Flux: An Ethereal Electronic Rebirth

Love Spirals Downwards’ fourth and final studio album, Flux (1998), marked the most dramatic transformation in the band’s sound, as Ryan Lum fully embraced electronic music, leaving behind much of the shoegaze, dream pop, and acoustic-driven atmospheres of earlier records. While Idylls (1992) and Ardor (1994) had been centered on ethereal guitar work, and Ever (1996) had hinted at electronic elements, Flux pushed further, merging breakbeats, downtempo rhythms, and drum & bass textures into Love Spirals Downwards’ signature ethereal aesthetic.

Despite being unlike anything Projekt Records had released before, Flux was widely praised by critics, embraced by longtime fans, and even featured on WB’s Dawson’s Creek in 2001. Over time, it has come to be regarded as one of the most forward-thinking releases in the Projekt catalog, demonstrating how electronic music could coexist with atmospheric, dreamlike songwriting.

Suzanne Perry and Ryan Lum, 1998 by Susan Jennings for Projekt Records

From Shoegaze to Breakbeats: A New Sonic Horizon

While Ever had already introduced digital manipulation and electronic layering, it remained a hybrid record, blending acoustic folk, ambient textures, and early electronic flourishes.  Flux went further by placing rhythm and electronic production at the core of the songwriting process.

Ryan Lum credited his evolving musical direction to years of exposure to electronic music in club settings. In a 1999 interview with Riders of the Plastic Groove (KUCI 88.9 FM), he reflected:

“For the whole decade of the ‘90s, I’ve been going to electronic, tech clubs—I don’t wanna call them ‘raves’—you know, house, trance, all that. When I first heard drum & bass, it was life-changing. It kind of ended our shoegazer sound—that Slowdive and Cocteau Twins sound we had on our previous album, Ever.”

In a 1998 interview with Fix Magazine, Lum expanded on this shift:

“When I finish a record, I don’t like to make the next record sound like the previous one. I like to change things up. A few months after Ever, I started hearing LTJ Bukem and stuff off his label, like PFM, Seba & Lo-Tek, off the Logical Progressions compilation. It blew my mind in the sense that it was as beautiful and ethereal and pretty as anything I’ve ever listened to, like the Cocteau Twins, and yet it was definitely electronic music. It’s the perfect fusion of beauty and bliss and electronica. That was an inspiration.”

By the time Flux was recorded, Lum had fully embraced electronic production, drawing inspiration from trip-hop, drum & bass, and downtempo artists who incorporated sampling and looping into their music. His favorite albums of 1998 reflected this shift:

  • Massive Attack – Mezzanine (a key inspiration for Flux’s darker, atmospheric grooves)
  • Air – Moon Safari (which helped shape the album’s downtempo, dreamy aesthetic)
  • Perfume Tree – Feeler (a clear parallel to Flux’s fusion of trip-hop, drum & bass, and ethereal vocals)
  • LTJ Bukem – Earth Vol. 3 (reinforcing Lum’s passion for ambient drum & bass and downtempo textures)
  • Soundtrack to Pi (notable for its blend of electronic beats and haunting atmospheres)

These influences shaped Lum’s production techniques, particularly his use of sampled, looped, or fragmented vocals, a style embraced by LTJ Bukem’s Good Looking Records crew, Massive Attack, Perfume Tree, and many of the artists from the PI soundtrack.

