Early Years

On July 7, 1992, Lyons Township High School graduates, Chris Garibaldi and Matt Hyde went to Arlington National Raceway to discuss the prospect of starting a record label to release the music of their high school friend Mark Henning, frontman of the band, Zoom. With their remaining seven dollars, Garibaldi and Hyde placed a bet on the seventh horse in the seventh race. The horse, Lotuspool came in at 21 to 1 odds and the winnings funded an evening of steak, imported beer, and merriment. During the victory dinner, Hyde suggested the label be named after their equine benefactor. Garibaldi seconded the motion.

That winter, Garibaldi and Hyde moved to Lawrence, Kansas to start the label and focus on the thriving local Lawrence music scene. Lotuspool then released a Zoom 7” and Zoom’s self-titled debut album. They ran Lotuspool headquarters from the farmhouse of a 238-acre farm, which was one of the largest dairy farms in Kansas back in the 1960s. The dairy facility and barn were both out of commission during the Lotuspool days, but the label put both structures for use during some of the recording sessions held on the farm.

Sole Proprietorship

In 1994, it was apparent to both Garibaldi and Hyde that their respective interests related to Lotuspool were at different levels. The two amicably split leaving Garibaldi as the sole owner of Lotuspool.

Hyde and Garibaldi continue to be close friends. Hyde is now the owner of 715, a Lawrence, Kansas restaurant with meat-centric cuisine and an upscale ambiance.

Productivity and Success

Lotuspool thrived in its early years, releasing a 20 band compilation, “Feast of the Sybarites”, two Panel Donor records, a Bully Pulpit 7”, and a Bully Pulpit full-length CD. During this time John Peel became a Lotuspool fan; Zoom and Panel Donor were signed to larger labels; Lotuspool became one of the first 10 labels on the internet as they joined the Internet Underground Music Archive (IUMA); Lotuspool was pursued for acquisition by three major labels; and the Lotuspool ownership struck up an alliance with James Grauerholz and the author William S. Burroughs. The alliance mostly centered on a mutual love of firearms and the loose shooting restrictions associated with the Lotuspool farm zoning, but in addition, Grauerholz was a generous friend to Lotuspool. He produced the initial Panel Donor record with Matt Nalbach and was very generous when it came to Lotuspool borrowing his recording equipment for Bully Pulpit records.

Dark Times

In 1997, Garibaldi and a few band members found themselves at odds and unable to continue working harmoniously. The weight of that disappointment caused Garibaldi to turn his focus away from the label. Lotuspool dropped off IUMA, but did put up its own web site at http://www.lotuspool.com/. In addition, Lotuspool released the temporarily shelved Bully Pulpit album, “Jockeys” free and virtually, which served as a precursor to the label’s future. Still, the label was mostly dormant up until early 2010.

Rebirth

In 2011, Lotuspool revived itself by releasing all Lotuspool albums for online consumption. In addition, Lotuspool started working to license and release more music. In October, 2011, Lotuspool released Suneaters first album, “Suneaters I”. Furthermore, Lotuspool made an aggressive move to change the music industry paradigm by posting all of its albums for free download and streaming. Free Music: Listeners First! Bands Next! Labels Last! While SOPA and PIPA had been held at bay, Lotuspool was not going to stand idly by and wait for the next attack on a listener’s right to download music and share it for free. Lotuspool now has an expansive online presence where Lotuspool music can be purchased or enjoyed free.