ORIGINAL SONGS
ARUPA
Debut: 06-15-04 Schubas Tavern, Chicago, IL (TUE)
Written by: Jesse Miller
Discography: unreleased
Notes:
Sound: Jazzy bass and drum with short bass solo
AT LAST GLIMPSE
Debut: 10-06-06 Club Fais Do-Do, Los Angeles, CA (FRI)
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BALL OF ENERGY
Debut: 09-05-03 The Club At Water Street, Rochester, NY (FRI)
Written by: Jesse Miller
Discography: Nomad
Notes: “I wanted to put to use an old melodica that Chuck received from his mother.” JM
Sound: Begins with Mike on Melodica, with a dub intro and drum n’ bass middle.
BLUE GIANT
Debut: 06-16-05 Clinton Lake State Park, Lawrence, KS (THU)
Written by: Luke Miller
Discography: The Strength of Weak Ties
Notes: “Came from experiments with 2 separate beats played simultaneously with vintage FM synth mellatron sounds.” LM
“One of my favorites of the new songs and probably my favorite on the new album.” MR
Sound: Electro-funk with micro-house jam and flute sound.
BUBONIC TONIC
Debut: 06-16-04 The Green Room, Iowa City, IA (WED)
Written by: Luke Miller
Discography: The Strength of Weak Ties
Notes: “The title reflects the light hearted nature of the song and is a slight takeoff of the “disco fever” disease.” LM
“I love how this song came out on the new album. I wish we could do it the same way live.” MR
Sound: Disco House song
CAYWOOD
Debut: 10-04-02 Club Nostradamus, Philadelphia, PA (FRI)
Written by: Luke Miller
Discography: Germination
Notes: ‘This song is named after the town of Caywood in upstate New York. We had stayed there with some folks that we met in Ithaca, New York. They had a “sacred circle” garden with 6 circles inside a larger circle. The song seemed to fit the vibe that the group there had, so I named it for them.” LM
Sound: Major song in 6/8 with African type beginning and a drum n’ bass type jam.
CIRRUS
Debut: 04-06-06 The Chameleon Club, Lancaster, PA (THU)
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CLUBROOT
Debut:
Written by: Lotus (improvised)
Discography: Vibes
Notes: Club Root on Vibes came from a jam on Moss Shoes.
Sound:
COLORADO
Debut: 11-13-03 River Street Jazz Café, Plains, PA (THU)
Written by: Luke Miller
Discography: Nomad
Notes: “I was messing around on my classical guitar and this started to develop. It reminded me of the skies in Colorado.” LM
“Another stand out song in the repertoire. It is rarely performed live because it doesn’t easily fit into an energetic live show. It reminds me of some of my favorite Pat Metheny stuff.” SC
Sound: Slow major ballad, in 12/8. No jam.
COMPTROLLER
Debut: 09-26-06 The Blue Note, Columbia, MO (TUE)
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CONTAGION
Debut: 03-29-05 The Annex, Madison, WI (TUE)
Written by: Luke Miller
Discography: unreleased
Notes: “Born out of some 2-step jams.” LM
Sound: 2-step beat with funky synth and guitar
CONTINENTAL DRIFT
Debut: 02-11-00 Courthouse Pub, Goshen, IN (FRI)
Written by: Jesse Miller
Discography: Appears on the first Lotus 3-song demo from March 2000.
Notes: “Lyrics inspired loosely by experiences at Phish 1999 concert.” JM
Lyrics: Chorus: “Continental Drift got me down, got me down.” SC
Sound: Funk song with lyrics
CONTINUUM
Debut: 01-2002
Written by: Lotus
Discography: Vibes
Notes: “Started as a jam from It’s All Clear to Me Now that we put on Vibes. We developed the jam a little bit and converted it into a song.” LM
“Several times we sandwiched Continuum into It’s All Clear To Me Now jams.” MR
Sound: Minor song with drum n’ bass beat
COUNTLESS DIMENSIONS
Debut: 08-17-02 Founders Brewing Company, Grand Rapids, MI (SAT)
Written by: Luke Miller
Discography: Appears on demo released in early 2002 titled “Live Sampler.”
Notes: “Started as just an outline for a jam that we could do on our summer tour 2002. We gave it some varying degrees of structure later on, then gave it less structure again.” LM
“Actual structure wasn’t established till later. At first it was only an improv over 2 chords. Hence, we ended up with a few very cool versions and a lot of versions that didn’t go anywhere.” MR
Sound: Drum n’ Bass jam featuring tablas that has both major and minor sections.
