Once again, Love Spirals Downwards’ vocalist, Suzanne Perry, and Lovespirals vocalist, Anji Bee, have collaborated with John Zorko of Falling You. ‘Shine’ is the first of his albums to be released by Projekt, who are offering a limited edition CD as well as a digital release.
Suzanne Perry discuses “Until the Stars Align,” her contribution to Shine. “Creatively, the ingenues that live in John and I connect. Getting a song from him is always surprising as he manages to weave an unexpected intergalactic sounding sound. Sometimes I don’t know what to do with these sounds to be honest, but I’ve grown fond of them and have come to know them as Zorkoesque. What did I think of when creating this song? As it has always been for me, it’s not been about thinking or connecting the sounds to the world as it is in these fleeting moments. But I recall thinking about the night sky. The lyrics for ‘Until the Stars Align’ were written mostly by Cris Miller.”
Projekt.com
Cris Miller, as you may recall, collaborated with Suzanne first in 2004 on a cover of “Sally’s Song” for the Projekt Holiday Single 2 maxi-CD under the name Melodyguild. Also known as Silver Screen, Miller contributed vocals as well as lyrics to the Falling You cut, making him perhaps the first male vocalist featured by John Zorko.
With the new album comes a new band bio and portrait. Check out the one-sheet and photo below:
Lovespirals’ sophomore offering, Free & Easy, is actually band founder Ryan Lum’s 6th album, having released 4 other 10,000+ selling Projekt titles under the extended moniker, Love Spirals Downwards. Since 1991, multi-instrumentalist/producer Lum has been slowly but steadily perfecting his craft, mesmerizing listeners with a dreamy combination of ethereal rock, folk, and electronica, enhanced by female vocals ranging from the sensual to the sublime. 1998’s crossover electronica/rock breakthrough, Flux, possessed a more contemporary appeal than earlier efforts; the drum ‘n’ bass infused “Psyche” was even featured on the WB’s Dawson’s Creek. Enthused by the embrace of both his past fanbase and a newly growing listenership, Lum continued to evolve in a dance-oriented style, creating atmospheric jazz-step club tracks — including a remix of darkwave classic, “Bittersweet,” for Claire Voyant’s Time Again released through Metropolis Records.
By 1999, Lum was closely collaborating with new vocalist/songwriter, Anji Bee, under the condensed name Lovespirals. After a series of singles released on compilations such as Chill Out Lounge Vol. 2 and Chill Out in the City, Lovespirals changed gears and began seriously composing material for their first full-length album. Knowing that the album would be released on Projekt, who are known for darker ambient tinged offerings, Lum and Bee decided to hold back on their more upbeat compositions during song selection for their debut 2002 album, Windblown Kiss, focusing instead on darker, jazz-infused rock and folk tracks more in line with Robin Guthrie’s Violet Indiana and the Twin Peaks soundtracks by Angelo Badalamenti and Julie Cruise.
Fastforwarding to the present, Lovespirals are releasing their second album, Free & Easy, which includes lovingly completed versions of their previously unreleased dance songs, as well as a host of new tracks written between 2002 and 2004. With the freedom of launching their own label, Chillcuts, comes a celebration of high energy electronica tracks sprinkled amongst the moodier fare Lovespirals have come to be known for. From the bittersweet trip hop of the album single, “Love Survives” (featured in new webseries,The Strand), to the catchy deep house of “Trouble” (featured in E!’s Gastineau Girls), to the dark bluesy chill out of “Walk Away” (featured in the WB’s Popular DVD), Free & Easy, truly runs the gamut of downtempo sounds and styles. But Lovespirals could never be content writing only electronica; consider the mood masterpiece of the album, “Habitual,” with it’s soaring ethereal vocal harmonies and organic instrumentation.
Lovespirals’ first truly independent release is sure to surprise and delight their longtime fans, while attracting a new audience with it’s diverse range of genres graced by the smoothly sensual Lovespirals touch.
The Onion’s AV Club has posted a fairly positive review of Love Spirals Downwards’ 1996 album, Ever, to their website:
In the past 10 years, countless shoegazing dream-pop bands have come and gone, leaving behind a large but largely forgotten body of lush, languorous work. If that ethereal little subgenre is dead, Love Spirals Downwards plays “post-shoegazer” music, co-opting the crisply pretty guitar lines and billowy female vocals—and stripping away the layers of cloudiness that typify the work of bands like Slowdive and pre-1995 Lush. Ever , Love Spirals Downwards’ third album, plays through like one long, meandering voice, albeit one that’s sometimes fed through filters or accompanied by acoustic guitars and the occasional electronic noise. Singer Suzanne Perry has one of those high, hypnotic voices that swoop and soar dramatically, and it’s awfully pretty to listen to. It’s just too bad that a substantial portion of Ever is devoted to ambient noodling rather than simple, unpretentious voice-and-guitar tracks like “El Pedregal” and “Lieberflusse.” Still, it’s a nice, airy surprise, recalling many of the best things about a lot of dead-and-gone bands.
