UPDATE: Additional information about Frames Per Second video components and accompanying tour dates has been added.
If you’ve been paying attention to the social media channels of jamtronica favorites Lotus over the last week, you’ve probably noticed they’ve been gearing up for something big. Each day since Wednesday, November 28th, the band has posted an image of a colorful numeral, beginning at “7” and counting down toward “0” with each successive day. Today, Wednesday, December 5th, is the day to which the countdown has been pointing, and the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is sure to get fans excited: Lotus has released a brand new album—Frames Per Second, their first studio release since 2016’s Eat the Light—and a 2019 tour to go along with it.
INTERVIEW: Mike Rempel Talks Lotus’ New Album & Evolution, Side Projects, Disc Jam, & More
Frames Per Second is a sprawling, 19-track release comprised of a mix of never-before-heard material and songs the band has been introducing and road-testing since the release of Eat The Light (like “Cold Facts”, “Bug Love”, “Faceblind”, “Cosmosis”, “Forgotten Name”, “Gifford’s Airship”, “Jiggle”, “Pachyderm”, and “And yet They Fight”).
“Frames Per Second is a different project than we’ve ever made before,” shares bassist/composer Jesse Miller in a press release. “I hesitate to even call it an album. I see it more as a documentary of our current composing and playing. The guiding theme was the idea that we would record live in the studio with cameras filming. But, since it is not a concert with an audience, big sound system and flashing lights, the energy is very different. It is more intimate and introspective. We set up in a big circle with the primary camera in the center of the room, putting the viewer or listener directly in the middle of the band.”
Adds keyboardist/composer Luke Miller, We recorded Frames Per Second live in the studio so we could capture the interplay between the members of Lotus. We’ve been performing together for many years, so there is a telepathy that happens when playing live. We left room for unscripted improvisation in the compositions, and recorded fast, in just four days, so we had to rely on listening to each other and reacting in real time. Documenting the album on video was a way to give listeners an up-close perspective of that process. For an instrumental album, seeing where the sounds come from and the physicality of actually manipulating the strings, keys, and sticks can be very insightful and add a layer of depth and enjoyment. And in a time where many things get digitized to death, musicians playing live in the studio can be a humanizing remedy.”
You can listen to the new Lotus album below:
Lotus – Frames Per Second – Full Album
In addition to the album itself, Lotus is releasing a studio documentary chronicling the recording of Frames Per Second at Rittenhouse Soundworks in Philadelphia. The documentary aims to “showcase Lotus in a pure, raw form performing live in the studio. You can watch a teaser video for Lotus’ Frames Per Second documentary below:
Lotus – Frames Per Second – Studio Documentary Teaser
[Video: Lotus]
Finally, Lotus’ big news day is rounded out by the announcement of a new crop of 2019 tour dates in support of the new LP. The newly announced dates include a pair of shows in Philadelphia in January (1/25, 1/26) as well as multi-night stops in Buffalo, NY (2/8, 2/9) and Pittsburgh, PA (2/15, 2/16) in February. Lotus will pick back up in the spring with a three-night stand in Brooklyn, NY (4/4, 4/5, 4/6); a two-night stint in Washington, D.C. (4/19, 4/20); and a two-night Colorado run including a show at Denver’s Summit (4/26) and a tour-closing blowout at Red Rocks with Ghostland Observatory (4/27).
Fan club tickets for Lotus’ newly announced tour dates are available now, and general on-sale begins on Friday, December 7th or Saturday, December 8th depending on the show. For full ticketing information, head here.