CRESCENT
Debut: 02-07-03 Thai Joe's, Milwaukee, WI (FRI)
Written by: Lotus (improvised)
Discography: Germination
Notes: This is the title given to the improv that started the 1st set on 02/07/03 at Thai Joes, Milwaukee, WI. As DJ Rick S was finishing his set, the band segued out of his last song and into “Crescent.” MH
Sound: House improv
DALI
Debut: 1999
Written by: Written by Luke Miller, chorus lyrics by Steve Clemens
Discography: unreleased
Notes: “A more intense song, with lyrics, about Salvador Dali.” LM
“This song did no justice to Salvador Dali. May it rest in peace.” SC
Sound: Fast minor song with lyrics.
DANCE OF THE GIANT INCAPACITATING VINES
Debut: 07-31-04 Unknown Location, Huntington, PA (SAT)
Written by: Luke Miller
Discography: unreleased
Notes: “An attempt to incorporate a Bach-esque progression into a modern frame work.” LM
Sound: Classical sounding progression in 6 with a drum and bass jam.
DARK BROWN EARTH
AKA: Dub in 6
Debut: 01-22-04 River Street Jazz Café, Plains, PA (THU)
Written by: Luke Miller
Discography: As a bonus mp3 on Nomad
Notes: “My attempt to write an electro-dub song in an alternate time signature.” LM
Sound: Dub type song in 3/4 signature.
DECAY::REBIRTH
Debut:
Written by: Lotus (improvised)
Discography: Vibes
Notes:
Sound: Improv
DID FATT
Debut: 06-26-03 Stella Blue, Asheville, NC (THU)
Written by: Luke Miller
Discography: unreleased
Notes: “The name came when we were working on the song and Steve said, “Dude, I do fills all the time.” Which led to the acronym Did Fatt.” LM
“Probably the most composed of all our drum and bass tunes. The jam usually has a lot of intensity.” MR
Sound: Dub beginning, composed guitar middle with phasing guitar part, drum n’ bass jam.
DIGGIN DEEP
Debut: 07-17-99 Eat Your Vegetables, Newton, KS (SAT)
Written by: Luke Miller
Discography: unreleased
Notes: “This song was only played a couple of times in 1999.” LM
“I remember we botched this song horribly once at Quixote’s True Blue in Denver of 1999.” MR
“It was one of the worst moments in Lotus history.” SC
Sound: Slow bluesy ballad
DRUNKEN GIRAFFE
Debut: Summer 2005
Written by: Luke Miller
Discography: The Strength of Weak Ties
Notes: “Lotus does not condone alcohol consumption in giraffes.” PSA from SC
Sound: Funk/bell feel in 7/4 with funk outro in 4/4.
EPIDEMIC
Debut: 04-06-06 The Chameleon Club, Lancaster, PA (THU)
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EXPIRED SLANG
Debut: 09-27-06 The Bottleneck, Lawrence, KS (WED)
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EXIT 317
Debut: 1999
Written by: Luke Miller
Discography: unreleased
Notes: “This was inspired by John Scofield’s style of funk.” LM
“This is the only song we ever wrote which contained a solo for each person.” MR
Sound: Bluesy funk song with a solo section for each member with head section written in 7/8.
FAR FROM EMPTY
Debut:
Written by: Lotus (improvised)
Discography: Vibes
Notes: “Far From Empty on Vibes came from a jam off of Space In Between.” LM
Sound:
FLOATING AMIDST
Debut: 02-09-01 Courthouse Pub, Goshen, IN (FRI)
Written by: Luke Miller
Discography: N.A.
