You're Dead!
by Flying Lotus
  • Record Label: Warp
  • Release Date: Oct 7, 2014
User Score
8.5

Universal acclaim- based on 213 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 196 out of 213
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 213
  3. Negative: 12 out of 213
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  1. BlakkkSteel
    Oct 8, 2014
    10
    Hip Hop and Electronic Music and some Jazz, all in the PERFECT blend. This is a must listen album to anyone interested in experimental sounds. Most experimental albums don't hit 9/10 for me, much less 10/10.
  2. PaperbagWriter
    Oct 8, 2014
    10
    Hands down my favorite album this year and my favorite FlyLo album. Everything about this album is perfect. Only complaint is on Warp/Bleep's side, charging 100$ for a Deluxe edition that is really not that great. The album flows absolutely perfectly and has a lot of live/real instrumentation compared to his previous albums which I loved.
  3. diegokobe
    Oct 7, 2014
    10
    On this album FlyLo manages to take Jazz, Hip Hop and Electronics, mix it with some of his own secret ingredients and produce such an awesome sound, together with Thundecat. I think that finally a real blend of modern styles has been accomplished. 'Never Catch me' shows that the african rhythms that inspired spirituals/jazz/hiphop/salsa/etc are still present and fresh in the flow thatOn this album FlyLo manages to take Jazz, Hip Hop and Electronics, mix it with some of his own secret ingredients and produce such an awesome sound, together with Thundecat. I think that finally a real blend of modern styles has been accomplished. 'Never Catch me' shows that the african rhythms that inspired spirituals/jazz/hiphop/salsa/etc are still present and fresh in the flow that Kendrick uses, and throughout the album. Thundercat does an amazing job on the bass, he drops the hottest bass licks of the year, together with some nice harmonies that make up for an ethereal sound. Album closer "The Protest" dives into eternity like going to the sea with the Elves. The harmonic complexity and jazz chops of erratic post-bebop make it an enjoyable trip because it takes out the "slowness" of jazz construction , that isn't necessarily bad but on modern times it is important to keep the listeners attention because one-click and they are listening to another album. It's that idea of keeping fresh every 15 seconds that overwhelms the fact that this is a hard-to-get-into album and that there is only one catchy phrase all along ("Sa you will never ever catch me, no") , and still destroying pop-structure it finds its way into new listeners of his and makes people talk about it, and thats the magic of "You're Dead!". If future is fair with FlyLo, this will be regarded as one of musics finest examples and a push-forward to the whole art. Hope his next record blends this with contemporary orchestral music, reggaeton/salsa/southamerican music, peruvian rhythms like landó, african fela-style, etc or that other artists continue this leap forward.… Expand
  4. MyNamesCody
    Oct 7, 2014
    9
    One of his best projects yet. There is definitely a more jazzy feel to the album, but in traditional FlyLo form. Every song sticks with you in a way thats familiar with his other songs, but for some reason different. I've been listening to this album since the leak and I still cant quite get a finger on it...but I know I love it. Also, I'm planning on buying the vinyl :)
  5. calvinkurniawan
    Oct 27, 2014
    9
    Flying Lotus "You're Dead" is by far (and most likely) my favorite album of the year. The production, the X factor that makes this album "A" piece of work from start to finish, and the way every guest appearances fit perfectly into this masterpiece... I know it's way too early to say this, but this album has a really high potential to be one of the most influential albums of the decades.Flying Lotus "You're Dead" is by far (and most likely) my favorite album of the year. The production, the X factor that makes this album "A" piece of work from start to finish, and the way every guest appearances fit perfectly into this masterpiece... I know it's way too early to say this, but this album has a really high potential to be one of the most influential albums of the decades. (Up there with Radiohead's Kid A, or even Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of The Moon). I wish this record would eventually become a platinum-selling album. 9.3/10… Expand
  6. rubenseaton
    Nov 2, 2014
    9
    This album is practically bursting at the seams with ideas; all bouncing off each other and desperately, restlessly, trying to jump out. It's brave, it's bold, it's complex, and above all, it's confident. Flying Lotus pulls you in and drags you under a lake of emphatic and enraptured concepts that just burn with the wonder of both jazz and hip-hop. The title of this album may be 'You'reThis album is practically bursting at the seams with ideas; all bouncing off each other and desperately, restlessly, trying to jump out. It's brave, it's bold, it's complex, and above all, it's confident. Flying Lotus pulls you in and drags you under a lake of emphatic and enraptured concepts that just burn with the wonder of both jazz and hip-hop. The title of this album may be 'You're Dead', but really, FlyLo just pushes you to be more alive.… Expand
  7. meangene
    Nov 20, 2014
    2
    Really challenges the listener to pretend to like it!

