MEAWW's Basement Tapes: Lotus delivers groovy magic on latest instrumental record 'Free Swim'
Long-running instrumental-electronic quintet Lotus return with their new album, 'Free Swim', a delicious offering of groovy dance tunes that range from soulful funk to dirty disco all built on instrumental songs that showcase that signature Lotus sound.
Lotus has always been difficult to define musically. Put simply, they're an instrumental jamband that favors groove-based improvisation as opposed to gaudy solos and noodling. Their influences, however, range from classic electronic dance music and funk to post-rock and dance-rock, all of which have culminated in a sound that is uniquely their own. Over the years, their musical blend has helped them forge a new path in the jamband landscape. To this day, albums such as their 2006 debut studio release 'Nomad' continue to influence younger bands on the scene and have become touchstones for how to organically fuse elements of electronica with jam music. Not one to rest on laurels, however, Lotus have continued to reshape their style through time, evolving with each tour and album into something new. Since their formation two decades ago, Lotus – Mike Greenfield (drums), Jesse Miller (bass, modular synth), Luke Miller (keyboards, guitar), Mike Rempel (guitar), and Chuck Morris (percussion) – has taken their sound all across the US, working their way up from dingy basement clubs to world-class venues such as Red Rocks. And across their journey they've become festival favorites, playing everything from Bonnaroo, Camp Bisco, and Outside Lands to Ultra Music Festival and Electric Forest, building a hyper-loyal following along the way. Lotus also hosts their annual SummerDance Festival in Garrettsville, Ohio. A Lotus live show is an experience, a uniquely crafted and improvised set taking everyone, the crowd, and band, on a journey. And on 'Free Swim', they've managed to bring this stunning experience straight into your living space, crafting a unique journey for each and every listener.
Written and produced by the group’s Jesse and Luke Miller and recorded earlier this year at Spice House Sound in Philadelphia, 'Free Swim' serves as the follow-up to Lotus’s 2018 audio and video album experience 'Frames Per Second'. It is the band’s tenth full-length independent studio album overall, not including their multiple live, EP and remix collections. The album features ten tracks that all pay homage to music greats of the past, with each member's own listening history and musical influences playing a big part in how the album shaped up. Expanding on their already impressive repertoire, Lotus infuses funk, disco, jazz, and psychedelia into their eclectic and groovy instrumental sound. Album opener 'Catacombs' is a gorgeous jazzy number that was inspired by everyone from Daft Punk and St. Germain to Nile Rodgers. Speaking about the track's influences, Miller states, "Daft Punk utilized a sample-centric, loop style while St. Germain combined four-on-the-floor beats with jazz harmony and solos. Both were from France surrounding them an air of mystery and sophistication. They were both placed under the umbrella genre of 'French Touch,' which worshipped at the feet of disco-edit and heavy filters. For 'Catacombs,' I wanted to combine these two vibes. The bass holds down a funky groove that dances around the root, always falling forward harmonically. The drums and percussion lock into a tight engine. The keys glue it together with analog synth chords and disco string stabs. The guitar adds a jazzy melody and Nile Rodgers-esque funky chords. The cream in the espresso is the flute by guest Sam Greenfield. Halfway into the song he lets loose on a flurry of licks to heat the groove to a boil."
The album's remaining tracks are equally impressive. 'Sepia Rainbow' and 'Earl of Grey' deliver some gorgeous vintage funk, while the head-bopping cosmic disco tune 'Bjorn Gets A Haircut' gives listeners the perfect throwback tune that will make you want to move and groove right along. "It takes cues from the Nordic disco playbooks of producers like Todd Terje and Lindstrom," Miller shares. "The main hook is a Mellotron vocal 'Oh' patch leading into a chorus of slick chromatic chord changes on the piano. The guitar takes over in the middle for an improvisatory freeride."
The chorus on the title track 'Free Swim' is a standout, featuring a groove built on a galloping piano riff and a syncopated summery guitar melody. Speaking about the album’s title, Miller explains, “Luke named the track ‘Free Swim’ and I thought it also made a great album name. Free swim can be read a couple of different ways, but I think both can apply to Lotus’s music. The first brings me back to childhood when my mom would drive myself and four brothers to the public pool. The free swim time was pure, unrestrained joy as we soared off the diving boards and burned off excess energy swimming for hours in the summers. The second reading is becoming free while swimming. I picture the feeling of weightlessness in open water in some beautiful, remote location. When we write for Lotus, we try to use the energy of a live show to guide our arrangements. I always hope it can take people to a place that feels joyous, energized, and free." And that, precisely, is what 'Free Swim' delivers in spades.
'MEAWW's Basement Tapes' is a column that shines a spotlight on undiscovered/underrated musical gems.