May 3, 2010, also on Warp Records, marked a shift toward orchestral and cosmic experimentation, blending harp, strings, and broken beats in a 17-track suite.[149] The follow-up, Until the Quiet Comes, came out on October 1, 2012, through Warp Records. This vocal-heavy effort explores introspective themes with dubstep-tinged rhythms and contributions from singers like Thom Yorke and Erykah Badu. You're Dead!, issued on October 6, 2014, by Warp Records, is a jazz-fusion concept album meditating on mortality, featuring a star-studded lineup including Kendrick Lamar and Snoop Dogg over frenetic, death-themed compositions. Flamagra, Flying Lotus's sixth studio album, was released on May 24, 2019, on Warp Records. It showcases epic collaborations with artists like Anderson .Paak and George Clinton, weaving fire mythology through psychedelic electronic and soulful tracks. Yasuke, released on April 30, 2021, via Brainfeeder and Warp Records, serves as the soundtrack to the Netflix anime series of the same name. The album fuses traditional Japanese instrumentation with hip-hop beats and orchestral swells, reflecting the historical narrative of the African samurai.[109] Ash (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), released on March 19, 2025, via Milan Records, is the score for the sci-fi horror film Ash directed by Flying Lotus. The 27-track album blends atmospheric electronic sounds, orchestral elements, and experimental textures to evoke the film's themes of isolation and cosmic dread.[150]EPs and mixtapes
Flying Lotus began his association with Adult Swim in 2006 by composing short electronic "bumps"—30-second interstitial pieces used during commercial breaks—which collectively formed a mini-album of experimental TV sound design.[151] These tracks highlighted his early flair for glitchy, atmospheric beats tailored to the network's surreal aesthetic.[151] His debut EP on Warp Records, Reset, arrived in 2007 and delved into abstract electronic territory with manipulated samples and rhythmic fragmentation, establishing his reputation for boundary-pushing production.[152] Tracks like "Tea Leaf Dancers" and "Long Stem" demonstrated a fusion of IDM and jazz influences, earning praise for their innovative sound manipulation.[152] In 2010, Pattern + Grid World, also on Warp Records, emerged as a concise ambient EP that previewed the cosmic explorations of his subsequent album Cosmogramma.[153] Comprising seven tracks, it featured ethereal, grid-like structures and subtle melodic layers, emphasizing spatial audio design over traditional beats. The EP's release underscored Flying Lotus's evolving interest in procedural, pattern-based composition. Adopting the alias Captain Murphy—a nod to his rapping persona—Flying Lotus self-released the mixtape Duality in 2012, a 35-minute continuous piece blending abstract hip-hop with psychedelic visuals drawn from vintage footage.[64] The project explored duality in themes of identity and consciousness, with dense, sample-heavy production that masked his involvement until later reveals.[154] Accompanied by a deluxe edition featuring separated tracks and instrumentals, it marked a pivotal foray into vocal-led experimentation.[155] Most recently, the Spirit Box EP, released on Warp Records in October 2024, returned to glitch-ambient realms with eight tracks blending vaporous synths, fragmented rhythms, and subtle field recordings.[156] Described as a "light-filled" collection, it reflects Flying Lotus's ongoing fascination with ethereal, otherworldly soundscapes, marking his first major release since 2019's Flamagra.[115] The EP's limited black-and-red marble vinyl edition, tied to Record Store Day 2025, underscores its collector appeal and experimental ethos.[157]Singles and production credits
Flying Lotus has released several notable standalone singles throughout his career, often blending electronic, jazz, and hip-hop elements. One of his early breakthroughs was "Zodiac Shit" in 2010, an instrumental track from his album Cosmogramma that gained attention for its animated music video directed by Ellison himself, featuring surreal visuals inspired by the song's cosmic themes.[158] The track's innovative production, incorporating glitchy beats and ambient textures, helped solidify his reputation in the experimental electronic scene.