Building Flux: A Digital Revolution

Unlike previous albums, which were recorded using an analog 8-track, Flux was entirely digital, utilizing:

  • Cubase for MIDI sequencing
  • Ensoniq ASR-10 sampler for drum loops and vocal samples
  • Sony MDMX-4 to sync vocals to MIDI sequences
  • Steinberg ReCycle for slicing drum breaks
  • Roland TR-606 for programming beats
  • Roland Juno-106 for bass lines and string pads
  • Korg Prophecy for arpeggiated leads and synth washes
  • Lexicon PCM 70 for lush guitar ambiance

In a 1999 interview with Sony Soundbyte, Ryan Lum explained his choice of the Sony MDM-X4 for recording Flux:

“For Flux, I chose the Sony MDM-X4 because it allowed me to sync vocals seamlessly with my MIDI tracks and offered hard disk-like editing, which competing products lacked. The sophisticated editing allowed me to copy and paste audio, and rearrange songs after recording. For example, on ‘Ring,’ I added a guitar solo after the vocals were done, simply by adding a track.”

This level of digital flexibility allowed Lum to refine the songs in ways that would have been impossible with traditional analog recording, marking a significant departure from Love Spirals Downwards’ earlier methods. Lum explained this shift in Losing Today (1999):

“Right now it’s tapeless. I’m doing it all off a hard drive—digital audio. The kind of music I make, it’s great for that, ‘cause I’m always cutting and pasting stuff all over the place. I rarely ever lay down four minutes of an instrument. I usually just put down a little bit and move it all around.”

This digital workflow allowed for precise vocal sampling, intricate beat layering, and a richer sonic palette, fundamentally changing Love Spirals Downwards’ approach to composition.

In Keyboard Magazine (1999), Lum admitted:

“Getting new gear—for me—is what makes records. I am just amazed at how much great stuff is out there. It’s such a fun time to be making music.”

Vocal Sampling as an Artistic Evolution

As Flux moved further into electronic production, Lum’s approach to vocals evolved alongside his use of breakbeats and sampling. Rather than structuring songs around traditional lyrical melodies, he manipulated, looped, and repurposed vocals as textural elements, weaving them into the rhythmic and atmospheric framework of each track.

This sample-driven approach is most evident in:

  • “Nova” – A mostly instrumental drum & bass piece, featuring a single, heavily processed vocal sample as a bridge, reinforcing its hypnotic, textural feel.
  • “I’ll Always Love You” –Instead of structured lyrics, the song repeats a single word (“misunderstood”) throughout,  reflecting the techniques found in downtempo and drum & bass production.
  • “Sound of Waves” – Perry’s ethereal, ambiguous vocalizations float over a downtempo beat, recalling her phonetic singing on past albums but with a more repetitive, minimalistic delivery that enhances the song’s meditative feel.
  • “Sunset Bell” – Originally recorded in 1994 with Jennifer Ryan Fuller for Ardor, Lum resampled Fuller’s wordless “la la la” phrases transforming them into a techno-inspired arrangement that bridges organic and electronic textures.

Still, Flux was not entirely dependent on sampled vocals. Several tracks featured full, structured vocal performances, connecting back to Love Spirals Downwards’ earlier songwriting approach while blending seamlessly into the album’s electronic evolution.

City Moon – An Unlikely Anthem

More than two decades after its release, “City Moon” has emerged as the most-streamed Love Spirals Downwards song on Spotify and Apple Music, despite never being released as a single, having a music video, or being performed live. Its unexpected popularity speaks to the enduring resonance of Flux and its ability to find new listeners long after its initial release.

As the opening track of Flux, “City Moon” immediately sets a hypnotic, urban-meets-celestial atmosphere. The song begins with a 53-second instrumental introduction, blending mellow acoustic guitar, gentle trip-hop beats, and Ryan Lum’s signature ethereal electric guitar textures, before Suzanne Perry’s soft, detached vocals enter with the lines, ‘Oh oh oh / Bad moon/ You were more to me.’ The chorus, with its evocative lines, ‘And yellow time is overhead / Unchanging things imprinted / Can it all be clear‘ hints at a deeper, almost mystical exploration of time, memory, and longing.