Lovespirals are gearing up to release our first full length album this Summer on Projekt Records. Are you excited yet? You will be after you read our snappy new bio:
Lovespirals are musician/producer Ryan Lum and singer/songwriter Anji Bee. This duo’s lush, sensual collaborative songwriting embraces numerous styles and sounds, creating a unique blend which defies genre categories altogether. Beginning their collaboration in 1999 with Jazz Step Drum & Bass dubplates spun in Ryan’s DJ sets, then continuing on with a series of singles released on compilations for various labels (including Water Music and Metropolis Records), the band has traversed vast musical territory to arrive at their first full-length album for Projekt Records. Due out June 18, 2002, Windblown Kiss, is focused on beautiful melodies based around Ryan Lum’s dreamy acoustic and electric guitar playing and Anji Bee’s versatile vocal work. This first full-length album also features special guest musicians Sean Bowey, of Eden, and Doron Orenstein, of Frescoe, on several tracks. Slow-burning Blues, Bebop Jazz, Flamenco-spiced Folk Rock, Western-tinged Dream Pop – Lovespirals blend all these influences and more into heady, intoxicating mixture. Romantic, spiritual, and utterly heartfelt, Windblown Kiss envelopes one in a beautifully soothing dream-drenched world, timeless in quality and essence.
College radio station KUCI 88.9 FM produces a professional ‘zine to promote their shows, DJs, and favorite bands. In the most recent issue, they featured a review of Flux penned by the station’s music director, Anji Bee:
With Flux, bandleader, Ryan Lum, has fully committed himself to the electronic groove based sound first hinted at on Love Spirals Downwards’ previous album, Ever. Flux gives full play to Lum’s increasing attraction to the melodic side of drum and bass music, with 7 of 9 tracks using that unique polyrhythmic technique. Over an electronic bed of break beats, samples and synth, Lum lays down his signature guitar melodies and lush washes, using both electric and acoustic guitars.
Unlike most drum and bass projects, vocals — both full and sampled — are used extensively on Flux, creating more of a listening album feel than a dance club vibe. Including vocal work from long time collaborator, Suzanne Perry, as well as her sister, Kristen Perry — plus a redux of Jennifer Ryan Fullers 1994 “Sunset Bell” performance — all the vocals are very dreamy, light, feminine and classically Projekt Records in sound.
I believe it’s the vocal sound Lum prefers which still keeps LSD in favor with the gothic/Projekt /4AD contingency that follows the band, perhaps even more so than his beautifully poignant guitar playing. Still, this release should finally blast away the misconception that they are a goth band. If you ask Lum, he’ll firmly insist that they were never gothic to begin with, regardless of how they’ve been perceived by fans or the press.
Love Spirals Downwards has a way of creating happy-sad music that simultaneously makes one feel exalted and contemplative. Flux continues in this tradition, but seems to up the ante just a bit. Over all, the tempo is upbeat, the melodies heartbreaking, the vocals soothing, and everything flows together in the seamless, trance inducing, spirit-lifting vein of LSD’s past albums. With Flux, the songs speak both to your spirit and your mind, your heart and your body.
We are now confirmed for a Los Angeles show on Friday April 25 at the Dizzy Debby 467 S. La Brea Ave, at 6th (213-938-1398). Local band Mine, as well as Claire Voyant from Sacramento, will be opening. Doors will open at 8:30 pm.
Official Love Spirals Downwards Projekt press release for ‘Ardor’:
The words ‘Ethereal’, ‘Ether-bliss’, ‘Dream-pop’ and ‘Angelic’ have all been used in describing the mysterious sound of Love Spirals Downwards. While none of these terms captures the essence of their sound, each describes some quality of their beyond-language music. And beyond language’ is a good starting point; their. female vocals transcend lyric and language, while guitars swirl and spiral with bright atmospheric textures from a place beyond words. It is place where words and meaning are meaningless and where emotion and beauty prevail.
Released in late 1992, this Los Angeles duo’s debut album Idylls has become one of Projekt’s most popular releases. On their new album Ardor, Love Spirals Downwards continues their dream-like sound with a blissful and uplifting feel that picks up from the slightly darker, almost Eastern, sound of their debut. Ardor abounds with rich layered textures of effected electric and acoustic guitars created by Ryan Lum combining with the beautiful harmonizing voices of vocalist Suzanne Perry, enveloping the listener in a world of beauty.
PROJEKT
Ethereal Shoegaze and Electronica from Projekt Records
