It has been a dozen years since Love Spirals Downwards founder, Ryan Lum, recorded his ambient drum & bass rendition of the classic Christmas song, “The Little Drummer Boy,” and at long last, it is finally available for sale! Originally conceived and recorded in 1999 for the Projekt Records holiday music series, Excelsis, this recording has never been properly released. This was the last song that Suzanne Perry contributed vocals to, and it’s sound is very reminiscent of the band’s final album, ‘Flux.’ Like the 1999 Lovespirals song, “Beatitude,” it features jazzy Rhodes piano by guest musician, Gabriel D. Vine, of Monkey Bars.
Over the past decade, 2 versions of this cover song have been floating around the internet under different titles; there’s the polished aforementioned vocal version as well as an earlier demo mix which features vinyl vocal samples from a classic old-school Christmas record. This demo mix is stripped down, with more emphasis on Ryan’s funky live bassline, and less use of synth pads. Both versions are quite catchy and a fun addition to anyone’s holiday music library. Pick up the 2 track single for just $2 in the high quality digital audio format of your choice from the newly launched Lovespirals Bandcamp Store.
Special Thanks to our friend, Susan Jennings, for her 1998 band photograph used as the cover art!