Adding to its legacy, “City Moon” was featured on the final installment of Hyperium Records’ Heavenly Voices compilation series in 1998. This placement marked a fitting full-circle moment—Hyperium had played a pivotal role in introducing Love Spirals Downwards to a European audience, releasing their first two albums in Germany and including their music on numerous influential compilations throughout the 1990s. Its selection for Heavenly Voices VI affirmed that, even as the band evolved sonically, their music remained deeply connected to the ethereal wave movement that had embraced them from the beginning.

Alicia – A Flamenco-Tinged Dream

Among Flux’s more vocally prominent tracks, ‘Alicia’ distinguishes itself with its captivating vocal harmonies and evocative use of language. While Ryan Lum’s production embraces drum & bass rhythms, Suzanne Perry’s performance maintains a melancholic, ethereal quality, reinforcing the album’s dreamlike atmosphere.

Perry’s lyrics, a blend of genuine and invented Spanish-inspired phrases, continue her established practice of weaving foreign language fragments with made-up words—a technique evident in earlier albums, particularly Idylls and Ardor. This approach adds a layer of mystique and ambiguity, enhancing the song’s dreamlike quality.

The chorus, with its evocative lines ‘Bella quartova / Su sol / Hiereme,’ captures a sense of longing and distance, echoing Flux’s recurring themes of transformation and emotional detachment. Roughly translated as ‘Beautiful room / Your sun / Hurts me,’ these phrases convey a poignant sense of loss and yearning.

Adding to the song’s melodic richness, guest musician Rodney Rodriguez (of The Von Trapps) contributes an acoustic guitar solo, lending ‘Alicia’ a flamenco-tinged warmth that creates a unique sonic texture within the album. This unexpected fusion of drum & bass with Spanish guitar highlights Flux’s willingness to experiment and blend diverse musical influences.

By Your Side – A Soulful Departure

Midway through the album, “By Your Side” stands out as one of Flux’s most emotionally open and lyrically direct tracks. Unlike Perry’s earlier work, which often featured airy, high-register vocals, layered harmonies, and abstract lyrics, this song showcases her lower register, with no vocal harmonies and minimal processing, creating a more grounded, intimate quality.

This earthier vocal tone is a notable departure from Perry’s ethereal, angelic delivery, aligning more closely with the understated yet emotive style of Tracey Thorn (Everything But the Girl). Perry was likely experimenting with her voice, adapting to Flux’s modern drum & bass production and sleeker, more urban aesthetic.

Lyrically, “By Your Side” is one of Perry’s most straightforward songs, replacing her usual poetic abstraction with clear imagery of devotion and longing. While “City Moon” and “Alicia” lean toward dreamlike surrealism, “By Your Side” uses water imagery as a metaphor for emotional connection and distance:

“Crossing this ocean’s too wide / How could that warmth be the right sky? / Crossing to be by your side. / Right by your side”

Lum had cited Everything But the Girl’s Walking Wounded as one of his favorite albums of 1996, alongside releases from Mojave 3, Perfume Tree, and LTJ Bukem, suggesting that “By Your Side” may have been influenced by Walking Wounded’s fusion of soulful vocals and drum & bass production.

As noted in the 2024 Flux vinyl liner notes, the song’s imagery of movement and longing ties into Flux’s broader thematic shift:

“The environments conjured up by Flux may be considerably more sleek and urban, but they’re no less evocative, particularly when Perry sings… ‘I’d cross the ocean / Just to be there by your side / I’ve felt the water / As its river flows to dry.’”

In 2018, Post-Punk.com included Flux in their article 100 Essential Dream Pop Releases, writing:

“Tracks like the peerless ‘City Moon,’ ‘By Your Side,’ and pulsating epic closer ‘Sunset Bell’ felt like being trapped in a waking dream that you never wanted to end.”

Even though Flux marked a departure from Love Spirals Downwards’ earlier shoegaze and folk-infused soundscapes, “By Your Side” demonstrates how Perry’s voice—stripped down and lower in tone—could still evoke the haunting beauty that defined the band’s legacy.

