The Spiritual Journey That Was Flying Lotus 3D
An immersive journey that didn’t stop for anything, peaking into every crevice of the world renowned artist’s mind.
As I eagerly waited outside the Enmore theatre, among a diverse crowd, a tall guy with dreads, a chunky necklace and an infectious smile on his face wandered up and down the street. It was the man himself, American record producer, rapper, DJ, and film maker, Flying Lotus.
Upon entering the theatre we were treated to the novelty of a pair of olive green 3D glasses. These cheap pieces of plastic soon became the audience’s vault into Flying Lotus’ spiritual realm.
The show began with a screening titled ‘Child of the void’ which presented a creepy yet powerful representation of a twisted society. Children dressed in furry bear like costumes were pictured fighting and screaming in a rusty cabin. A stiff wolf like character appears on screen, who is later revealed to be American film maker David Lynch. As the the film phases out, David repeats the notorious and eerily relevant phrase,
A fire is coming.
Peep the creative masterpiece below.
After the film, we saw more creative content as Lotus payed homage to iconic record producer and DJ Ras G, with a touching compilation of home video style clips.
The screen then began to glitch as we were given our first order for the evening.
As my eyes haven’t been treated to a 3D experience since the blue and red glasses phase hit cinemas and Spy Kids was the next best thing, I admittedly wasn't sure what to think of the concept of a 3D live music set.
While at times the 3D graphics teetered on gimmicky, Fly Lo’s dynamic stage presence injected an insane level of spiritual energy into the crowd, ensuring that the performance remained immersive and unique.
Despite the fact that the artist has an abundance of well loved tracks under his belt, the performance was so much more than just his top hits. Unlike a regular live show, it was impossible to identify an exact set list.
The set presented an alternate reality, encompassing a vast range of samples, including an abundance of unreleased music. Songs had no prominent beginning or end. At one point we even heard Soulja Boy mixed among the layers of sound. Fly Lo utilised breathtaking graphics, movement and textured sounds to create a mesmeric experience like no other.
As he stood behind a wooden throne-like structure, Fly Lo moved to the beat of his own religion, stimulating senses and provoking thought.
Effortless synchronisation among sound and sight transported the audience into the mind of the creator, as the movement of the graphics alluded to Lotus’ thought process behind the textured sounds he chose to play.
In an intimate moment, as iridescent blue lights twinkled among the crowd, it was as if we were watching the artist’s cells as they moved through his body to the beat of the music. Or maybe it was as if we had been transformed into an alternate outer-space universe as we floated into the abyss.
The performance captivated the minds of its audience, eliminating distractions and evoking a therapeutic experience. The immersive nature of the show allowed for Fly Lo’s engaged audience to manifest their own life experiences and emotions into the what they were seeing and hearing.
It was as if every aspect was up for individual interpretation and no thought was off limits. Nods to an apocalyptic world which reverted back to caveman style living accompanied by futuristic bass, the prevalent theme of fire and a moment of winding between tall gum trees, drifted my mind to the recent Australian bushfire crisis and the pressing need for climate action.
The thought that each individual among the crowd experienced their own stimulation of emotions and experiences while interrupting the graphics and sound is an influential concept. It’s one that holds the power to revolutionise the live music industry and how one may perceive a live performance in the future.
The beginning of the set entailed transcendent layers of futuristic melodic beats, moments of suspense, and deeper basslines. Here, Fly Lo channeled more of a techno concentrated beat, enhanced by psychedelic, trance like sounds. This allowed the mind to drift into the unknown as the music controlled my thoughts.
As the set progressed, we were treated to a transition toward textured layers of old-school hip-hop beats and faster synthesises. This created a nostalgic disco vibe, energising the crowd up and seeing more movement among the audience.
While the set was rarely silent, softer beats between transitions and moments of low volume made for crowd out roars of pure appreciation and awe.
The textures of the sound were layered so deeply that it became simply impossible to describe exactly what was heard or pin-point his set to a specific genre or label. Flying Lotus does not play by the rules, he presents an immersive blend of a range of genres that usually would never share the same stage. This evoked an unforgettable, one of a kind experience.
While the performance presented so much more than just lyrics to sing along to, when Fly Lo dropped his iconic track More ft. Anderson .Paak , it was something truly special. Accompanied by graphics of Paak in the form of a robot, the tune set the crowd into a frenzy.
But Paak wasn't the only one to feature. Lotus payed tribute to his lost friend, the late, great Mac Miller, by dropping his unrealised verse of the song. This moment was surreal.
It wasn't until close to the end of the set when the music paused. By this time, I felt connected to the artist on a spiritual level and the thought of hearing what he had to say was enticing.
What i had found to be a unique and almost comical sight, a room full of people wearing plastic glasses with their eyes glued to the stage, Fly Lo described as a room full of ‘beautiful people in beautiful glasses’.
“Remember this moment cause it will come back to haunt you very soon” he said as he hyped up the engaged audience. Ironically, the moment has already come back to haunt me as I have spent hours trying to put into words just how astonishing and unique his performance truly was.
He was self assured, confident and extremely proud of the experience he had presented. His use of language was funny and relatable. “I’m super jealous cos I wish I could see this shit, I hear its cool” he said with a grin on his face. He then took a pair of glasses from a guy in the crowd so he could watch the visuals for himself. It’s safe to say he was impressed.
Energetically, he opened up a dance circle among the crowd and then cheekily announced that his love for us was conditional from here on in, and dependent on whether or not we danced to his final song.
The energy was high and the vibes were off the charts as we all enjoyed one last tune from the legendary artist. He closed the set with crowd favourite Do the Astral Plane.
During the final minutes of the song, an enthusiastic audience member jumped on stage and began dancing wildly to the beat of the music. As security hustled to kick him off, Fly Lo interrupted by shooing them away with his hand, allowing the guy to continue grooving. The pair shared an intimate moment on stage as they danced together, hugged and laughed. It was an incredible spectacle to watch.
After the show I managed to spot the guy wandering aimlessly outside the Enmore. “Was that planned?” I asked him. “I saw you come from the crowd but the way you moved on stage made me feel as if it was meant to be.”
“Physically it was not planned, but spiritually it was”.
He went on to explain that he was Flying Lotus’ biggest fan, and earlier that night he waited for hours outside the theatre waiting for him to make an appearance. In the end he managed to catch Fly Lo and spent a while chatting to him before the show.
While our conversation was brief and I had only just met the dude, it was clear that Flying Lotus had a great impact on his perspective. This conversation reflected a clear indication of the artist’s influence in the industry.
Fly Lo transported his audience to an alternate universe, rejecting societal norms and pre conceived expectations. We saw blurred genres, textured sounds and immersive graphics that often had no clear meaning or purpose.
This allowed for the mind to run wild. As if I was experiencing a piece of art in a gallery, the show was unlike any other set I have ever witnessed.
