All posts by Anji

KARMACODA ‘LOVE & FATE’ ALBUM FEATURES ANJI BEE

Bay Area band Karamacoda — long time friends of The Chillcast with Anji Bee and sometime collaborators with both Lovespirals and Anji Bee — have just dropped a new album called Love and Fate. Excitingly, Anji collaborated on a duet with band founder, B. “Naive” features lyrics penned by Bee, who recorded her vocals in The Chillcuts Studio with Lovespirals partner, Ryan Lum.

In an interview with Below Zero Beats B said:

When we wrote our last record Eternal we asked Beth and Anji to join us on vocals for the track Love Will Turn Your Head Around and it was so magical, so beautiful, I wanted to recreate that experience even more

Love and Fate‘ was released March 10, 2015 on Sola Musa Music.

A review of Love and Fate:

With Karmacoda‘s 5th full length album, B has firmly asserted himself as the driving creative force behind the band’s classic trip hop inspired sound. His smooth, calming vocals grace all 10 tracks on ‘Love and Fate,’ more than any of the previous releases. The loss of the band’s former diva, Heather Pierce, is made up for by exciting collaborations with a bevy of female vocalists including Beth Hirsch and Anji Bee, who were featured on Karmacoda’s 2011 release, ‘Eternal.’ Ms. Hirsch is featured on 3 slow to mid-tempo duets, including the heartstring-tugging, SomaFM chart-topping lead single, “We Don’t Have A Lot Of Time.” Long time friends of the band and fellow San Francisco artists, Tyler Stone and Artemis, contribute a track a piece, while the Los Angeles-based Shannon Hurley lends her voice to two tracks, including what might be the most classic Karmacoda sounding duet, “Shine Through.” While it may not be proper form for an artist to comment on their own work, I would be remiss not to suggest that “Naive” may be the most sexually charged of this unabashedly romantic set of songs. The closeup of an unfurling red flower bloom on the cover is apt symbology for the sensual sentimentality of the music enclosed, as well as the rebirth of Karmacoda itself after its own prolonged winter.

Read more about the release on Karmacoda’s site.

PURCHASE LINKS:

“Breath Of Life” Official Music Video

The B-side to Lovespirals’ new single, “Brother Against Brother,” is a dreamy, mystical, ambient guitar and vocal piece that was originally written for the opening sequence of a documentary film of the same name about the Mauli Ola Foundation by Michael Squier. The version of the song offered here has been slightly updated with additional vocals, guitar, and new production. The amazing time lapse video sequences were all shot by Michael Squier, some of which appeared in his film of the same name.

Buy the ‘Brother Against Brother’ 2-song single or the full album, ‘Life Goes On,’ featuring this song on CD or as a digital download on the Lovespirals Bandcamp page.

Back From Our San Francisco Trip

Once again, we had a blast with Karmacoda! It was an honor for Anji to share the stage with them for their epic remix of “Motherless Child,” and fun for Ryan to do a DJ set for the Harlot crowd. A few of the songs for the upcoming Anji Bee album were shared for the first time, which was exciting. Local friends came out to hang. Good times!

Lovespirals’ Ryan and Anji at Club Harlot

Behind the Lyric Podcast features Anji Bee

Anji Bee discussed the lyrical back story behind Lovespirals‘ song “This Truth” on the latest episode of Behind The Lyric. She also talked about how the chart-topping Damien.S VS Lovespirals remix single came to be released by Loverush Digital in 2010. Hostess and show producer, Marcie Joy, plays the Adam Fielding Chilled Out Mix. Interestingly, Adam was also a guest on this episode, talking about his latest album. More great songs and stories are featured from Zoe Johnston, Maxx Hennard, Yavanndiel, Noah, and Marcie. Behind The Lyric airs on over 40 major FM and Internet stations worldwide, including The Movement HD, who recently added The Chillcast with Anji Bee to their lineup.