Kristen Perry – Mythology and Mainstream Success

One of the most notable shifts on Flux was the return of Kristen Perry, Suzanne’s sister, who contributed lead vocals to ‘Psyche’ and ‘Ring.’ While most listeners were unaware of the vocalist change, as noted by Carpe Noctem, ‘One interesting aspect of Flux is that one of the two additional vocalists—whose timbre seamlessly dovetails with Suzanne’s—just happens to be her sister,‘ Kristen’s presence added a distinct literary and thematic layer to the album, and also brought the band an unexpected moment of mainstream exposure.

Her lyrics, rich in mythological and folkloric allusions, provided a stark contrast to Suzanne’s more impressionistic style. “Psyche,” inspired by the Greek myth of Psyche and Eros, explored themes of love and redemption with lines like, ‘I held the lamp, suspicion beheld me his face / I loved him blindly, never saw his face by day.‘ “Ring,” drawing from Celtic faerie folklore   and W.B. Yeats’ poetry, evoked an enchanted escape into the supernatural with, ‘Come away, with me, oh human child / To the waters and the wild. With a faerie hand in hand.’

This song, “Psyche”, became an unexpected mainstream success when it was featured in a 2001 episode of the popular television show Dawson’s Creek. Originally airing in the season five premiere, “The Bostonians,” the episode reached 4.47 million viewers during its original broadcast, and was broadcast in over 50 countries and remained in syndication for years, introducing Kristen’s vocals to a far wider audience through reruns and DVD releases.

Kristen’s contributions not only deepened the album’s thematic scope but also underscored the evolving dynamics within the band, as her return reignited long-standing sibling tensions. This added layer of complexity contributed to the album’s overall narrative, which was as much about personal upheaval as it was about sonic innovation.

Creative Tensions Arise with Suzanne Perry & Projekt Records Over Flux

Despite its critical acclaim, Flux marked a significant turning point for Love Spirals Downwards—one that had been unfolding since Ever. Suzanne Perry’s role in shaping the band’s sound had gradually diminished as Ryan Lum leaned further into electronic production.

This transition began with Ever, where Lum’s growing interest in digital production surfaced on tracks like “Madras” and “Promises,” incorporating loop-based arrangements and layered vocal manipulations. By Flux, he had fully embraced drum & bass, downtempo, and breakbeat influences, making sampling and looping central to the album’s aesthetic. Perry, meanwhile, contributed fewer lyrics and melodies than on previous releases, partly due to her increasing focus on a career in psychology and social policy research.

Perry had long been candid about her dual career path, emphasizing in interviews that music was only one facet of her life. As early as 1995, she remarked, “I have a professional life that’s very analytical and my leisure, which is singing. Love Spirals Downwards is really confined to this one part of my life, to specific circumstances.” (MUSE, 1995)

However, even when she was involved, Flux was not the kind of album Perry would have chosen to make. In Fix Magazine, she reflected on the creative shift:

“Usually, it’s more of a collaborative effort. It’s not that this one wasn’t, but he took it in directions that I wouldn’t necessarily have gone if I was there at every moment. It’s more of Ryan’s work. It’s something that he fashioned out of his own likings.”

Lum acknowledged the shift, adding:

“I don’t think Suzanne was as easily able to make parts for this kind of music as she was for the more acoustic-based music. Her sister, on the other hand, was making up parts left and right, so it kind of worked out.”

The return of Kristen Perry only added another layer of tension. She had originally worked with Lum before Suzanne took her place as Love Spirals Downwards’ vocalist, and Suzanne never shied away from dismissing her sister’s role in the band’s early days. In a 1992 Altered Mind interview, she recalled:

“It’s funny because I was in London at the time going to school, and he was sending me tapes with my sister on it, and I thought, ‘I can sing that. In fact, I can sing that better!’ Then I kind of came back, and we started doing it.”