[159] In 2014, Flying Lotus released "Never Catch Me" featuring Kendrick Lamar, a high-energy single from his album You're Dead! that showcased his ability to craft tense, jazz-infused beats for rap vocals. The track, with its rapid percussion and orchestral swells, received critical acclaim for bridging hip-hop and avant-garde jazz. Its accompanying video, directed by Hiro Murai, depicted a high-speed chase and further amplified its cultural impact.[160] As his alter ego Captain Murphy, Flying Lotus dropped the single "Between Villains" in 2013, a collaboration with Viktor Vaughn (MF DOOM) and Earl Sweatshirt produced for Adult Swim's singles series.[161] The track's dark, lo-fi aesthetic and layered rhymes over harp-like samples highlighted Ellison's rapping prowess and production versatility within underground hip-hop.[162] The collaborative single "Between Friends," featuring Earl Sweatshirt and Captain Murphy under the Brainfeeder imprint in 2013, exemplified a hybrid of Flying Lotus's beatmaking and Murphy's lyrical style, bridging electronic and hip-hop elements in a concise, introspective format.[163] In 2019, "Post Requisite" emerged as a key instrumental single from Flamagra, emphasizing Flying Lotus's signature polyrhythmic structures and melodic minimalism.[164] The piece, clocking in at just over two minutes, served as a palate cleanser amid the album's denser arrangements and was praised for its hypnotic groove. More recently, in 2024, Flying Lotus surprise-released singles "Garmonbozia" and "Ingo Swann" as part of his EP Spirit Box, marking a shift toward house-influenced rhythms with soulful undertones.[113] "Ingo Swann," in particular, drew from psychic research themes and featured bouncy basslines, reflecting his ongoing exploration of genre fusion.[165] These tracks, released via Warp Records, underscored his evolution into warmer, more accessible electronic sounds by late 2024.[166] Beyond his own releases, Flying Lotus has earned acclaim for his production work on other artists' projects, particularly in jazz and hip-hop. He fully produced Thundercat's 2011 debut album The Golden Age of Apocalypse, infusing it with cosmic jazz-funk vibes through tracks like "Daylight" and "For Love I Come."[167] This collaboration extended to Thundercat's 2013 album Apocalypse, where Ellison handled the entire production, crafting psychedelic bass-driven songs such as "Oh Sheit It's X" and "Jamboree."[168] He also co-produced key tracks on Thundercat's 2017 album Drunk, including "Them Changes," which blended funk grooves with emotional depth and earned a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Performance.[169] By 2020, their partnership continued on It Is What It Is, with Flying Lotus contributing to productions like "Black Qualls," maintaining their signature interplay of live instrumentation and electronic experimentation.[170] Flying Lotus's production credits also include high-profile hip-hop features, such as the beat for Kendrick Lamar's verse on "Never Catch Me," where his drumming patterns and string arrangements elevated the track's urgency. Earlier, in 2010, he directed the music video for Erykah Badu's "Gone Baby, Don't Be Long" from New Amerykah Part Two: Return of the Ankh, blending his visual and sonic aesthetics in a psychedelic narrative.[171] His broader discography up to 2025 encompasses over 50 production credits across albums and singles, with highlights in experimental and jazz-rap genres.[172]Filmography
As director
Flying Lotus, also known by his filmmaking alias steve, began his directorial career in the mid-2010s with experimental shorts that blended horror, surrealism, and body horror elements, often tied to his musical output. His debut short, Royal (2016), premiered at Sundance NEXT Fest and explored themes of human survival in a post-apocalyptic setting through visceral, explicit imagery.[173][174] This was followed by Skinflick (2017), a self-scored short that honors the beauty in a performer's unique skin condition through intimate close-up imagery.[175] Transitioning to longer-form work, Flying Lotus made his feature directorial debut with Kuso (2017), a psychedelic horror-comedy anthology film that premiered at Sundance and featured grotesque, animated sequences inspired by his electronic music aesthetic. In 2022, he directed the segment "Ozzy's Dungeon" for the horror anthology V/H/S/99, a satirical take on 1990s children's game shows infused with escalating terror and found-footage style.[176][134] His music video directorial credits include co-directing "Fire Is Coming" (2019) from his album Flamagra, featuring David Lynch in a nightmarish, animated collaboration with director David Firth.[98] In the 2020s, Flying Lotus expanded into science fiction with Ash (2025), his second feature film, a cosmic horror story starring Eiza González and Aaron Paul as stranded astronauts facing alien threats on a desolate planet; the film premiered at SXSW and was both directed and scored by him.[177][11] Throughout the 2010s, he also contributed to live show visuals and early animations for Adult Swim programming, including custom projections for his performances that integrated glitch art and psychedelic motifs, though these were primarily uncredited collaborative efforts.[173] No additional directorial projects were announced as of late 2025 beyond Ash's release.[177]As composer