    Kendrick Lamar song is good, but too many tracks that are just impossible to listen to, unless you are into weird jazz
  8. Redzomby
    Jan 19, 2015
    2
    The Emperors New Clothes springs to mind. Absolutely awful. Howard Moon would love it. I have enjoyed some of his earlier work but have found this impossible to like after multiple listens. Its too frantic.
  9. cpfeiffer
    Apr 16, 2017
    10
    The genre bending mastery of FlyLo is displayed in this "Enter the Void", psychedelic look at death. FlyLo's electronic/hip hop/jazz fusion is artfully shown on "Never Catch Me", "Moment of Hesitation", and "Turkey Dog Coma" while the hypnotic, psychedelic atmospheres of "Theme", "Coronous, the Terminator", "The Boys Who Died etc." and "The Protest" take the user to an odd headspaceThe genre bending mastery of FlyLo is displayed in this "Enter the Void", psychedelic look at death. FlyLo's electronic/hip hop/jazz fusion is artfully shown on "Never Catch Me", "Moment of Hesitation", and "Turkey Dog Coma" while the hypnotic, psychedelic atmospheres of "Theme", "Coronous, the Terminator", "The Boys Who Died etc." and "The Protest" take the user to an odd headspace never heard before. FlyLo pushes the boundaries of genres while taking us on a tour of his perspective of life, death, and psychedelia. The album's influence can be seen in the direction of Kendrick Lamar's "To Pimp a Butterfly" (with production and inspiration from FlyLo and Thundercat). If you enjoy odd, psychedelic, electronic headphone music and are willing to suspend belief for the short 38mins, this is for you.… Expand
  10. L0UI5
    Apr 15, 2018
    9
    9/10.......................................................................
  11. jyo_tirmaya
    Nov 12, 2014
    9
    Going from one gorgeous segue into another, one feels the all-encompassing feature of this album even though it takes different genres. My only complaint is that it wasn't about 10 or 15 minutes longer. I'm sure that their great-aunt Alice Coltrane is proud of them!
  12. brockcheese
    Sep 25, 2015
    9
    Wow. This is easily my favorite Flying Lotus record. He's finally confronting the absurdity and hilarity that death deserves featuring great guest vocals along the way.
  13. Muddsjr
    Oct 27, 2014
    8
    Your Dead! is a mind-bending,extravagant, journey of complex, brief and genre blending music that should definitely make some mark in this years most creative and out-there albums.
  14. ultraviolenmilk
    Nov 13, 2014
    8
    Ku mund të fillojë ? Kjo është një ferr i një album ! Përzierja e hip hop dhe elektronike nuk ka qenë kurrë kaq të kënaqshme për të dëgjuar . Albumi i madh me të meta të vogla harrueshëm .

    8/10
    e rekomanduar
  15. alecvl08
    Jan 22, 2015
    8
    I like that album has a concept, which I assume is death. The first few tracks illustrate this perfectly. I think Cold Dead is the impact (ex. the accident that kills you), and Never Catch Me is the ascension to the afterlife or the spiritual journey. However, the story gets lost after that. That's the only problem with this album. It doesn't produce solid tracks consistently. Otherwise,I like that album has a concept, which I assume is death. The first few tracks illustrate this perfectly. I think Cold Dead is the impact (ex. the accident that kills you), and Never Catch Me is the ascension to the afterlife or the spiritual journey. However, the story gets lost after that. That's the only problem with this album. It doesn't produce solid tracks consistently. Otherwise, awesome album and the second best in Fly Lo's discography after Los Angeles.… Expand
  16. GumboGambit007
    Dec 7, 2014
    10
    Throughout Flying Lotus' career, he has expertly toe'd the line between precise compositions and noisy cacophony. I've always walked away trying to decide if he is a genius or a 6 year-old on a computer, throwing sound effects together. Though his sound is consistent, it's always remained an acquired taste, eloquently stitching together hip-hop, jazz and oddly nostalgic video game sounds.Throughout Flying Lotus' career, he has expertly toe'd the line between precise compositions and noisy cacophony. I've always walked away trying to decide if he is a genius or a 6 year-old on a computer, throwing sound effects together. Though his sound is consistent, it's always remained an acquired taste, eloquently stitching together hip-hop, jazz and oddly nostalgic video game sounds.
    This album marks his coming of age.
    While there's always been a method behind the madness, "You're Dead" gives the listener a peak into it.
    Within FlyLo's context, this album shows a certain accessibility while still maintaining his artist integrity. The rhythms are much more polished with some beats actually landing on the on-beat which has always been a rarity in favor of his jazz history. Don't make the mistake of thinking that he stuffed them away though. He's simply made his roots evident in his leaves instead. This album is spilling over with melodies and jazzy runs that make his background ever-present while taking it easier on our rhythm-dependent ears.
    Some of the, at times, overwhelming sound effects were kept at bay, this time around, using them primarily as accentual flourishes instead of the music's focus. Instead his kept our ears focused on the beautiful instrumental runs as well as the occasional rap from several collaborators, including Snoop Dogg.