A year later, in AS IF Magazine, she reinforced this view:

“My sister was singing with Ryan, maybe like one or two songs, and then I was going to school in London for a while and hearing tapes of my sister’s, and they never really got off the ground and did that much stuff.”

The tension between them was so well known that even interviewers joked about it. In a Fond Affexxions interview that same year, the interviewer groaned, “Not your sister again, not the sibling rivalry again!” to which Suzanne simply replied, “I know, I know.”

By the time Flux was released, public speculation about the band’s creative tensions led to pointed remarks from Perry. On Space Disco For Fish Tacos, she offered a tongue-in-cheek response to the album’s so-called controversy:

“Let’s talk about how good that album is. If you’ve heard me speak about the album any other times, I’ve completely switched my opinion now. My promotions people have talked to me. I love it. Everything is so great! That’s what people want to hear—how wonderful everything is and what a wonderful process it was making the album. They don’t want to hear the truth.”

Show host Daniel Bremmer (aka 9-5 Superspy), who also penned the Fix article, told the band he “didn’t agree with that,” noting that it’s “his favorite album,” and that “he thinks it’s silly.” Suzanne then acknowledged the debate more seriously:

“I think one of the big issues is it’s not maybe a Projekt-y sound, you know, and I think that has made the whole thing more controversial. So people have jumped on this thing that ‘Suzanne doesn’t like it and Ryan does,’ you know? I don’t know.”

Projekt Records founder Sam Rosenthal had initially questioned whether Flux fit within the label’s ethereal aesthetic. As Lum recalled in a 2000 RadioSpy interview:

“It’s not his cup of tea, but we more or less have artistic freedom to do as we please. We proved with Flux—even though we made an album that’s so different from anything else on the label—people didn’t complain. He thought that people were going to say that Projekt — or someone — sold out, and none of that came out.”

Though Flux was unlike anything else in Projekt’s catalog, it ultimately found its place, proving that the label’s audience was more open to evolution than expected. However, the album’s creation was not without its challenges. Liner notes for the 2024 Flux vinyl reissue, written by Jason Moore of Opus Zine, explain:

“The album’s title was more than just a descriptor of a new musical direction—it reflected the personal upheaval behind the scenes. By the time Flux was recorded, Lum and Perry’s relationship had ended, and disagreements over the music only deepened the divide. Shortly after its release, they went their separate ways.”

Despite these personal and creative tensions, Flux was still brought to life in a live setting, offering a final glimpse of Love Spirals Downwards in performance.

Love Spirals Downwards’ Final Concert: Projekt Festival ‘98

Love Spirals Downwards performed what would become their final concert at Projekt Festival ‘98 (March 15, 1998, at the El Rey Theatre, Los Angeles). Organized by Projekt Records founder Sam Rosenthal, the festival aimed to showcase the label’s artists in a live setting, addressing the fact that many Projekt bands, including Love Spirals Downwards, primarily focused on studio work. In a January 1998 blog post, written in anticipation of the event, Ryan Lum shared details about the evolving festival plans and the band’s reservations about such performances, stating,

“Some of you know that Suzanne and I are not exactly blissful about festival shows, so this will be our last festival performance and your last opportunity to see us at one.”

Adding to this context, a March 1998 article in Mean Streets So Cal revealed Lum’s anticipation of the band’s upcoming sonic shift on their next album, which would become Flux. Lum expressed his growing interest in “melodic futuristic drum and bass” artists like LTJ Bukem and Photek, and hinted at the album’s “ethereal breakbeat” sound. He also noted the band’s uncertainty about their live performance, stating,

“It can go a hundred different ways—all acoustic, all electronic, maybe have different people appearing with us onstage, maybe not. I’ve been working on it for two months and I still don’t know! I do know that I don’t want to have to go out there and change people’s minds or make converts.”

This reflected Lum’s focus on artistic exploration and his desire to avoid simply replicating their studio sound live.