Notes: “This song began with vocals then was converted to an instrumental. The title came from the lyrics which were inspired by a comment made by a friend.” LM
“…floating amidst subconscious dreams…” SC
Sound: Sectional beginning with jam that changes keys
FLOWER SERMON
Debut: 07-2002
Written by: Luke Miller
Discography: Germination
Notes: “The title is taken from a Buddhist story about a silent discourse using a flower.” LM
“The version of Flower Sermon on Germination was taken from the landmark show on 02-01-03 at UWM, Der Rathskellar, Madison, WI-a favorite show for many of us. It has since been a frequently requested fan favorite.” MR
Sound: Jazzy House song
FOAM ANNIHILATION
Debut: 06-1999
Written by: Jesse Miller
Discography: unreleased
Notes: “In the summer of 1999 I was in my parents basement. I was singing into a cheap microphone. I took a deep breath to start the next verse and I inhaled a sizeable piece of foam from the microphone.” JM
Sound: Instrumental
FREEZE BOX
Debut: 02-14-03 Murray's Inn, Wilkes-Barre, PA (FRI)
Written by: Michael Christie
Discography: unreleased
Notes: “Michael Christie kicks major ass. One of the finest people I ever met.” SC
Sound:
GEMINI CONSPIRACY
Debut: 09-20-03 Tobacco Road, New York, NY (SAT)
Written by: Luke Miller
Discography:
Notes: “My attempt to write a song with a 2 step type beat. The name comes form the fact that Jesse and I are twins, Mike has a twin brother, and his girlfriend has a twin sister. A little too many twins to seem like coincidence.” LM
“Also, twins, one day, will rule!” SC
Sound: Fast 2 step type beat
GREET THE MIND
AKA: Meat Grinder, Grind The Meat
Debut: 08-15-02 Zythos, Pittsburgh, PA (THU)
Written by: Luke Miller
Discography: Nomad
Notes: “I was trying to write a song with keyboard leads that featured pitch bends. It started as just a jam on the summer 2002 tour. We later developed it more fully, and then after the Winter tour in 2003 the speed up trance jam became standard. The name comes from some fans calling it the Meat Grinding song, which became Grind the Meat, which became Greet the Mind. The speed up trance jam was added in the winter of 2003.” LM
“A hugely effective live song with its deep fun riffs and trance jam. It always works the crowd into a frenzy.” MR
Sound: Funk/Hip-Hop intro, slow house head with pitch bend key lead, funky jam leading into speeding up trance jam
HAMMERSTRIKE
Debut: 09-26-06 The Blue Note, Columbia, MO (TUE)
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HIVE
Debut: 05-25-05 The Half Moon, New York, NY (WED)
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I WISH MY SKIN WERE ELECTRIC
Debut: 1998
Written by: Mike Rempel
Discography: Appears on a Lotus 3-song demo from May/June 2000
Notes: “One of the first Lotus songs. The title comes from a conversation between Mike and a friend in the middle of a Kansas field with lots of mosquitoes.” LM
“This was another song from my band Wrestling Abe. It was an attempt to write a composition inspired by some of my Phish favorites like YEM. Much less than an epic composition, however, it was more of a melting together of 4 main simple song ideas. (Mellow chord change > Funk part > Rock part > mellow chord change) Lotus later added more structure to it.” MR
“This one is still a favorite of mine.” SC
Sound: Long sectional piece
IF AND WHEN
Debut: 08-07-04 River Street Jazz Café, Plains, PA (SAT)
Written by: Jesse Miller
Discography: unreleased
Notes: “Were would we be without the sampler? I’ll never know. Little known fact: includes samples of Gene Krupa talking and a thumb piano” JM
Sound: Down tempo groove with sample vocal noises.
IN THE BLISS
Debut: 01-2002
Written by: Lotus
Discography: Vibes
Notes: “This was a jam from Spaghetti that was on Vibes. Mike titled it. It basically consisted of a bass line, a drum beat, and a chord change. Then we just jammed from there.” LM
“This song originally debuted as an improv piece on 10-12-01 Boulevard Café, Chicago, IL in Spaghetti. The piece developed its through the winter of 2001 and debuted in 01-2001.” MH
Sound: Laid back funk jam
INTRO TO A CELL
Debut: 09-2001
Written by: Jesse Miller
Discography: Vibes
Notes: “Appears on Vibes as part 1 and 2 (taken from 2 different shows).” LM
“The bass line was written summer 2000, although it didn’t become a composition until fall 2001 when Steve put a straight beat to it and Luke wrote some melodic material.” JM
“The best part is when Mike plays in 5/4 when the rest of the band plays in 7/4.” SC
Sound: Trance song in 7/4
IT’S ALL CLEAR TO ME NOW
Debut: 10-12-01 Boulevard Café, Chicago, IL (FRI)
Written by: Luke Miller
Discography:
Notes: “This was inspired by a chord change that I heard at a jazz concert by Taylor Eigsti. The name comes from Steve saying that phrase when we were arranging the song. Funk jam at end was added in 2002.” LM
“I think this is our catchiest drum n’ bass song. There was a great version from our Thursday night 2005 Wakarusa set.” MR
Sound: Fast Drum n’ Bass song with drum n’ bass jam and outro funk jam
JACK IT UP
Debut: 01-28-05 The North Star Bar, Philadelphia, PA (FRI)
Written by: Luke Miller
Discography: unreleased
Notes: “Started as an experiment with loops and samples. This song is and improv starter, with intro based on loops. It typically segues into another song.” LM
Sound:
JONAS
Debut: 1998
Written by: Graham Pumphrey
Discography:
Notes: “Written by Mike’s friend Graham. Titled after another friend… named Jonas.” LM
“Jonas was an instrumental tune written by Graham Pumphrey, the guitarist from my previous band “Wrestling Abe.” Lotus gave it some additional structure and lyrics. The first lyrics used for the tune were written by Andy Parada about a carrot and a donkey. Luke later wrote some other verses to replace the originals. MR
Lyrics: “There was a carrot in the ground; crispy, crunchy, urge to be found. Always hiding in the dark. I will find you in the park.” Chorus: “Jonas, Jonas, Jonas…”
Sound: Groove song with lyrics.
