Do the Astral Plane
Flying Lotus
"Do the Astral Plane" is the rare track that sounds genuinely joyful without sacrificing depth — Flying Lotus achieving a kind of ecstatic lightness that never tips into superficiality. The production bounces on a rubbery, elastic bassline while synth textures bloom and scatter overhead like bioluminescent particles disturbed in dark water. The drums are playful and slightly off-kilter, landing in unexpected places with a looseness that keeps the groove perpetually surprising. The overall texture is kaleidoscopic — layers arriving and departing without announcement, the arrangement in constant gentle motion. Emotionally, the track evokes liberation, specifically the particular freedom of leaving the body behind and moving through space without friction. The vocal samples and spoken phrases scattered through the mix add a communal, almost ritualistic dimension, as if the astral plane is a shared destination rather than a private one. It belongs to the tradition of cosmic jazz reimagined through electronic production — Sun Ra by way of Brainfeeder, spirituality expressed as groove rather than gravity. This is music for movement, for dancing alone in the dark with your eyes closed, for that specific late-night hour when ordinary reality feels thin and permeable and something larger seems briefly accessible.
medium
2010s
kaleidoscopic, bright, elastic
Los Angeles Brainfeeder, cosmic jazz tradition
Electronic. cosmic jazz-electronic / Brainfeeder. euphoric, playful. Begins in elastic playful liberation and builds toward communal ecstasy, sustaining lightness without ever tipping into superficiality.. energy 7. medium. danceability 7. valence 8. vocals: scattered vocal samples, communal, ritualistic, minimal. production: rubbery elastic bassline, blooming synth textures, off-kilter drums, layered electronics. texture: kaleidoscopic, bright, elastic. acousticness 1. era: 2010s. Los Angeles Brainfeeder, cosmic jazz tradition. Dancing alone in the dark with eyes closed at the late-night hour when ordinary reality feels briefly permeable.