For this final festival performance, Lum assembled a live band that included Rodney Rodriguez (guest musician on “Alicia”) on guitar, Drew Pluta of Arcanta on electronic drums and backing vocals, Suzanne Perry on vocals and egg shaker, and Lum himself alternating between acoustic guitar and bass, while DAT backing tracks filled out the electronic elements. Despite Flux’s electronic direction, their set balanced new and old material, featuring acoustic versions of songs from their first three albums alongside newer tracks enhanced with live percussion and electronics. The biggest surprise came at the end of the set, when they returned for an encore with an unexpected cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams.” Perry’s airy vocals gave the song a ghostly, ethereal quality, while Pluta’s harmonies added depth, making it a rare moment of shared vocals in the band’s live history.

An Outburn review of the show commented on the contrast between Love Spirals Downwards’ evolving sound and the festival atmosphere:

“Love Spirals Downwards’ radiant songs were enhanced by an additional guitarist and an electronic drummer to ‘add some get’ to their usually acoustic set. The best songs came at the beginning, where they worked some cool beats and electronics into their acoustic sounds. Unfortunately, the lovely and mellow mood was disrupted repeatedly by Suzanne Perry’s lengthy chit-chat and attempted conversations with the audience, but the songs were enjoyed nevertheless.”

Though this would be their last official concert, Flux had one final live moment on the airwaves before the band’s shift toward electronic music culture.

Final Live Appearance: Space Disco for Fish Tacos

Though ProjektFest ’98 was their last stage concert, Love Spirals Downwards played one final live set together. On December 16, 1998, they appeared on KUCI 88.9 FM’s Space Disco for Fish Tacos, performing a handful of songs, including “Alicia” and “Sound of Waves,” using a backing track on DAT. After the performance, they were interviewed by Daniel Bremmer (aka DJ 9-5 Superspy), marking their last live radio appearance as a band. From this point forward, Ryan Lum found a new way to present Flux—as a DJ, blending its ethereal beats into electronic music spaces.

Remixing Flux: Lum’s Expansion Into DJ Culture

As part of the promotional cycle for Flux, Ryan Lum fully immersed himself in electronic music culture—not just as a musician, but as a DJ. While Love Spirals Downwards only performed live twice in this era, Lum took the project into clubs, underground spaces, and radio airwaves through a series of DJ performances focused on downtempo, drum & bass, and ethereal electronic sounds.

Between 1998 and 2000, he played sets at venues like Spaceland in Los Angeles, La Belle Epoque in San Francisco, and Virgin Megastore in Hollywood, as well as at electronic music nights such as Nightnoise, Dervish, and Sterile. His DJ appearances extended to radio, with multiple guest spots on KUCI 88.9 FM’s Space Disco for Fish Tacos and Riders of the Plastic Groove. He also performed at larger events, including Caffeinated at the Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara, the B-Sides Y2K Party in Big Bear, and the Family 6th Year Anniversary in Los Angeles.

As Flux evolved from a live act to a DJ-driven experience, Lum’s remixes of ‘Alicia’ and ‘Misunderstood’ extended the album’s reach, cementing Love Spirals Downwards’ legacy as a boundary-pushing project that bridged ethereal music and electronic innovation.

A Bold Departure: The Acclaim for Flux

Though Flux marked a dramatic departure from Love Spirals Downwards’ earlier work, it was widely acclaimed:

  • Pitchfork (1998): “Within minutes of listening to this disc, you’ll think that Love Spirals Downwards has been doing this for years and everybody else is just way behind the times.”
  • Option Magazine (1998): “A great, contemporary record. It’s one of the best things I’ve heard in months.“
  • Carpe Noctem (1998): “Flux may just elevate the band into a broader realm of exposure beyond the goth scene.”
  • Keyboard (1999): “An album of uncommon character. The organic feel of Lum’s experienced guitar playing smooths out the gushing beats by adding mellow polyrhythmic contrast.”
  • URB Magazine (2000): “A seamless hybrid of trip-hop, dream pop, and drum & bass.”
  • Opus Zine (2000): “Incredibly listenable and quite beautiful. I’m quite taken by this, and it’s probably one of my favorite albums to come out on Projekt.”