JUGGERNAUT
First Debut: 02-14-03 Murray's Inn, Wilkes-Barre, PA (FRI)
Official Debut: 03-04-03 The Theater of Living Arts, Philadelphia, PA (TUE)
Written by: Luke Miller
Discography:
Notes: “The name suggests something powerful and driving, which were major traits of the first arrangement, and is also an avatar of a Hindu God.” LM
“The original version with Michael Christie on keyboards was more true to the song title.” MR
“First attempt at debuting Juggernaut ended up as a jam.”-MH
Sound: Electro-House song. This was originally played with Michael Christie and Luke both on Keys until the jam. Then Mike played the lead on guitar with Luke on Keys. Now Luke plays the lead on keys and Mike plays the ostinato.
JUMP OFF
Debut: 05-16-03 Ulana's Lounge, Philadelphia, PA (FRI)
Written by: Luke Miller
Discography: Nomad, also with a live version as a bonus mp3
Notes: “The title comes courtesy of Mark Swier’s vocabulary.” LM
“This song contains one of my favorite funk sections to play.” MR
“Title from Poughkeepsie Lexicon, circa 2003.” SC
Sound: Jazz/funk House song
KALEA
Debut: 04-08-06 The 8x10 Club, Baltimore, MD (SAT)
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KESEY SEED
Debut: 09-03-04 The Club at Water Street, Rochester, NY (FRI)
Written by: Luke Miller
Discography: The Strength of Weak Ties
Notes: “The title is based on a Ken Kesey idea of forming a alternative society.” LM
“The studio version has some qualities that remind me of some of my favorite Telefon Tel Aviv tracks. MR
Sound: Piano/electronic intro with rock chorus, often described as a more dramatic/texture piece.” LM
LAZY SUMMER GROOVE
Debut: 1998
Written by: Luke Miller
Discography: unreleased
Notes: “One of my first songs written for Lotus. Inspired by hanging out with my friends in high school.” LM
“Songs like this make me miss the days when we used to sing. I always enjoyed Luke’s lyrics.” MR
Lyrics: Verse 1: “Lazy summer day, kickin’ with the fellas, on the back porch, see what gramps is gonna tell us ‘bout back in the day, when the music wasn’t wrong; The Duke, Miles Davis, The Bird, Mr. Armstrong.”
Sound: Bluesy funk song with lyrics featuring a harmonica solo.
