For a band that built its reputation on intricately layered studio compositions, the idea of Love Spirals Downwards performing live once seemed unlikely. Yet over the course of three years, they transformed from a studio-only project to a band that, for a brief but memorable period, captivated audiences with their dreamlike soundscapes live. Even the duo themselves expressed doubts about translating their music to the stage. Perry admitted in Carpe Noctem (1995):
“We’ve been doing a little rehearsing for maybe playing live – perhaps doing some acoustic stuff – and I’m finding it really difficult to sing them live because I can’t get a breath because I’m so used to layering and not having to worry about it. Our stuff is so NOT written to be played live.”
Despite their reservations, growing demand from their dedicated fan base and the emergence of the Projekt Festival led to a series of live performances between 1995 and 1998, eventually leading to Love Spirals Downwards Live, a carefully curated collection of recordings that capture the band’s rare and mesmerizing stage presence.
The Journey to the Stage: 1995-1998
Love Spirals Downwards’ live journey began with their debut performance on June 9, 1995, at The Crocodile in Seattle, where they shared the stage with fellow ethereal wave bands Faith & Disease and Trance to the Sun. Encouraged by the positive response—and with support from Projekt’s Pat Ogle—the duo embarked on a short East Coast acoustic tour, performing at TT the Bear’s in Boston, Asylum in Philadelphia, and Batcave in New York.
Their first international performance came on February 29, 1996, at Museo Universitario del Chopo in Mexico City. However, the pivotal moment of their live evolution occurred at the inaugural Projekt Festival, held June 25-26, 1996 at The Vic Theatre in Chicago. As Projekt Records’ best-selling band, they headlined the first night, sharing the stage with label mates Steve Roach, Lycia, Thanatos, and Soul Whirling Somewhere.
This performance marked a turning point for the band, as they debuted unreleased Ever material—“Lieberflusse” and “Above the Lone”—months before the album’s release. Their stripped-down acoustic style showcased the raw beauty of Suzanne Perry’s voice and Ryan Lum’s intricate guitar work, captivating both fans and critics alike.
Morbid Outlook praised the set:
“Suzanne Perry sings in such a way that if you close your eyes, you forget everything; where you are, what you’re doing, what planet you’re on, etc… Her voice was dazzling, and their sound seemed surprisingly warm and huge, despite the absence of synthesizers. Ryan strummed and picked away as Suzanne cascaded through song after song until the evening was over.”
These Ever tracks also became staples of their subsequent live performances, appearing during live sessions on Ned’s Atomic Dust Bin and Echoes for their Living Room Concert series in November 1996.
By 1997, the band began incorporating more electronic elements into their performances. At ProjektFest ‘97, they premiered new material, including “By Your Side” and “Sound of Waves” from their upcoming album Flux, and the Quantum Remix of “Sideways Forest” from the Sideways Forest Maxi-Single (1996). A review in Ephemera described their evolving style as reminiscent of Portishead or Lamb, with a mix of electronic experimentation and their signature acoustic sound. Ryan Lum reflected on the impact of their performances in a 1997 Acoustic Guitar interview:
“It surprised a lot of people. They think we’re one of those bands that just turns the reverb up to 11 because we don’t know what we’re doing. They see us live and there’s no drum kit to hide behind, there’s very little effects to hide behind. It’s just voice and guitar. If you can’t play, if you can’t sing, it’s really obvious very quickly.”
Love Spirals Downwards Live: The Album
In August 1999, Lum revisited DAT recordings of their live shows, transferring them to a hard drive with the intent of releasing a refined collection. At the time, Love Spirals Downwards had not performed in nearly a year, and demand for a live recording was growing on their message board. However, the project was delayed when Projekt pitched the idea of a retrospective album, leading Lum to prioritize Temporal: A Collection of Music Past & Present (2000), which included a live version of “Subsequently”.
When Projekt ultimately declined the live album, Lum released it independently in 2001 on mp3.com, utilizing their print-on-demand DAM CD service. Two versions with slightly different track listings were available until the site shut down in 2003. In 2014, the album was expanded, remastered, and independently re-released on Bandcamp, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, and other digital services, making these rare recordings widely accessible for the first time.
Several tracks on Love Spirals Downwards Live originated from the Echoes Living Room Concert, recorded in November 1996 and broadcast internationally in December 1996. This intimate session captured the band’s stripped-down acoustic sound, offering listeners a raw, unfiltered glimpse of their live magic.
Setlist Reflections on the Live Album
The tracklisting for Love Spirals Downwards Live closely mirrors the setlists from their key performances between 1995 and 1996. Their June 9, 1995 live debut at The Crocodile featured a blend of Idylls and Ardor material, including “Scatter January,” “Write in Water,” “Will You Fade,” and “Stir About the Stars.” It also featured their pre-album debut song, “Mediterranea,” which had appeared on From Across This Gray Land 3 (1992). These songs became staples of their live shows and were later included in both the 2001 and 2014 expanded editions of the live album. Notably, the Crocodile set also featured their Black Tape for a Blue Girl cover “Tear Love From My Mind,” which was added to the 2014 version of the album.
The Projekt Festival 1996 and Dark’s Art Parlour setlists offered a glimpse into the band’s future with the debut of “Lieberflusse” and “Above the Lone” from Ever. Both songs appeared on the 2014 expanded edition, giving fans rare live recordings of the material before their official release. These shows also included consistent live staples “Love’s Labour’s Lost” and “Subsequently,” which the duo performed at every show.
