Artists
Mar 24, 2026
Flying Lotus: From the Sketchbook to the Stage
For two decades now, Flying Lotus has been operating in a creative universe of his own making. A space where jazz, hip-hop, electronic music, science fiction, and surrealism blend into a singular vision. Whether directing and scoring a film in New Zealand or building libraries of sounds in his LA studio, his process continues to evolve but remains deeply personal. In this conversation, Fly Lo opens up about the strategies behind his prolific output, working in what he calls “sketchbook mode,” the balance between inspiration and discipline, and how he gets himself in shape to create every single day.
Flying Lotus - “BIG MAMA”
When you start to make music, do you hear a song in your head or do you just mess around until something clicks?
It's really rare that I do something that's in my head. It's a really rare occurrence, and when I do that, it usually turns into something solid, but it rarely happens. I just kind of like the approach to just fiddling, you know, fuck around and find out kind of approach, usually.
How does that usually work? And are you always starting from scratch or are you combining new ideas with other things you've already done?
There's not really a usual way. Sometimes I like to work and I'll build from nothing, like a blank slate. But sometimes when I'm not feeling super motivated or inspired, I just will have a session that I work at for maybe a month or two, where I just chuck in sounds and chop stuff up and try to not make music there – just do sound design and cutting stuff up. I just leave that as a session, making clips. After a while, I'll have this huge library of things to play with, and that will lead to a new song or a whole bunch of new tracks.
Are the things you're doing in film scoring part of your palette too? Or is that a separate sketchbook?
I’d say the sketchbooks are usually by project or month. Like I might make one for stuff I want to mess around with in the summertime.
What do you mess around with in the summertime?
I don’t know yet – we’re not there. But the next one will be called the summer session, and whatever I do between June and September will be in that folder.
Do those take you back to that time when you revisit them?
If I made a song, yeah, more often than not. But just loops and sound design – those don’t feel like journal entries as much.
“I can genuinely work on music from 9 to 5, whether I’m inspired or not. Sometimes that means preparation and designing sounds, chopping up records, just listening to music and chopping samples. There's always something to do within the software. It doesn’t necessarily have to be making a song.”
You must have a loop graveyard too – stuff you never use?
Oh my God, yeah. From the sketchbooks I use maybe 20%.
Have you been doing anything different instead of sketchbooks?
Yeah. Instead of sketchbooks, I sometimes just save ALS files of certain things or if I make a bunch of loops with a new drum kit, I’ll drag those into a recordings folder. That way I can pull them into new sessions later. Sometimes that’s better than a cluttered session. It works mostly for drums when I do that.
Are samples still part of your process? What's the balance?
Oh yeah, samples are still part of the process. I look at everything as just audio. Sometimes I'm in the mood to play, sometimes I hear a cool sound and want to mess with it. But it's more so just like a sketchbook, a catch-all. I try not to overthink it, just fiddle and bounce ideas down, or record variations of a thing. I just have a whole bunch of clips. If I make a drum kit, I record a bunch of different loops with it – not trying to make a song – just different patterns. Eventually I’ll have a session with all this cool stuff in it.
Now that you have a collection of synthesizers, has your relationship with samples changed? Do you sample yourself now?
Yeah, absolutely. My relationship with sampling has changed significantly. I’m at a point where I can’t sample anyone without worrying about getting sued. It was nice when you’re a SoundCloud artist and no one really cares. But once you're on people’s radar, they want their royalties. So I actually don’t sample nearly as much. I find more enjoyment in making my own melodies and loops. But sometimes, you get those samples where it’s like, you know what, I gotta do it. I always believe the music is for me first. Whether it comes out or not – it’s not something I worry about too hard. I just go with the flow and try not to steer things too hard in one direction.
Flying Lotus - “Never Catch Me” ft. Kendrick Lamar
What's easier for you, that beginning part, or turning sketches into a full song?