L’IMMEUBLE
Debut: 11-30-01 Courthouse Pub, Goshen, IN (FRI)
Written by: Luke Miller
Discography: Vibes
Notes: “My first attempt at a house song, inspired by St. Germain. Jesse titled it with the French word for building keeping with Scopehauer’s theory that architecture is frozen music.” LM
“ I’m always surprised at how many requests we get for this simple, bluesy song. I guess the melodies stick in people’s heads. If only I knew how to say the title.” MR
Sound: Jazzy-funk house
LIQUID MEAT
Debut: 06-1999
Written by: Jesse Miller
Discography: Released on KMNR, Rolla 1999 which was a radio station recording that took place 10-10-99 at KMNR 89.7 FM Studio, University of Missouri, Rolla, MO
Notes: “The title came from an suggestion made by an audience member at a show in Denver, CO at Quixote’s True Blue in the summer of 1999 when we wrote the song.” MR
Sound: Latin song with whistle breakdown
LIVINGSTON STORM
Debut: 10-26-02 Pharmhouse, Harrisonburg, VA (SAT)
Written by: Luke Miller
Discography: Nomad
Notes: “This song was inspired by my experiences in Livingston, Guatemala while living with some Garifuna people.” LM
“We debuted this song at a UPENN frat house in the middle of the afternoon. I remember thinking we would never top that version as soon as we finished.” JM
“Another favorite of mine live. The studio version was also one of the better cuts on the Nomad album. I always seem to be in the mood to perform this song, due to its mellow groove and laid back melodies. The band interplay is usually more patient and subtle on this song.” MR
Sound: Chilled out dub house
LONELY WIND
Debut: 09-1999
Written by: Luke Miller
Discography: unreleased
Notes: “Probably some of the more decent lyrics I wrote. I was studying voice-leading at the time and wanted to do some voice leading that strayed from the typical functional kind. Thus the middle section contained a lot of modulations.” LM
“ If only we had been good at singing; this song could have been a Lotus hit! It contained great lyrics, great harmony, and vocal layering. I definitely miss this tune.” MR
Lyrics: “Leave it all behind, just hit the road, have a hundred conversations, meet a hundred faces, leave it all behind, and hit the …”
Sound: Hippie rock ballad? w/lyrics
LONG LEGGED STUMBLE
Debut:
Written by:
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LOS ANGELES
Debut: 02-14-03 Murray's Inn, Wilkes-Barre, PA (FRI)
Written by: Michael Christie
Discography:
Notes: “The title came from a sample used in the song that was recorded via a truck CB coming through a wah pedal on accident.” LM
Sound: Jungle song w/ flute part
LUCID AWAKENING
Debut: 09-18-03 Porter's, Westbrook, CT (THU)
Written by: Luke Miller
Discography: Appears as a bonus video on Nomad
Notes: “The title refers to the ideas from the movie Waking Life.” LM
“Contains some Steve Reich-esque qualities.” MR
Sound: Fast trace, major beginning with fast minor jam and “epic guitar ending.”
MARISOL
Debut: 09-27-06 The Bottleneck, Lawrence, KS (WED)
Written by:
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MIKESNACK
First Debut: 06-26-03 Stella Blue, Asheville, NC (THU)
Official Debut: 06-28-03 De La Luz, Chapel Hill, NC (SAT)
Written by: Mike Rempel
Discography: unreleased
Notes: “Mikesnack was inspired by two funk songs from a Pat Martino album that I found myself listening to constantly. The song was untitled for awhile and Steve just started referring to it as Mikesnack and the name stuck.” MR
“Mikesnack was hinted at two nights prior to its debut as ’97 Jam. This was the middle funked out section.”-MH
Sound: Funk song
MOSS SHOES
Debut: 09-28-01 Courthouse Pub, Goshen, IN (FRI)
Written by: Luke Miller
Discography: unreleased
Notes: “This was influenced by Steve Reich and the Paul Simon song Can’t Run But. The title comes from walking on moss. Club Root on Vibes came from a jam in Moss Shoes.” - LM
Sound:
MUSIC FOR MALLETS, WINDS AND PERCUSSION
Debut: 01-28-05 The North Star Bar, Philadelphia, PA (FRI)
Written by: Jesse Miller
Discography: unreleased
Notes: “I wrote this piece in college and performed it several times with ensembles. It was reworked for Lotus to play using samples of the mallet instruments.” JM
Sound: Minimalist piece with vibraphone, piano, marimba and guitar sounds. No drums.
MY OWN PERSONAL 3-LETTER WORD
Debut: 04-2002
Written by: Luke Miller
Discography: unreleased
Notes: “This was my first attempt at writing a drum n’ bass song. Jesse titled it.” LM
“This title is funny.” SC
Sound: Drum n’ Bass song
NEMATODE
Debut: 01-2002
Written by: Luke Miller
Discography: Germination
Notes: “This was written while in Colorado one Christmas Break, trying to come up with a minimal melody and major chord change.” LM
“This song is always a crowd pleaser because of its dance ability and light hearted melody.” MR
“Nematodes are worms.” SC
Sound: House song with Major beginning and end and Minor middle jam.
