Flying Lotus – Until the Quiet Comes

If Cosmogramma was the sound of Flying Lotus coming of age, making a statement of intent that would define the approach and philosophy not just of his Brainfeeder label, but of the Los Angeles beat scene as a whole, then Until The Quiet Comes is its more muted, effortlessly cool twin. Rather than another sprawling, psychedelic journey, Quiet... is a collection of songs and sketches. The vocal cuts throughout are superb, with FlyLo's beats never overshadowing the song or the performance, while remaining as complex and multi-layered as always.

Thom Yorke's vocal on Electric Candyman sounds like R&B trapped through the looking glass. DMT Song, featuring Thundercat, recalls 1950s advertising jingles and 60s surf-pop projected through hallucinogenic filters, while Erykah Badu is submerged under aquatic reverb and splashy jazz cymbals on See Thru to U. Not as spectacular as its predecessor, but perhaps more accessible, and deeply satisfying. [Bram E Gieben]