I don't know if there's anything I would call easier. It's all one and the same. It's just a matter of how motivated or inspired I am. Sometimes I just feel like I have no choice but to be inspired. I just have to go for it and sit and do the work. Sometimes I don’t feel like making a whole song, but there's always work that can be done. I can genuinely work on music from 9 to 5, whether I’m inspired or not. Sometimes that means preparation and designing sounds, chopping up records, just listening to music and chopping samples. There's always something to do within the software. It doesn’t necessarily have to be making a song.
When you’re sketching, is that generally in Session or Arrangement View, or both?
Session View usually. Just a bunch of clips, a bunch of tracks. I try not to record anything when I’m in that mode because it's easy to get into writing a song, but the fun part can be building up this archive of sounds and then unleashing something dynamic.
So you gather things up in Session View, and then bring them into Arrangement View?
Exactly. That’s sketchbook mode. Some days I just go right into Arrangement and start making stuff, especially if I’m working with audio. Just straight linear editing. I don’t spend too much time in Clip View. It all depends on mood and inspiration. Sometimes I just want to get right into it.
“I try not to do a super detailed mix out the gate. Focus on the music parts, refine that later.”
How do you know when it’s time to branch off and get into something more linear?
It’s just a different energy – like “Okay, I want to actually make a song today.” That’s when you have the archive of sounds. But like I said, sometimes I'm not in the mood. Still, there’s work I can do. If I'm distracted, I can still make a drum pattern. I could do that forever without trying to dream up a whole song. At least I've got all these drum loops for later. They'll serve me at some point.
Is that mostly audio or MIDI?
It's MIDI and audio. But the beauty is also if I have a session with another artist or producer, I have this archive of jump-offs I can mess with. I won't ever have an empty slate when it’s time to get busy and do the work.
That's inspiring. It’s like creative strategies – you have your cards ready to jump off of.
Exactly. Like if Thundercat comes over, he doesn’t have to sit around and watch me make drum patterns all day. I’ve already recorded a bunch. We can just start making a song, get right into playing. It’s not something that has to be toiled over. At least I have 20 cool jump-off ideas in a folder or session, and they can lead us somewhere cool.
When you get to something that turns into a song, is mixing something that happens along the way or separately?
I usually do a rough mix while I’m working. I have a decent setup, so what I hear is pretty much what I get. But it's better to separate that a bit. When you're making a beat, you should come back with fresh ears. You've been messing around with it for two hours, then hear it differently – like, “Why are the drums so loud?” So I try not to do a super detailed mix out the gate. Focus on the music parts, refine that later.
What are some of the things you use to craft your sound? Ableton devices? VSTs? You don’t need to share all your secrets, of course.
I use everything that everyone else is using.
How big does a typical track get – how many tracks in a session?
There’s no typical. Sometimes it’s 100, sometimes it’s 20.
“I think it's important to tell people they should be working out. Motherfuckers be sitting in a chair all day – get a goddamn workout in!”
How does Push fit into your process?
I have a bit of a live room setup in my studio – more like a DAW-less room. I like Push because I can work in there, away from the computer and emails. A different process. I use it to sketch out ideas, then bring those into the computer.
What's in that room with you?
A drum set, piano, some synths, a looper, effects pedals, Push, a bunch of toys.
And Push is kind of like a multitrack recorder in that case?
Yeah, Push is like the brain.
Are you using it to play drums with drum racks?
Exactly. I use Push to do drum patterns. I have drum racks that I made and I use Push as the drum box.
“IT’S OUT THERE” from Flying Lotus’ Ash soundtrack
Do you ever set limitations for yourself to stay focused? Or do you let anything go?
When I’m doing a project, like a film score, I try to create a palette of sounds. That always takes some throwing ideas at the wall. I don’t always know what the palette will be, but I do try to set limitations. I have every VST known to man, basically. If I get too heady about all that stuff, I could sit there forever. So I try to limit myself; only work with certain things, explore just a subset for a while. Sometimes I break the rules, but I go in with that mindset. When I did the Ash soundtrack, I didn’t bring any gear. It was all in the box. I was in New Zealand, away from my studio. But I saw that as inspirational; back to basics. Like being at grandma’s house making beats. It reminded me I don’t need all that stuff. Just a good machine, a good MIDI controller, and headphones.