NO RAIN IS FALLING
Debut: 12-31-04 Theater of Living Arts, Philadelphia, PA (FRI)
Written by: Jesse Miller
Discography: unreleased
Notes:
Sound: Edgy rock/big beat vibe with sampled vocals
NUTELLA BANANA
Debut: 09-1999
Written by: Luke Miller
Discography: unreleased
Notes: “An early crowd favorite. The lyrics were inspired by discovering this tasty combination while on a long road trip.” - LM
Sound: Reggae song
ONE LAST HURRAH
Debut: 09-27-06 The Bottleneck, Lawrence, KS (WED)
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OPO
Debut: 01-17-04 Chameleon Club, Lancaster, PA (SAT)
Written by: Luke Miller
Discography:
Notes: “Jesse titled this one after an inside joke.” LM
“With Chuck on drum kit and Steve on percussion, it gives Lotus a very different sound. This is the only song in which they switch instruments.” MR
Sound: Straight 16th funk song with Chuck on drums and Steve on percussion
OPUS
Debut: 06-1999
Written by: Mike Rempel
Discography: unreleased
Notes: “I wrote this in the summer of 1999. It was another effort to write an epic composition with an epic jam. The jam was centered around a guitar solo over two chords which allowed for some beautiful melodic ideas, largely inspired by Phish’s ‘Reba.’ We often still have requests for this tune from fans who were around in the early days, and I’d like to bring it back into circulation at some point.” MR
“Recorded for scrapped studio project in 2001/2002.” LM
“We still have the DATs from this project. One day…” SC
Sound: Epic song
PAPERCUT
Debut: 04-11-06 The Crowbar, State College, PA (TUE)
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PHILLY HIT
Debut: 06-2002
Written by: Luke Miller
Discography: unreleased
Notes: “One of the first songs I wrote in Philadelphia. The “Philly Hit” is a sound the Philadelphia orchestra became famous for and was subsequently sampled.” – LM
“Named after a sound effect on the Handsonic that Chuck uses on this tune. MR
Sound: Funk song with ending in 7/8
PINK BELT BUCKLE
Debut: 09-28-06 The Aggie Theatre, Ft. Collins, CO (THU)
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PLANT YOUR ROOT
Debut: 12-06-03 Mill Creek Tavern, Philadelphia, PA (SAT)
Written by: Luke Miller
Discography: Nomad
Notes:
Sound: Drum n’ Bass song with vocoder intro
POINT / ELECTRIC COUNTERPOINT
AKA: Reich, Reich Jam
Debut: 01-28-05 The North Star Bar, Philadelphia, PA (FRI)
Written by: Luke Miller
Discography: unreleased
Notes: “Based around a Steve Reich sample from Electric Counterpoint. Kind of a live remix idea.” LM
“This idea came from The Orb’s Little Fluffy Clouds, which uses samples from Electric Counterpoint in a similar fashion. MR
Sound: Hip hop dub beginning with drum n’ bass section.
SAVAGE DANCE
Debut: 01-29-00 Madison Oyster Bar, South Bend, IN (SAT)
Written by: Luke Miller
Discography: Appears on the first Lotus 3-song demo
Notes: “The lyrics were inspired by a V-day rally at Goshen.” LM
“In the early days in Indiana, we used to go see Umphrey’s McGee and Ali Baba’s Tahini in concert. Ali Baba’s Tahini was Jake Cininger’s band before he joined UM. Brendon Bayliss (UM) and Jake Cininger were both virtuoso guitarists and they both did a lot of taping on frets with both right and left hands when they played. I applied this taping method to the melody on Savage Dance after watching those guys.” MR
Sound: African-esque major song w/lyrics
SEEN FROM OUT HERE
Debut: 12-06-03 Mill Creek Tavern, Philadelphia, PA (SAT)
Written by: Jesse Miller
Discography: unreleased
Notes: “Title comes from the sample, which comes form the original Planet of the Apes.” – LM
“The first time we played this Luke wrote Smooth on the setlist, as there was no working title. At one of our shows, there were two cats standing next to our light designer that kept saying ‘This is really smooth!’ I agree it’s smooth, especially when we remember all the changes.” - JM
Sound: Jazzy Lounge
SHIMMER AND OUT
Debut: 03-14-02 Billy's Lounge, Grand Rapids, MI (THU)
Written by: Jesse Miller
Discography: unreleased
Notes: “One of the very few compositions I’ve written in a major key. I think it means live hard, die young, or maybe not.” JM
“We recorded this song during the Nomad sessions, but didn’t end up using it for the album. The Simple bouncy melodies on this song make it another favorite of mine.
