The music of Los Angeles–based bassist/composer Stephen Lee Bruner (aka Thundercat) is transcendent. And that’s a fact. His distinct blend of jazz, soul, and funk is fresh and cosmic while also throwing back to the likes of Sun Ra and Miles Davis. Having worked extensively with Flying Lotus, Kamasi Washington, Kendrick Lamar on To Pimp a Butterfly (for which Lamar won a Grammy for best rap/sung performance), Erykah Badu, and dozens of other contemporary musicians, Thundercat is as influential as he is technically accomplished. His most recent release, 2017’s Drunk, is astonishing in its range and intimacy—light some incense and float to “Lava Lamp.” by Jas Keimig