For fans of electronic music looking to explore the more abstract, experimental leanings of the genre, Flying Lotus is often a natural (or even inevitable) pitstop of your journey. Steven B. Bingley-Ellison’s catalogue is a masterclass in sonic evolution, with the futuristic soundscapes of ‘Cosmogramma,’ the spiritual wonderings of ‘Flamagra’ and everything surrounding and in-between venturing further into psychedelia than most of his contemporaries would dare. It’s disconcerting, then, to see latest EP ‘Spirit Box’ abandon that sound completely as we see Flying Lotus dive headfirst into the role of a more conventional producer. Whether you would call the release ‘accessible’ or ‘unadventurous’ is simply a matter of taste: for us, ‘Spirit Box’ feels more like a stopgap release than a bold new creative direction, and that general feeling of impermanence haunts every aspect of the EP.

‘Spirit Box’ begins and ends its five-track run with its most dance-centric tracks ‘Ajhussi’ and ‘Ingo Swann,’ setting the entire listen against the backdrop of the dim coloured lights of its cover. From the bombastic spacey synths that open the EP, Flying Lotus is shooting straight for the modern club scene, praying from behind the mixing board that the songs pick up steam there. It’s not hard to see how they could, as Bingley-Ellison is still an undeniably phenomenal producer. ’Ajhussi’ layers repeated vocal snippets against crisp drum loops and washed out guitars to create its central groove, and each of these timbres has been dialled in to perfection— as with any of his work, ‘Spirit Box’ is best enjoyed through headphones as each new sound, like the low melodic synths that creep in towards the middle of the track, finds its perfect place in the arrangement. Much the same praise could be given to ‘Ingo Swann,’ although the closer features a much more upbeat mood to go out on.

There’s only so much polish you can pile on a shaky foundation though: as the adage goes, “you can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig.” Such a comment would be too harsh to apply to ‘Spirit Box,’ certainly, but the point stands that these tracks lack the songwriting to excel past their surface-level charm. With a noticeable lack of hooks, or even significant progression, in these two tracks, the songs fade from memory shockingly fast, leaving very little incentive to revisit them: rather, cuts like ‘Ingo Swann’ are enjoyable while they're on, but lack the staying power to become a real favourite.

The remaining three tracks across the EP have a leg up on these two in terms of memorability, as Flying Lotus leans in a more R&B direction featuring lead vocals from himself, Dawn Richard and Sid Sriram. It’s a mixed bag. Lead single ‘Garmonbozia’ is undoubtedly the standout, with its throbbing bass and serene synth arpeggios creating a driving, unrelenting push for the finish— Bingley-Ellison isn’t the most confident vocalist, but he sells the track well, peddling lyrics about a sexual relationship with a muted but noticeable swagger. 

The following ‘Let Me Cook’ attempts a similar effect, but comes across as much rougher around the edges overall as Flying Lotus arguably struggles to go so far outside his wheelhouse (and, ironically enough, so far inside the realm of popular music). The track’s whimsical instrumentation, utilising a shaker overtop an interesting descending acoustic guitar line and sweet piano chords, is generally charming, but proves to be a mismatch with the EP’s glossy production. More jarring, however, are Richard’s vocals, which smother the arrangement completely and spout cringe-worthy lyrics about attracting a partner. A similar criticism applies to ‘The Lost Girls,’ though that track can hardly be criticised for its lyrics as Sriram’s lack of intonation make them almost completely unintelligible. The song’s arrangement isn’t even particularly intrepid either, and the cut winds up as the least interesting or replayable as a result.

It’s thoroughly disappointing to review an artist as creative and adventurous as Flying Lotus and, ultimately, have so little to say. Bingley-Ellison is certainly in his element behind the mixing desk here, dialling in a host of satisfying sounds that elevate the club-centric cuts significantly. There’s not all to much wrong here, aside from some downfalls with the R&B arrangements— rather, ‘Spirit Box’ winds up feeling somewhat pointless, especially as Flying Lotus has already confirmed he’ll be returning to his psychedelic leanings soon. When he does, this EP will likely fade into the background, and despite its glossy presentation, it won’t break our hearts to see it go.