In the visual spectacle war that is the music industry, experimental multi-genre music producer, electronic musician and Los Angeles-based DJ Flying Lotus stakes his claim once again with a new 3D tour.
Making his stop at Echostage on Nov. 5, Fly Lo, a true renaissance man, played a tight set of music that he’s created for other artists and himself. The set ran for exactly an hour, likely due to the effort required to create the stunning, trippy, 3D visuals that accompanied the music.
The set was primarily full of moody, nocturnal tracks that had lots of electronic embellishments. Shifts in the instrumentation would set off dramatic visuals on the board behind Fly Lo. He even did a few cuts from his rapper alter-ego, Captain Murphy, pushing him out from behind his booth and toward the front of the stage.
These songs easily got some of the biggest reactions of the night. However, they were moments where both the musical and visual moments were equally engaging. Ultimately, Fly Lo’s song selection did little to spark the crowd’s enthusiasm or excitement, despite his inclusion of some fan favorite Kendrick Lamar collaborations .
Sure, the transitions between the tracks were impeccable. However, outside of a few cuts that appeared on projects with Kendrick Lamar, there just wasn’t all that much for people looking to get loose to enjoy. The show consistently forced you to choose between standing still (to make sure you got the full range of effects with your 3D glasses), paying close attention to the experimental and glitchy beats, and trying to groove.
While it is as clear as ever that Fly Lo has a good sense of where the most interesting rap, electronic and experimental music is going, it is also just as apparent that the technology is not quite there to make a 3D concert worth going to see.
