Lotus Nomad CD

Opening with a peppy two-step acid riff, this debut studio album by the Philadelphian five-piece combo Lotus soon reveals the band to be not so much a dance act, but rather an electronically inclined jazz-funk outfit, led by the minimal guitar pluck of Mike Rempel. But that doesn't mean the electronic influence becomes moot. Quite the contrary; Rempel's quick-picked soft blues six-string style often merges with the arpeggiated keyboards of Luke Miller, making it difficult to tell where one ends and the other begins. Similarly, Steve Clemens' drum playing scoots right along with Chuck Morris' electronic percussion which skips at a tempo faster than your average downtempo offering. Pushing up towards the house music zone, "Livingston Storm" and "Travel" ride a steady thump while "Plan Your Root" offers an easy listening version of the drum'n'bass break. This interesting fusion of light jazz motifs with dance/club rhythms and effects makes for strange bedfellows. In fact, over the course of any given song, the group can't seem to decide on which side of the fence they wish to sit. The result is not an uncomfortable coupling, but rather a wishy-washy affair that never settles into its own sense of self. While many classic- and jazz-trained artists have made the transition to club music with success, John Arnold and Jeremy Ellis (both originally of jazz-funk band Jazzhead) come to mind, this group of skilled players are considerably less adept at knowing when to put aside their light rock tendencies and just get on with the groove. ~ Joshua Glazer

Lotus is a five-piece instrumental band based in Philadelphia. Their music is heavily tempered by electronic styles such as deep house and drum n' bass, but inside the sonic layers seep heavy doses of funk, jazz, and world music. Their high-energy live shows feature tightly composed material balanced with stretched out improvisation. The sounds shift from spiritual and meditative, to jubilant and energetic, from dark dance floor burners, to spaced-out waves of ambience. Since its inception in 1999 Lotus has grown exponentially. The group gained a dedicated fan base by touring throughout the Midwest with excursions to Colorado and the east from 1999-2002 while members attended Goshen College. In June of 2002 Lotus relocated to Philadelphia in order to expand its touring schedule. Since the move Lotus has been growing at the national level. Regular national touring, word of mouth from devoted fans who trade Lotus's music across the country (and globe), and media attention have opened many new markets as familiar ones continue to grow. Lotus's first national tour saw sold out shows in San Francisco, Chicago, Denver, Milwaukee, and more cities.Lotus has been featured in publications including Relix, San Francisco Examiner, Philadelphia Weekly, Style Weekly Richmond, The Onion, Jambase.com, Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Kalamazoo Gazette, Iowa City Press-Citizen, Jambands.com, and Hittin' the Note. Lotus has performed with artist such as John Scofield Band, the Disco Biscuits, Umphrey's McGee, Particle, Jazz Mandolin Project and more.

Lotus: Luke Miller (guitar, keyboards); Mike Rempel (guitar); Jesse Miller (bass guitar); Steve Clemens (drums); Chuck Morris (percussion, electronic percussion).

This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files.