You’re Dead! is all about the idea of death, whether it’s possible to accept it and what to do when faced with it. Flying Lotus’ jazz-fusion/electro-funk is incredibly present, with its first four tracks being completely instrumental and each pretty much under a minute in length, though the album is mainly instrumental.
The first real-length track, “Never Catch Me,” explores facing death, and the instinct to try and run from it, featuring the ever-talented Kendrick Lamar. While some moments over the next couple of songs till the end of the album have chords or synth breaks that are a bit unnerving, knowing the ideas behind this album, I feel like I have to see them as intentional artistic choices and contribute them to the unnerving feeling of facing death.
Nonetheless, there are some great moments here too. Generally fast paced, the album kind of heightens your energy and stress, making it feel like you’re running from death, while maintaining a smooth, jazzy approach. There isn’t much of a story or narrative, but more of a soundscape where he can turn an idea and project it through a musical medium. The concept’s viewpoint is explored in a very interesting way, seeming to turn death into a mythology rather than an inevitability. This is by far my favorite work from Flying Lotus yet.