Subscribe

* indicates required
Okayplayer News

To continue reading

Create a free account or sign in to unlock more free articles.

By continuing, you agree to the Terms of Service and acknowledge our Privacy Policy

Flying Lotus Drops New Captain Murphy Track "Cosplay," + Talks 'You're Dead' LP Concept & Collaborations
Flying Lotus Drops New Captain Murphy Track "Cosplay," + Talks 'You're Dead' LP Concept & Collaborations

Flying Lotus Drops New Captain Murphy Track "Cosplay," + Talks 'You're Dead' LP Concept & Collaborations

Flying Lotus Drops New Captain Murphy Track "Cosplay," + Talks 'You're Dead' LP Concept & Collaborations

Flying Lotus can't and won't stop. Today he dropped another heaping portion of sonic gold on us with the release "Cosplay," Captain Murphy's contribution to the Adult Swim single series. It's a full dose of FlyLo wizardry that was initially revealed as the sonic accompaniment to a distortedly animated clip, which revealed the mystifying origins of his madcap alter ego just yesterday. While the album's no longer under covers, there's yet to be much divulged about it's conception or his star-lined roster of features. That is, of course, until now.

In a rare and candid exchange with Rolling Stone, the duplicitous bender of worldly and (at times) sadistic frequencies delves into how his upcoming piece came to transform from a hard-bop break/fusion revival project into the darkness that is his exploration of death. He explains the nature of working with legends young and old, how the album should be conceptually interpreted and precisely where that concept grew from. You can stream Captain Murphy's Adult Swim single "Cosplay" below, but scroll down to go behind the You're Dead! veil and explore the more compelling excerpts from the interview. Get the full scoop over at Rolling Stone.

On the origins of the album's thematic approach:

"It came from my frustration with a lot of the jazz stuff that's been happening in the last 20-odd years. I was just kind of frustrated with where shit was going: All this Starbucks jazz shit is just annoying to me. Me and Thundercat always sit around listening to these crazy jazz fusion albums, just bugging out like, "Man, why isn't there anything that's out like this right now?"

How that concept transformed: 

"There was just so much more to say musically. I thought, "What if we did everything we possibly could? What if I try to go as deep into this shit as I possibly could, with the resources that I have, the musicians around me? How far could I go?" You know, as my own personal exercise. More than anything, I just thought to myself, "I'd rather put something out that's completely unique than try to do something that's been done before."

On working with Herbie Hancock:

"...he was super enthusiastic and excited to do it, so it sort of gave me the confidence to push the concept musically, at least.

It was really cool for him to be in the same space as me and see my ideas come to life. Because I'm not a classically trained dude, I feel a little intimidated, naturally, when I can't tell a guy what key something's in or whatever. But it's like, "I can hum it to you, and you can understand what I'm trying to say," and I'm hearing it happen, it feels really good."

And working with Kendrick: 

"Kendrick and me, man, we had a special vibe between our chemistry. We've been trying to link up for years – I really felt shitty when I wasn't on Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City, to be honest. I really wanted to be on that album. But we really only got to know each other after it. He talked about me contributing to his new album, and I was down with that. I sent him a bunch of stuff and then I asked if he'd do something for my album, and he was super into the concept of my record and really wanted to be part of it. I was just flattered.

So yeah, it just came about sort of naturally: He came through the crib and recorded it and it was great. The funny part is, though, that he wanted to keep that shit for his album. When I first sent him the track, he was trying to convince me to give it to him. Like, "Nah, man, I need that!"