Ash has lots of callouts to classics like Blade Runner, John Carpenter soundtracks. Do you approach that as inspiration or are you trying to recreate those feelings?
With the score, I was up against time. I wanted to focus on a sound and didn’t have time to explore too much. I immersed myself in the music I wanted it to feel like. I didn’t say, “I’m going to make a John Carpenter thing,” but I was listening to a lot of synthwave inspired by Carpenter, Vangelis, and others. That inspiration bleeds over for sure.
How much of that is preset-based and how much are you tweaking deeply?
It's funny. I have all these hardware synths, but I’m getting to a place where I kind of want to sell them now. After I did Ash, I realized I can do pretty much everything I need in the box. It all ends up back in the box. I'm getting back to simplicity. I don’t obsess over gear anymore.
Is synesthesia part of your experience? There's a strong use of color in Ash.
I wish, man. I wish I had that. I don’t have the sight-sound thing.
“OXYGENE” from Flying Lotus’ Ash soundtrack
You made your new EP BIG MAMA right after working on Ash, right?
[Making Ash] was like being in this hyperbolic time chamber, having to make a whole soundtrack alone. I felt like right after that I wanted to do anything but what I was just doing. So I started this project, and it felt like such a release to be able to have this place where I could just vent out some of my inner chaos. I wanted it to be free and feel alive. I think that was a big intention of mine with this record, just to think about it more like sound design and make something that felt unpredictable and maximal. As we get into a place where tracks are becoming more ‘perfect’ and things are becoming more sterile, I want to try to keep it interesting and try to keep bringing in things that are uniquely human to electronic music, which is, you know, becoming harder I guess.
How do you divide your time for all your projects? Are you working on the visuals for your films too?
I did some effects on Ash. I don’t recommend that to people – it’s so time-consuming and annoying. I wish I had a team. I did have a team, but not enough budget.
Same for your live shows? Do you collaborate more there, or do a lot yourself?
The live show is more of a collaboration, but now I want to be even more involved in creating the visuals and concepts. I want to design a new show. I don’t know what it’ll be yet, but I want it to be a bit crazy.
How is your live set built?
I’m not doing anything too special. I run like four tracks at once, usually. Messing with four tracks – sometimes stems, sometimes not. Looping, sometimes not. Mostly audio. I use Launch Controls and Launchkey. I use Novation stuff live mostly because they have faders. I really don’t like endless encoders – when it's an endless encoder, there's no end. It's nice to be able to crank something all the way in one swoop or turn it all the way down and know where you are.
Are you controlling visuals from there too?
No, we do visuals live. Never pre-recorded. It's all happening in real time. A lot of fun. I'm trying to do more with MIDI, sending info to control visuals too.
Finally, how do you organize your day? Do you organize or just let it flow?
I try to work from 9 to 5 every day, like everyone else. But my work is pretty dynamic. I try to think about music and art that way too. I also work out every day. Get up, drink my coffee, work out, then get to making music, or whatever art I’m working on. Meetings are work too – it’s all the same. But I’m in the chair from 9 to 5, for the most part.
Do you turn off music at night or come back to it?
Honestly, I don’t even listen to that much music anymore – especially when I’m deep in a project. I don’t listen to anybody. Unless I need to focus on a sound, like when I was doing the movie. I try to keep my influences tight and stay in the zone. It’s easy for me to get distracted and inspired by other stuff. That’s why traveling can be hard. I’ll be working on a project, get into a sound, then go to a festival, hear something crazy, and come home with my ears all different..
If you’re working 9 to 5, do you ever come back to making beats late at night?
No, I’m not a night guy. I’m kind of done. I’m an early riser – wake up at 6 most days and get to work. I would prefer to be a late-night music person, but I just can’t.
So you handle the business stuff first with coffee, then get into music?
Probably. Also, I get my workout in first. If I don’t do it early, I won’t do it at all. I think it's important to tell people they should be working out. Motherfuckers be sitting in a chair all day – get a goddamn workout in!
Bonus Track: Watch Flying Lotus get his musical knowledge tested on the streets of New York