In late 1996, “Delta” from Ever was added to their setlist during radio performances for Ned’s Atomic Dustbin and Echoes Living Room Concert. The song later carried over into their 1997 and 1998 ProjektFest performances, further showcasing the evolving nature of their live sets.
The live album reflects this carefully curated selection, offering listeners a snapshot of the band’s most enduring material performed acoustically over three years.
Tracklisting of the DAM CD and Digital Release
Love Spirals Downwards Live & Acoustic (2001)
- Mediterranea
- Lieberflusse
- Subsequently
- Delta
- Love’s Labour’s Lost
- Scatter January
- Write In Water
- And the Wood Comes Into Leaf
Love Spirals Downwards Live (2014)
- Mediterranea
- Lieberflusse
- Subsequently
- Delta
- Love’s Labour’s Lost
- Scatter January
- Write In Water
- And the Wood Comes Into Leaf
- Above The Lone
- Kykeon
- Tear Love From My Mind (Black Tape for a Blue Girl cover)
- Stir About the Stars
(Bonus Track on Bandcamp: “The Pickleman” a Goldenboy cover)
Critical Reception & Fan Reactions
Despite being a niche release, Love Spirals Downwards Live was embraced by fans who had never experienced the band in concert. The album provided a rare glimpse into the stripped-down magic of Lum’s acoustic guitar and Perry’s haunting vocals, proving that even without elaborate studio production, their music could captivate.
Fan reviews reflect the album’s impact:
RIKM: “There are few things as beautiful as the live recording of ‘Mediterranea’ that appears on this release—a perfect blend of vocals and lightly strummed acoustic guitar, five and a half minutes of aural bliss. I was never lucky enough to see Love Spirals Downwards live, but this release fills that gap nicely.”
Agent K: “Suzanne Perry’s heavenly ethereal voice is one of the most enthralling and mesmerizing voices I have ever heard in a live setting. Just guitar and amazing vocals on this release, but it’s more than enough… Absolutely essential for fans of the band and Projekt Records.”
These reviews highlight how the album not only satisfied longtime fans but also showcased the band’s ability to translate their intricate studio work into an emotive live experience. The album not only filled the gap for fans who couldn’t attend live performances but also became a cherished document of the band’s short-lived yet memorable era as a live act.
The Reluctance and Evolution of Their Live Performances
Love Spirals Downwards initially had significant doubts about performing live, both for technical and philosophical reasons. In a 1993 Tear Down the Sky interview, Lum dismissed the expectation that all bands must play live:
“We don’t care for the rock and roll myth ‘rule one: a band must play live.’ Neither of us have any intention of quitting school to be band junkies. Not right now.”
At the time, Lum noted that if they were to perform, it would be minimal—“DAT and a guitar”—highlighting their concerns about translating their layered studio sound to the stage. Perry later recalled in Fond Affexxions (1993) that their first live experience had been “hellish,” marred by poor sound and no reverb. Lum also admitted in The Altered Mind (1992) that acoustic sets were their only feasible option.
However, by 1995, their perspective began to shift. Perry playfully confessed in Ink Spots that she maneuvered Lum into committing to live shows by involving Pat Ogle from Projekt Records:
“I figured if I told Pat we would do it, and then he sent out a letter, then we’d do it.”
As their confidence grew, Perry’s developed a humorous and candid stage presence, often engaging in spontaneous banter with audiences. Some of these moments were preserved on Love Spirals Downwards Live—notably Perry’s commentary before “Kykeon”:
“I think in real life I’m so much more high-strung, people who know me are probably completely tripping out.”
Their ProjektFest ‘97 performance featured a fan-favorite, whimsical moment: “The Pickleman,” a joke song written by their friend Goldenboy. Perry, frustrated with noisy audience members, introduced it with:
“Ok people who are quiet and listening, thank you very much. For those of you in the back who are talking, this is ‘The Pickleman.’ It’s called artist rage.”
The performance earned laughter and applause, with Perry urging Lum to play a second verse. Ephemera described the set as a surreal blend of beautiful songs and humorous anecdotes:
“You would have these very beautiful songs juxtaposed with anecdotes and silly songs about a ‘pickleman.’ It wasn’t as jarring as say Rasputina’s commentary, but it was equally bizarre. I liked it a lot.”
Despite their growing comfort and humor on stage, frustrations with disruptive audiences and technical challenges began to take a toll. Lum expressed his disappointment in an August 10, 1997 blog post:
“For those of you who were trying to enjoy our set, I am sorry about all the rude loud motherfuckers that talked during our set and the sets of all the more quiet bands. Those people obviously did not come for the music and ruined it for those who did.”
By January 1998, Lum announced that their upcoming performance at the Los Angeles Projekt Festival would be their last festival appearance:
“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.”
Shortly after, Lum transitioned to DJing, marking the end of Love Spirals Downwards as a live entity.
A Live Legacy Preserved
By drawing from their most memorable live performances, Love Spirals Downwards Live captures the band’s evolution from a hesitant studio project to a mesmerizing live act. With carefully selected tracks that reflect their most resonant material, the album stands as a testament to Love Spirals Downwards’ ability to create immersive, dreamlike soundscapes—whether in the studio or on stage.