The LA beat scene has been undergoing a quiet underground resurgence of late, since the likes of Flying Lotus et. al made their indelible mark on the musical landscape some few years prior. Producer ELOS steps up to deliver his debut EP Flying Sky Fortress, a collection of 7 stoned cuts of stumbling beats, pulsing basslines, a stripped back instrumentation, allowing the smoke to billow through.
The minimal stomp of “DunDeals” begins what is essentially a very laidback affair; each piece here swaggers with its own intentions, and is never in a hurry to deliver each sliding synth line. “Shroot” continues in much the same fashion, its skewed beats offset the talking synth lines just enough to make the track itself sound drunk. The dead simplicity of the beats is incredibly deceptive. Each component is slightly off time with the next, however each fits together in its own time, never stumbling but always askew, like a house teetering on the brink of collapse. “Handle the Ill” is another prime example, as the hihats both push and lag around the beat, coming in early and late, creating real motion inside the beat itself. Title piece “Flying Sky Fortress” slides it’s synths back and forth across an icy surface, with the bass lurking menacingly underneath. “DunDeals (Part 2)” uses the same sonic genetics as its predecessor, but carves them together in a whole new way, leaving out the kick an favour of rhythmically swelling the volume to provide momentum. “Airliner’s Patio” shows us again how ELOS prefers such a stripped back production style. A bassline, kick, claps and a lead synth are all that are employed here, yet by shuffling them around sufficiently enough as to not get tired. Closer “Trillwave” returns to the organ, holding trembling chords over lazy plucks and off kilter claps. The whole piece eventually sinks in pitch like a cartoon boat disappearing into a neon sea.
This title adds another fine feather in the LA beats community’s well-plumed hat. However, before taking a place amidst other more high profile artists, ELOS needs to deviate in sound and structure a little. While relying perhaps on the same ingredients, gradually introduce contrasting textures and moods. Perhaps even if 2 tracks were left off this EP, it would make a very neat taster for an emerging talent. But throughout its length, repetitious use of the same sounds and styles begins to weigh this release down. Still, certainly an artist to watch.
Nick Giles
