Forged on the streets of Los Angeles, and with a musical heritage in the family, DJ and producer Flying Lotus is changing the face of hip-hop the world over and delivering experimental sounds the likes of which nobody else can touch. The great nephew of Alice Coltrane, FlyLo, born Steven Ellison, first got his start making beats for Adult Swim before venturing out under his own moniker to fuse jazz and techno, along with other opposites of the musical spectrum, to brilliant effect. Often compared to the likes of J Dilla and Madlib, FlyLo is a bit like the Brian Eno of hip-hop, a pioneer in his genre. Renowned for his avant-garde style and atmospheric manipulations, Flying Lotus crafted together his most ambitious album to date with last year’s Cosmogramma, an album hyped as a space opera upon its release and acclaimed in its boundless aesthetics. As a DJ, FlyLo has a fluid and seemingly instinctive imagination, leading to unforgettable live sets that become one of a kind performances. With brilliant textures and maddening beats, Flying Lotus is not to be missed. CHARLES SWANSON