Flying Lotus has composed original scores for several films, blending electronic textures with atmospheric sound design to enhance narrative tension and surreal elements. His debut feature film score was for Kuso (2017), a psychedelic horror anthology that he also directed, where he crafted a disorienting soundscape incorporating glitchy electronics and experimental noise alongside contributions from collaborators like Aphex Twin and Akira Yamaoka. The score's fragmented, otherworldly quality mirrored the film's grotesque vignettes set in a post-earthquake Los Angeles.[178] In 2022, Flying Lotus provided the score for the segment "Ozzy's Dungeon" in the horror anthology V/H/S/99, which he co-wrote and directed. This seven-track composition, released as Music From The Hit Game Show Ozzy's Dungeon, evoked '80s and '90s game show aesthetics with retro synths and eerie drones, satirizing children's programming while building suspense through layered electronic motifs.[179] More recently, for his 2025 science-fiction horror film Ash, which he directed and starred in alongside Eiza González and Aaron Paul, Flying Lotus delivered a synth-driven score inspired by composers like John Carpenter and Akira Yamaoka of the Silent Hill series. The 27-track soundtrack, released via Milan Records, features pulsating electronic waves and ambient horror elements that underscore the film's themes of isolation and extraterrestrial invasion.[150] Beyond films, Flying Lotus composed the full original score for the 2021 Netflix anime series Yasuke, an alternate-history tale of a Black samurai voiced by LaKeith Stanfield. Drawing from his lifelong affinity for anime and electronic soundtracks, the score fuses hip-hop beats, jazz improvisation, and synthetic orchestration to evoke feudal Japan with a futuristic edge, featuring collaborations with artists like Thundercat and Denzel Curry. The full soundtrack was released as an album on April 30, 2021, via Warp Records.[180][109] Flying Lotus's compositional contributions extend to television and experimental media, including ongoing work on Adult Swim interstitials or "bumps" since the late 2000s, where his early electronic instrumentals like "Zodiac Shit" (2010) helped define the block's quirky, psychedelic vibe. His work has also drawn inspirations from video game soundtracks, influencing unreleased projects with glitchy, immersive electronic designs reminiscent of horror titles like Silent Hill.[181][182] Over time, Flying Lotus's scoring style has evolved from dense, beat-oriented electronic compositions rooted in his hip-hop and IDM background to more hybrid forms integrating orchestral swells, live instrumentation, and cinematic synths, often reflecting his jazz lineage while adapting to visual storytelling demands.[183]Awards and nominations
Music awards
Flying Lotus has received several nominations and wins from prestigious music awards organizations, recognizing his innovative contributions to electronic, jazz, and experimental genres.Grammy Awards
- 2016 (58th Annual): Nominated for Best Dance Recording for "Never Catch Me" (featuring Kendrick Lamar)[2]
- 2016 (58th Annual): Nominated for Album of the Year for To Pimp a Butterfly (as co-producer)[13]
- 2021 (63rd Annual): Nominated for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical[2]
- 2021 (63rd Annual): Won Best Progressive R&B Album for producing Thundercat's It Is What It Is[2]
Independent Music Awards (IMA)
- 2007 (6th Annual): Won Best Electronic Album for 1983[184]
- 2007 (6th Annual): Won another category for 1983 (specific category unconfirmed in primary sources, but recognized for overall electronic innovation)[185]
- 2011 (10th Annual): Won Dance/Electronica Album for Cosmogramma
Association of Independent Music (AIM) Awards
- 2020: Won Best Independent Track for "More" (with Anderson .Paak)[186]