Review Summary: From under the soot and onto the rainbow....
Flying Lotus has had an exceptionally busy life since his last LP
Flamagra was released. Balancing multiple collab projects and soundtracking, running his label Brainfeeder, and notably continuing his childhood dream of becoming a filmmaker with the production and release of Ash, a visually intense sci-fi horror in which he also scored and it’s a wonder the man has any creative juices left. Coming up for air after the years long movie making process and free of union negotiations, timelines, or mediating disputes, Flylo craved an artistic release that was borne completely of himself.
Big Mama is largely influenced by Flylo’s love of cartoons (if the Tartakovsky inspired album art didn’t give it away) and he wanted to create something that felt human in an environment of sterile AI generated “perfection.” He simplified his setup to a laptop and controller, turned on Ren and Stimpy, and in
Big Mama gives us……pretty much Iglooghost.
Now this reductivism isn’t meant to be dismissive, Iglooghost via Flying Lotus is an interesting premise considering the man’s historically dense themes and meticulously paced tracks. There are additional elements of Anamanaguchi and VGM baked in
Big Mama that all together immediately separate the EP from anything Flylo has done in the past. As soon as it starts,
Big Mama explodes with color before “Captain Kernel” really showcases Flylo’s take on wonky bass and flamboyant IDM. The song’s microtonal beats marry wonderfully with the sprawling melodies that dazzle with complexity and personality. The personality being a theme that will run throughout
Big Mama. At only 7 tracks and 13 mins, the EP has the presence and execution of an offering thrice that. “In The Forest- Day” leans heavily into the VGM influence by channeling sounds reminiscent of battle music from Undertale. “Horse Nuke” serves as the final true song on
Big Mama and wraps up the offering nicely with a tense melody buttressed by the sheer amount of notes present and the frenetic pacing and intricacy of the back beat.
Big Mama is not a fleshed out offering, and it’s not meant to be. It serves as a form of catharsis for Flying Lotus after operating in the suffocating environment of Ash for years. These are simply ideas, a couple that resemble songs, a couple that resemble interludes, that hopefully signal a return to dedicated musicianship for the artist in the near future. Its vibrancy and warmth is as pronounced as it is well executed, and for those who can forget the mystique of Flying Lotus for a minute and appreciate what he’s trying here, you might find yourself dazzled.