    Flying Lotus gives the impression this year that he's not only sticking to a signature sound but that he has mastered it.    … Expand
  17. GHarrison
    Mar 19, 2015
    9
    A terrific blend of jazz fusion and hip-hop, Flying Lotus has created what I think is the best record of 2014 and one of the best records of the decade so far. Although clocking in at a short 38:15 it has more nuance within than your conventional album twisting and turning down the psychedelic path it forges, with amazingly exciting drumming provided alongside, whilst staying well clear ofA terrific blend of jazz fusion and hip-hop, Flying Lotus has created what I think is the best record of 2014 and one of the best records of the decade so far. Although clocking in at a short 38:15 it has more nuance within than your conventional album twisting and turning down the psychedelic path it forges, with amazingly exciting drumming provided alongside, whilst staying well clear of any self-indulgent territory which he could of been dragged into. It is an album which flows together beautifully and naturally, a record that is greater than the sum of its parts and is best listened to, like all great albums from start to finish, preferably with headphones in the dark.… Expand
  18. euanfraser
    Nov 5, 2019
    9
    Electronic, psychedelic-jazz... Let that sink in. If that doesn't intrigue you, I don't know what will. 'You're Dead!' is by far one of the greatest records of its decade. The entire experience does not fail to impress and is perfect for a car ride home or deep listening at home. Every sound seems so delicately crafted together into compositions that are out of this world. I would say thatElectronic, psychedelic-jazz... Let that sink in. If that doesn't intrigue you, I don't know what will. 'You're Dead!' is by far one of the greatest records of its decade. The entire experience does not fail to impress and is perfect for a car ride home or deep listening at home. Every sound seems so delicately crafted together into compositions that are out of this world. I would say that the only thing lacking on this album is the two tracks; 'Descent Into Madness' and 'The Boys Who Died In Their Sleep'. These two tracks are not bad, they're just a bit off-putting compared to the excellence of the rest of the album. My favourite tracks would have to be 'Dead Man's Tetris' and 'Ready err Not'. Overall, this album is definitely something I will continue to listen to for the rest of my life.… Expand
  19. All_ButTrU4
    Aug 25, 2022
    8
    FlyLo manages to take Jazz, Hip Hop and Electronics, mix it with some of his own secret ingredients and produce such an awesome sound, together with Thundecat. I think that finally a real blend of modern styles has been accomplished. This album is practically bursting at the seams with ideas; all bouncing off each other and desperately, restlessly, trying to jump out. It's brave, it'sFlyLo manages to take Jazz, Hip Hop and Electronics, mix it with some of his own secret ingredients and produce such an awesome sound, together with Thundecat. I think that finally a real blend of modern styles has been accomplished. This album is practically bursting at the seams with ideas; all bouncing off each other and desperately, restlessly, trying to jump out. It's brave, it's bold, it's complex, and above all, it's confident. Flying Lotus pulls you in and drags you under a lake of emphatic and enraptured concepts that just burn with the wonder of both jazz and hip-hop. The title of this album may be 'You're Dead', but really, FlyLo just pushes you to be more alive.… Expand
  20. clem666
    Sep 27, 2022
    5
    Flying Lotus surely offers us here a tasteful mix of raw hip-hop, electro and jazz fusion. I guess the incredible surprise of the release of this album is that FlyLo is almost the only artist to play in this highly particular playground and create songs that are as weird as they are experimental. Basically there is no one to be compared to. So that makes him the greatest by default.

    I    Flying Lotus surely offers us here a tasteful mix of raw hip-hop, electro and jazz fusion. I guess the incredible surprise of the release of this album is that FlyLo is almost the only artist to play in this highly particular playground and create songs that are as weird as they are experimental. Basically there is no one to be compared to. So that makes him the greatest by default.

    I had a very hard time getting into the 'You're Dead!' universe. With these short, explosive songs at the beginning, I was just disoriented and only found specific portions of songs enjoyable. From the start it feels like FlyLo overused the choir vibes making this record sound really jerky: you hear them throughout the record and they are often there to signal a change of pace. So yeah, I felt like the album was a succession of raw organic and instrumental sounds and moments of relative emptiness. I only tolerate half of the songs but however got really stuck on the very last track 'The Protest'. I think that this one is really well balanced, both poetic and energetic, smooth and catchy. It was like FlyLo showed me exactly that he was able to craft just what I like but didn't do it for the rest of the LP. Thanks for that anyway.

    Obviously the featuring with Kendrick Lamar is memorable. Even Snoop Dogg's presence is great. But I can't say the same for the rest of the singers, especially for Thundercat who manages to ruin the tracks with his ridiculous tone of voice.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

10
#10 Best Album of 2014
58
#58 Most Discussed Album of 2014
79
#79 Most Shared Album of 2014

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
88

Universal acclaim - based on 36 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 35 out of 36
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 36
  3. Negative: 0 out of 36
  1. The Wire
    Dec 15, 2014
    80
    This is still a grand, holistic statement, superbly structured in its 38 minutes of ebb and flow. [Nov 2014, p.66]
  2. Q Magazine
    Nov 13, 2014
    80
    Rich in texture and tone, enlivened rather than swamped by guests and made thrilling by his ability to make his hyperactivity as restful as it is relentless. [Dec 2014, p.110]
  3. Austin Chronicle
    Nov 6, 2014
    89
    You're Dead begs complete listens as a whole, with tracks just long enough to capture particular thoughts before you're pushed onward.
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