Do you have any records that you’ve been meaning to hear for ages, but just haven’t had the chance to? I do. I have, almost literally, hundreds of these albums. I thought that this site would help me out with that problem, but for every record that I cross off the list, ten seem to be added. Anyway, Flying Lotus’ Cosmograma has been on the list for a while now, but I’ll be honest, I didn’t even really know it. All I knew was that I wanted to listen to that record with the crazy eclipse artwork. Recently, Cosmograma was suggested for me, and it was only when the album had been added to my iTunes library that I realized it was that record.
Unfortunately, Cosmograma and I did not get off to the best start. This is entirely my fault, I know, but it has effected my ability to enjoy this album. See, when I first pressed play, I didn’t realize that both my iTunes and computer’s volumes were turned all the way up. The harsh bleeps and bloops of opener “Clock Catcher” should never be heard at full blast.
My ears have hurt since then, putting me in a fairly bad mood…perhaps this is one of those albums that I need to come back to. In all honesty, though, Cosmograma seems a little busy to me—there’s just way too much going on here. If you’re looking for some nice, soothing, chill-out instrumental hip-hop, turn away now. Flying Lotus layers the effects on unashamedly here, creating unnavigable jungles of noise and more noise. Even on the slower tracks, there’s just a little too much going on to make sense of. I can’t lie. I don’t get it.
Swole Ear 
Only nominally better than Flying Lizards http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FL9uSKEEF8 – and they weren’t very good.
Wow, you have no idea what you’re talking about. I pity you. Smarten up musically, Dave.
Well I get it and it’s one of my favorite albums of all time. It’s a beautiful work of art with everything working wonderfully together. You need to be able to hold more musical aspects together in your head. That’s why you don’t get it. Your mind can’t totally see how it holds together. Give it another listen. I’d suggest slowly stepping up the complexity of what you listen to.
Watch it with comments like that, you sound like a pretentious douchebag.
I mean, “You need to be able to hold more musical aspects together in your head…Your mind can’t totally see how it holds together…I’d suggest slowly stepping up the complexity of what you listen to” are some pretty dickish remarks, especially to a guy that’s listened to (and enjoyed) some pretty peculiar music over the past 300 days. I know it wasn’t your intent to be rude, and I respect you for standing up for a favorite record of yours, but you should keep in mind that not everyone will love the music that you do.
A BBC reviewer said this “Casual listeners beware: it’s going to take several months absorbing such a shape-shifting record to fully comprehend its scope. Because in constantly mutating just when you begin to pin it down, drawing everything around in before rearranging atoms before your very eyes, Cosmogramma proves itself time and time again as mind-meltingly boundless as a black hole.” When I read shit like that, I reach for my gun. It is hard to get me interested in stuff that was primarily made on a laptop. I know that the dude is Alice Coltrane’s nephew and Ravi’s first cousin and allegedly there is a free jazz thing going on here. Maybe. I don’t often pull out Giant Steps and I haven’t heard much free jazz floating out of the laundry-strewn extremities of the Alex Cave either. So how do you know what anyone else’s mind can hold together? And why aren’t you spending your days trying to fully understand Ornette Coleman if free jazz is really your bag?
,,,and finally, Who is Alex? We apparently have two posters using the same moniker on this blog. Confusing. How embarrassing for me. Apologies to Alex Chops for even suspecting he was the author of the above posts. He apparently also lives in the Flying Lotus hating village.
I never pass on an opportunity to quote renaissance theologian Rodney King: “Can’t we all just get along.” You people are harshing my Swoleear mellow. Cut it out.
The holidays are just hard on some people. Probably has to do with the pervasive Christmas music. Alex will feel better. Many have tried to explain his holiday moodiness. It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight. Or it could be that his head wasn’t screwed on just right. But I think that the most likely reason of all… may have been that his heart was two sizes too small. But, whatever the reason, his heart or his shoes, he stood there on Christmas Eve hating the Flying Lotus haters. Staring down from his cave, with a sour grinchy frown, at the warm, lighted windows below in their town.
Happy Holidays All!
Alex C here. Just clarifying that that wasn’t me earlier, and that if I’m going to diss my own dad on the internet it’ll be a lot funnier than that. Also, I don’t like Flying Lotus.
I need a more distinctive name. Dad, this whole thing is pretty much your fault when you look at the whole picture and see how it holds together.