Additionally, Flux was featured in Borders listening stations from September through mid-November 1998 across all Borders locations, as well as in listening stations at select Virgin, Media Play, and Tower Records stores.

Flux tracks appeared on a number of compilations, further extending the albums reach. Notable inclusions include:

  • The Projekt Sampler (1998) — “By Your Side”
  • Heavenly Voices Part V (1998) — “City Moon”
  • Carpe Noctem 1 (1998) — “By Your Side”
  • Loraine: A KUCI 88.9FM Benefit Compilation (1998) — “Nova”
  • Diva X Machina 3 (2000) — “Alicia (1999 Remix)”
  • Heartbeats (2000) — “Psyche”

Resonance and Reissue: The Enduring Legacy of Flux

Beyond its initial critical acclaim, Flux has continued to resonate with listeners and artists, solidifying its position as a groundbreaking work, even decades later.

In 2013, Walter of Fietsers Afstappen wrote a blog post called Flux: The Album that Should Have Been a Genre. He summarized, “Fifteen years on, Flux remains a uniquely brilliant album, a potential genre-defining masterpiece that, tragically, never spawned the imitators it deserved. Its blend of danceable yet atmospheric beauty is unparalleled, and its descent into relative obscurity is not just a shame, but a disgrace.” This passionate assessment underscores the album’s unique qualities and the sense of missed opportunity.

In 2018, Flux was ranked #64 on Post-Punk.com’s Post-Punk Definitive Dreaminess: 100 Essential Dream Pop Releases, with the site stating, “Flux incorporated skittering, downtempo trip hop and drum & bass rhythmic elements, oddly rendering their music even more intoxicating and opaque. Tracks like the peerless ‘City Moon,’ ‘By Your Side,’ and pulsating epic closer ‘Sunset Bell’ felt like being trapped in a waking dream that you never wanted to end.”

The album’s enduring appeal led to a 2023 expanded, remastered digital release, followed by a 2024 vinyl edition from Lost in Ohio Records, making it available on LP for the first time. A Discogs review reads, “This is a beautiful package, and a lovely first-issue of an album 26 years after release. The white vinyl is heavyweight and dead silent, the sleeve has a great feel to it and is faithfully reproduced, and the liner notes are a real treasure.” This comment highlights the care and attention to detail that went into the reissue, emphasizing the album’s continued appeal to collectors and audiophiles.   

The album’s continued influence is vividly illustrated by music journalist Marg.mp3. In a 2020 review, she praised Flux as a “veryyy cool record” that blends “dream pop, electronica and DnB in a way that’s moody and ambient, creating spooky, dubby techno soundscapes,” reminiscent of “the dreaminess of Cocteau Twins” and “the atmospheric trip-hop sound of Portishead.” Notably, she also connected Flux to modern artists like the critically acclaimed Danish singer/songwriter/producer Erika de Casier, suggesting, “if you like Erika de Casier’s Essentials, I think you’d like this!” This connection became especially significant in a 2024 video interview where Marg.mp3 asked de Casier, “What was the last album you listened to that really stuck with you?” De Casier chose Flux, citing “City Moon” as an immediate favorite and praising the “beautiful” mixture of drum & bass and ethereal vocals. This resurgence in interest among a younger audience, exploring the sounds of 90s electronica, underscores Flux‘s enduring appeal and its ability to resonate with contemporary artists and listeners across international borders.

This enduring popularity, coupled with the album’s lasting influence on contemporary artists, solidifies Flux as a testament to the band’s fearless evolution. Though it was their final studio release, Flux cemented their legacy as innovators, forever etching their name in the annals of ethereal electronic music.