Various

Brainfeeder X

In the decade that Flying Lotus’s Brainfeeder label has been operational, it’s become a hub for the wild and obscure, the experimental and the weird, for any type of beat music that defies categorization and classification. For its tenth anniversary, Brainfeeder has released a 36-track compilation celebrating the label’s past, present and future contributions, while featuring 22 new tracks from its roster. If you’re a fan of Flying Lotus and his extended family, Brainfeeder X is an early holiday gift.

In ten years, the label has amassed some of the biggest names in L. A.’s underground scene and beyond, and it’s easy to see just how curated its roster is when presented in a longform compilation. If you’re familiar with the label’s catalogue, you’ll know a lot of the work is situated around lo-fi, jazz-infused, experimental electronic with pockets of frenetic, unrestrained releases like Iglooghost and DJ Paypal (both featured here). This compilation delivers on all fronts, dropping in the melancholic with Tokimonsta and Miguel Baptista Benedict, the glitchy downtempo of Lapalux, the funk infusions of Thundercat and Georgia Anne Muldrow, the experimental house of Mr. Oizo and Ross From Friends, and of course new cuts from Flying Lotus himself. Though we’re still waiting on a new album, Brainfeeder X does offer up “Ain’t No Coming Back” featuring Busdriver, instantly recognizable as the opening number in FlyLo’s first feature-length film, Kuso. Do yourself a favour and pick this up immediately. (Brainfeeder)