Sound: Major trance-rock
SID
Debut: ?? /1998
Written by: Luke Miller
Discography:
Notes: “My freshman year of college I would walk around air drumming to the beats running through my head a lot. A friend made a comment about the fact and it inspired the lyrics.” – LM
“The lyrics to the original version referred to Siddhartha, so we called it Sid for short.” - MR
· Sid I – Original version that was faster with lyrics.
· Sid II – Slower version like current with lyrics.
Notes: “We occasionally played a slower, more swinging version of Sid based on a funk riff I came up with.” - MR
Sound: Funk song
SIFT
Debut: 03-15-02 Creative Enterprise Center, Goshen, IN (FRI)
Written by: Luke Miller
Discography:
Notes: “The melody reminded Steve of a bum sifting through garbage for some reason.” - LM
Sound: Jazzy Dub House song with tablas
SIR RUBIC
Debut: 09-1999
Written by: Luke Miller
Discography:
Notes: “I was working with quartal harmonies on the guitar and wrote this odd time signature piece with them.” - LM
Sound: Jazz song
SLOW COOKIN’
Debut: 12-31-03 Artistika, Greensboro, NC (WED)
Written by: Luke Miller
Discography:
Notes:
Sound: Starts with “slow cookin’ sample and 2 step beat
SOLAR WIND
Debut: 11-11-01 Salvation Army Building, Goshen, IN (SUN)
Written by:
Discography: Vibes
Notes: Ambient improv that appears on Vibes
Sound: Ambient improv
SOMA
Debut: 06-2002
Written by: Luke Miller
Discography:
Notes: “I think this was the first song I wrote and played on the synth. The title came from both a personal theory about music and the book Brave New World.” - LM
Sound: Major drum n’ bass song
SOMETHING YOU SAID
Debut: 01-28-05 The North Star Bar, Philadelphia, PA (FRI)
Written by:
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SPACE IN BETWEEN
Debut: 09-21-00 Hacienda, Goshen, IN (THU)
Written by: Jesse Miller
Discography:
Notes: “The counterpoint between guitar and bass worked itself out while drinking wine by myself in the summer of 2001.” - JM
“Far From Empty on Vibes came from a jam off of this.” - LM
Sound: Funk song
SPAGHETTI
Debut: 05-26-00 Hoterville, Goshen, IN (FRI)
Written by: Jesse Miller
Discography:
Notes: “One of my first compositions for Lotus. It’s sort of an Air meets Herbie Hancock piece. Someone from the crowd named it after we debuted the song untitled. It is a very appropriate title, in my opinion.”
Sound: Slow funk
SPIRALING LINE OF LIGHT
Debut: 11-30-01 Courthouse Pub, Goshen, IN (FRI)
Written by: Jesse Miller
Discography:
Notes: “This song features a non-harmonic chord change (major 7 chords a major 3 apart) which gives it an unique sound. I wanted to write a drum n’ bass tune that was major and atmospheric. I doubt I’ll ever attempt that again.” JM
Sound:
SPIRITUALIZE
Debut: 12-31-03 Artistika, Greensboro, NC (WED)
Written by: Luke Miller
Discography: Nomad
Notes: “The samples used live come from a couple Ladysmith clips spliced together. The title for me represents the power music can have on individual and communal lives. The song was partly inspired by the DVD Everything.” – LM
“Luke did a wonderful job with this tune. Upon presenting the main ideas to the band, I found my guitar melodies and textures on the chords falling naturally into place, without effort or though. This is a powerful tune, in the same spirit as Umbilical Moonrise in that it attempts to uplifting and inspiring affect on people, putting smiles on faces.” - MR
Sound: Trance song with vocal sample
SPROUT TO VINE
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STALL
Debut: 09-1999
Written by: Jesse Miller
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Notes: “This song went through various stylistic changes, played various times as an instrumental and other times with lyrics. The lyrics were inspired by the 10-30-00 party. 11-18-00 was a particularly epic Stall
Sound:
SUITCASES AND SANDWICHES
AKA: Suitcases
First Debut: 08-18-02 Riverfront Amphitheatre, Niles, MI (THU) {primitive form, jam-like}
Official Debut: 10-04-02 Club Nostradamus, Philadelphia, PA (FRI)
Written by: Jesse Miller
Discography: Nomad
Notes: “The melody to this song came to me when a James Brown song came on the PA while I was grocery shopping. The title was inspired by Brian Wilson of 1000 Vertical Feet, who commented that Lotus is never without a suitcase or sandwich.” - JM
