[1975 David Bowie voice] FLAME FLAME Flame flame flame
[1975 David Bowie voice] FLAME FLAME Flame flame flame Renata Raksha

Flying Lotus feat. David Lynch, “Fire Is Coming” (Warp)

“Fire Is Coming” lands on the digital mediascape ahead of Flying Lotus‘ new album, Flamagra (out May 24), like an ad for how much entertainment-biz clout the artist also known as Steven Ellison now wields. Cameo by the David Lynch in thespian mode? Check. Co-direction of the video by British animation wizard David Firth? Check. But how’s the music?

Well, to be frank, this is an odd choice for a first single. Running three-and-a-half minutes, “Fire Is Coming” is dominated by cinematic headfuckery: disconcerting Foley sounds, understatedly chilling ambience, and Lynch’s monologue about “Tommy” and his parents witnessing strange phenomena, including an oncoming inferno. For a Flying Lotus joint, there are very few beats. They don’t enter till 2:50 into the track, but they’re exciting. Instead, FlyLo forges horror-film sonic events that push the right buttons to trigger your adrenal glands and tighten your sphincter. Not sure radio’s gonna touch this, but Ellison surely doesn’t give a fuck. In a press release, he discussed Flamagra‘s concept: “I’d always had this thematic idea in mind—a lingering concept about fire, an eternal flame sitting on a hill. Some people love it, some people hate it. Some people would go on dates there and some people would burn love letters in the fire.” Check out “Fire Is Coming” below.

Flying Lotus Flamagra (WARP)
1. Heroes
2. Post Requisite
3. Heroes In A Half Shell
4. More feat. Anderson .Paak
5. Capillaries
6. Burning Down The House feat. George Clinton
7. Spontaneous feat. Little Dragon
8. Takashi
9. Pilgrim Side Eye
10. All Spies
11. Yellow Belly feat. Tierra Whack
12. Black Balloons Reprise feat. Denzel Curry
13. Fire Is Coming feat. David Lynch
14. Inside Your Home
15. Actually Virtual feat. Shabazz Palaces
16. Andromeda
17. Remind U
18. Say Something
19. Debbie Is Depressed
20. Find Your Own Way Home
21. The Climb feat. Thundercat
22. Pygmy
23. 9 Carrots feat. Toro y Moi
24. FF4
25. Land Of Honey feat. Solange
26. Thank U Malcolm
27. Hot Oct.

Dave Segal is a journalist and DJ living in Seattle. He has been writing about music since 1983. His stuff has appeared in Gale Research’s literary criticism series of reference books, Creem (when...