An eclectic mix of technorganic, ambient and dance-oriented electronic funk comes to State College at 9 tonight as Lotus and Motion for Alliance (MFA) bring unique jams to The Brewery, 233 E. Beaver Ave.

Lotus, a five-member ensemble, came together at Indiana's Goshen College in 1999 and relocated to Philadelphia in 2002. Since then, the band has built a solid following throughout the nation, particularly in the Midwest.

This show at The Brewery is the third stop of Lotus' first coast-to-coast tour and its first tour since the release of its new album, Germination, last May.

Building on the band's significant following in the East, there has been a desire to tour out West, where Lotus has also built a large fan base. This tour will take band members through the Rockies and around California before they make their way back to the East Coast, manager Brendan Pester said.

By mixing jazzy drum and bass with components of jazz, funk and ethnic music from areas such as India, Africa and Latin America, Lotus appeals to a wide musical audience.

"It's basically live improvisation, house and trance funk with a blend of other
styles," Pester said, adding that the goal of each set is to create a new dance experience for those sharing the band's energy.

Lotus, along with MFA, draws much of its creativity and on-stage energy from the audience. Both bands look to harmonize the tone and energy of their performance with that of the audience to create a unique, dance-filled show every time they hit the stage.

"We're very improvisational, so the energy of the crowd plays a huge role in our show," Lotus bassist Jesse Miller said. "We'll play till around 2 a.m., so there will be a lot of good music from one set of MFA and two sets of Lotus."

MFA, which formed in Boulder, Colo., in 1998, is currently on a rigorous January tour to promote its new album, 43rd Street Sessions: First Volume.

According to MFA's Web site, the band brings "technology, art and democratic musicianship to the stage with a sound that is original [and] honest."

The tour will have the band playing in clubs from Vermont to Kansas, promoting the nine-track album, which was recorded and edited from a two-hour live improvisational session.

Although this is the first time the two bands will play together, both are excited to share their similar sounds and give State College residents a unique and powerful dance-oriented jam session, Miller said.

"We always look for bands who are spreading the same musical message around the nation that we are," he added. "They (MFA) have really great live drum and bass sounds."