“A reworked version appears on Nomad as Suitcases.” – LM
Sound:
SUNRAIN
Debut: 04-2001
Written by: Luke Miller
Discography: Vibes
Notes: “The original version had lyrics with the Chorus: I’ve got sunshine I’ve got rain/I’ve got what I got, got no reason to complain, You’ve got love and wisdom to impart/so share a little bit of it before I depart. There was also a modulating middle section with ascending guitar line. The transition on triplets and rock-trance jam were added later and lyrics dropped. The arrangement was changed several times.” – LM
“The delay riffs in the later portion of this song were a result of my experimentation with multiple rhythmic delays at the same time. This comprised of one clean delay on dotted 8th notes and a modulating delay on quarter notes. The result was a very catchy texture over the chord Luke wrote of the song.” - MR
Sound: Major rock song with major rock-trance jam– tiny section and jam
SUSPENDED REASON
Debut: 03-29-02 Courthouse Pub, Goshen, IN (FRI)
Written by: Luke Miller
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Sound: Long sectional instrumental
TARRAGON VINEGARETTE
AKA: Cosmic Ocean
Debut: ?? /1999
Written by: Luke Miller
Discography:
Notes: “Titled by a fan at a show.” – LM
“We originally referred to this song as ‘Cosmic Ocean’, which, looking back, seems strange that we ended up naming it after a salad dressing. The title arose the same night in Denver at Quixote’s True Blue from the same guy who suggested the name Liquid Meat.”
Sound:
TIP OF THE TONGUE
Debut: 04-06-06 The Chameleon Club, Lancaster, PA (THU)
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TRAVEL
Debut: 06-15-04 Schubas Tavern, Chicago, IL (TUE)
Written by: Jesse Miller
Discography: Nomad
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Sound: Electronic song
TRANSFER CONSCIOUSNESS
Debut: 03-04-03 The Theater of Living Arts, Philadelphia, PA (TUE)
Written by: Michael Christie
Discography:
Notes: “An improv starter by Michael Christie. The name comes from a sample used in the song.” - LM
Sound: Improv
TURQUOISE
Debut: 09-30-06 The Fox Theatre, Boulder, CO (SAT)
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UMBILICAL MOONRISE
Debut: 09-25-98 Newcomer Center - 19, Goshen College, Goshen, IN (FRI)
Written by: Lotus
Discography: Germination, also appears on the first Lotus 3-song demo
Notes: “One of the oldest Lotus songs, group effort on writing. The title comes from two formative group improvising sessions, one in Goshen, one in Colorado. I was talking about these with Andy Parada, on of our first drummers, and the title was born.” – LM
“This song ‘wrote itself.’ It was the first song we created as a band; not even a month after our first jam sessions. It’s hard to say how it was written; it just came to be in an inspired moment. I was experimenting with some beautiful delay textures while our first bassist Joel started playing this tapping bass line he had written the previous summer, Luke busted out the chords, and Andy busted out this groovy beat underneath it and all of a sudden we had our first song. It was a magical experience. The structure and melodies just fell into space and it’s been a fan favorite ever since.” - MR
Sound:
UMBILICAL MOONSET
Debut: 06/1999
Written by: Lotus
Discography: Germination
Notes: “Our first attempt at trance written collectively in Colorado.” – LM
“Take the Umbilical Moonrise riff, shift it to E minor, speed it up and jam it out. Then add some electronic tweaks and you have Moonset
Sound: Minor trance jam
UPBREAKS
Debut: 10-04-06 The Orpheum Theater, Flagstaff, AZ (WED)
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WANDERING HOME
Debut: 08-23-00 Bristol Brewing Company, Colorado Springs, CO (WED)
Written by: Luke Miller
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Sound: Fast major song with modulating middle section and lyrics
WAX
Debut: 06-23-05 The Fox Theater, Boulder, CO (THU)
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WHEN H BINDS TO O
Debut: 01-28-06 The Bottleneck, Lawrence, KS (SAT)
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WOOLY MAMMOTH
Debut: 10-05-06 Rhythm Room, Phoenix, AZ (THU)
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