VEGAS 08

Congrats to DJ Russell and A DoG for gettin on this!! Show Vegas how we do...see ya there. yesss

Girl Talk After Party Middlebury College 01/18/08

Thank you to Red Bull for hosting and to Middlebury College for having us provide the music. We hope you had as much fun as we did...oh wait you did...nice. What about Girl Talk? Yeah he was there too. Here are photos from the crazy night. All photo credit goes to Anaii Ender! Say word.
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U 32's Crystal Ball 2008

On January 20th 2008 Lotus Entertainment hosted U-32's Winter Ball dance at the National Life Cafe Montpelier Vermont.
Four hours of non stop dancing with MC Big Rye, ZJ and MR J Slice spinnin' on the decks. Big up to U-32 High school!(You guys know how to party) Plus we cant forget the Chaperones the for keeping the party safe! Also, thanks to the security guy(even if he didnt throw up his horns. we'll get him next time)
All photo credit goes to our staff photographer Anaii(we love you).
Download the photos for free, share a laugh, cry a little,
Do the dance..ENJOY!
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Vermont's Turntablism and Urban Music Production Center?

THE LAB is Vermont's first and only urban music production and DJ center. Located in the heart of Burlington 19 Church st #7, the LAB offers courses in Hip-Hop music production and DJing for all ages and abilities!
CLICK HERE

Top Ten Juicy January

What's really good? Random tracks we have in our pod's. Classics, new, random, whatever. Songs that made our top ten of the month and think you should own. word. enjoy.
CLICK ON PLAYLIST BELOW

Slick Rick December 6th 2007 Higher Ground Ball Room

LE Launch Party March 22nd 2007

Needle Droppers

w/DJ ROB SWIFT

Soundbites: Lotus Entertainment

By Casey Rea

Despite its reputation as a hotbed of live music, Burlington has always been something of a DJ town. The well of bands dries up from time to time, but local turntablists rarely miss a beat. They don’t always get a lot of attention, though. That could very well change with the introduction of a new DJ service organization, Lotus Entertainment.

The company is the brainchild of DJ ZJ (a.k.a. Zach Johnson) and Randy Russell, who created Lotus to satisfy clients looking for more than cheesy pop hits cued up on an iPod. “We can identify with the youth of today, because we are the youth,” states their website, http://www.LotusMusicVt.com. As long as they aren’t “Electric Youth.” ’Cause that’s Debbie Gibson’s territory.

In addition to serving up fresh beats, Lotus is starting up a DJ school, which will offer beginner, intermediate and expert classes. Don’t have your own set of steel wheels? No worries. The company will provide equipment and records as part of its tuition. They also plan on launching a clothing line at some point in the near future, so keep your eyes out for lids and hoodies.

Lotus’ local roster includes DJs A-Dog, Anubus, CRE8, Russell, Strongarm and, of course, ZJ. Representing the “international” talent (which, unsurprisingly, includes Montréal) are DJs Killa Jewel, Mana, Revolution and Rob Swift

Swift, a former member of world-renowned turntablists the X-Ecutioners, is indeed deadly on the decks. The Queens-born DJ will be on hand for the Lotus launch party, which takes place at Plan B on Thursday, March 22. You can also expect appearances from nearly every other act on the company’s roster, as well as giveaways and a screening of Swift’s new DVD, As the Tables Turn.

The show takes place at 9 p.m.; tickets are $10, and can be purchased at Steez in Burlington. Call 310-4700 for more info.

Miami Vice

Scene@ Miami Vice CruiseThe Spirit of Ethan Allen, Burlington, Friday, July 27, 11 p.m.

By Meghan Dewald

The young, glamorously dressed crowd pressing toward the gangway paused when a suited, tattooed gent at the narrow gate raised his voice. “Listen up, folks. If you are under 21, sell your ticket now. You will not get on the boat.” Behind me, multiple voices chimed, “Um, interested!” meaning they were in the market for a way into Lotus Entertainment’s sold-out “Miami Vice” theme party cruise. The man continued, “If you have any drugs or weapons, you will not be getting on the boat.” Wow, this really does feel like Miami, I thought, watching folks ahead of me getting gently frisked.

The illusion intensified inside, after I got an eyeful of the number of white jackets aboard. Some guys had gone the gray-tone gangster route, but there were a few linen suits, and also a serious effort at mimicking the TV show’s trademark Armani-jacket-over-T-shirt look. Panama hats popped up here and there, on ladies, too. One guy even had a leather shoulder holster — empty, thankfully.

In addition to launching pastel fashion trends shepherded by the show’s style consultant, Gianni Versace, the flamboyant detectives of “Miami Vice” fought crime in MTV-mode 20 years ago. A star-studded roster of ’80s rock groups — including The Police and Peter Gabriel — contributed tunes to the hip soundtrack. The music may have been different on the Spirit of Ethan Allen, but it was still what people wanted to hear: Lotus Entertainment, a Burlington-based production company of hip-hop music and events, hosted the floating fest as a thank-you to business interests (I stumbled across their VIP lounge near the second-floor bow around midnight), but then decided to open the party to the public as well.

DJ Fattie B. greeted guests as they boarded the boat, pointing them toward the bar and then ramping up the hip-hop vibe. Ladies clad in short, sequined dresses filled the dance floor to bust some moves. If the guys had taken detective-chic as their model for getting gussied up, most of the gals went the sassy streetwalker route in ruffled miniskirts or gold lamé hot pants and stiletto heels.

Once the boat had eased out onto Lake Champlain, the music paused for a recording that reviewed the location of lifejackets. But for the rest of the night, Fattie B., Craig Mitchell and DJ A-Dog took turns at the wheels of steel amid clouds of dry ice, and guests mingled or mugged for the camera in a prom-style photo set-up, complete with balloons. All in all, the $13 tickets seemed like a pretty good deal. It was about 1:30 a.m. by the time the boat docked, and I was partied out.

Lotus Entertainment?

In the local DJ industry, there lacks a company that truly identifies with the youth and younger culture. We have come across many students who complain that the DJs that spin at their dances don�t play the music that they want to hear, or that they�re �cheesy�. It was the same way many of us felt at our own schools, clubs and private functions. Many of the DJs from the already established companies came across as �corporate DJs� or �cookie-cutter DJs� where many of them only know how to play songs from CDs or ipod's. But there is more to being a DJ than just being able to play song after song, the techniques and skills of fading, blending, mixing and scratching are anart that these corporate DJs lack. In other words, the artform of TURNTABLISM is the key ingredient to Lotus Entertainment.
Lotus Entertainment fills this need for a more modern and talented DJ company. We can identify with the youth of today because we are the youth. Lotus Entertainment is composed of members from both Generation X and the Wired Generation. We don�t just play music as our job, it�s our life!
Lotus Entertainment is the brainchild of a couple friends who share a deep love and passion for music. What started out as an idea to get gigs at local college fraternities bloomed into a full on attack as to how to revolutionize and change how DJ companies are run. Randy Russell aka DJ Russell Zack Johnson aka ZJ are the core of the L.E dream team.
Not only does Lotus Entertainment provide the highest quality in DJ services but is also offering DJing and Urban music production lessons on all levels. Ever want to learn how to mix, scratch, or make beats live? The areas best dj's and producers share their knowledge and wisdom behind the art of Turntablism and Music Production. Our music studio called THE LAB is now up and running located on 19 church st #7 Burlington,VT For more information or details on how to sign up call our office at 802.863.8500 or email thelab123@gmail.com!

And in case your wondering....(thank you Rikki!)
The company takes its name and inspiration from the lotus flower. The lotus flower symbolizes the true soul of an individual, and represents the metamorphosis that the soul goes through. It rises from the depths of the mud through the murky waters of experience, and blossoms under the sunshine of enlightenment high above the water. The soul of our company is young and coming from the underground. We are pushing our way through the competition and with the support and dedication of our extended family we are parting the waters of experience to bloom into a fully developed and enlightened company.