Hear Anji’s clip on SoundCloud:

Continue reading Behind the Lyric Podcast features Anji Bee

Ryan Lum DJs at Club Violane

Club Violane, “LA’s only shoegazer & dream pop party,” recently returned after a 2 year hiatus to celebrate a visit from one of its beloved founders, DJ Wednesday. Everyone came out, including Ryan’s old Love Spirals Downwards bandmate, Suzanne Perry (currently of of Melodyguild), as well as local musician friends, Drew Pluta (formerly of Arcanta) and Rodney Rodriguez (formerly of The Von Trapps), both of whom performed with LSD at the ProjektFest LA show in 1998.

Special thanks to Joe of Scene Snaps for the photos!

Continue reading Ryan Lum DJs at Club Violane

Lovespirals Remix Karmacoda + Beth Hirsch + Anji Bee

Currently a semi-finalist for Best Dance/Electronica Song in the 2012 International Songwriting Competition, “Love Will Turn Your Head Around ” – the collaborative effort of San Francisco band, Karmacoda, Parisian singer/songwriter, Beth Hirsch, and Lovespirals’ own Anji Bee – has just been re-released in a series of re-imagined versions by a diverse and talented group of musicians, producers and DJs from around the world. This collection of 8 remixes by DJ Puzzle, Mr. Alfa, Synapsis, Return To Mono, Den Jones, and Lovespirals – which features newly recorded vocals by Anji Bee, plus an all-new version by Karmacoda highlighting Heather Pierce on vocals, satisfies with its mix of genres and moods. ‘Love Will Turn Your Head Around – The Remixes‘ is available in your choice of digital format on Bandcamp, or more traditionally through iTunes, CDBaby, and soon on Amazon Mp3.


Lovespirals Remix On New Epicentre Album

UK artist, Epicentre, included an previously unreleased remix of Lovespirals on his debut full-length album, Supernova.  This new remix of “This Truth” was first put together by Matt Barker, of Epicentre, and Canadian producer, Joel North, for a remix contest held by Peace Love Productions. The 2008 mix was fully revamped for its album release in November 2012.
 

 
In addition to the Lovespirals remix, this album has a number of other collaborations with artists including PHIL URRY, Canadian producer JOEL NORTH, Taipei artist VIBA and SEISMIC WAVES material with DJ ALI RUMBA. There are also a series of guest vocalists involved with the project, including urban artist MC RICKO, MARTIN FINNIGAN of acclaimed Manchester group The Rainband, Defender guitarist DANNY MALONE, JULIE E. GORDON of The Caulberers and Happy Mondays, and legendary Bizarre Inc diva ANGIE BROWN.

 

New Video for Lovespirals' "Aspenglow"

Lovespirals “Aspenglow” from Excelsis Vol. 3

Brand new video for Lovespirals’ cover of the wintry John Denver song, “Aspen Glow,”  recorded for the 2001 Projekt holiday comp, ‘Excelsis Vol. 3: A Prelude.’ It was also included on the 2002 Hot Topic Holiday comp, ‘A Dark Noel: The Very Best of Excelsis.’

MusicTap writes: “Lovespirals gives us “Aspen Glow”, a song borrowed from John Denver and sweetly sung in as good a version as you’ll ever hear by the beautiful Anji Bee, who’s voice is as charming as a winter scene that you become lost in. Ryan and Anji’s respect for the season is deeply felt. This track has become one of my favorite seasonal songs.”

Purchase this CD or hear more tracks from the series at: http://www.projekt.com/excelsis

Echoes Recommends Ornamental CD

John Diliberto of the nationally syndicated radio show Echoes has reviewed the new Projekt holiday compilation CD, Ornamental, for the Program Highlights section of their website. Entitled “It’s Christmas. Projekt Gets Ornamental,” it reads in part:

There are a lot of post-Cocteau Twins shoegazer ruminations on the album.  Autumn’s Grey Solace… Ashkelon Sain & the Dorian Fields… Unto Ashes… LoveSpirals, who had a couple of my favorite Excelsis songs, (“Welcome Christmas” in their Love Spirals Downwards edition and “Aspen Glow” as LoveSpirals) return with another evocative seasonal song, an original called “Happy Holidays” featuring Anji Bee, who sings it with sophisticated élan,  like she’s casting knowing glances over her shoulder against Ryan Lum’s chiming guitars.

I’ve been begging for musicians to create a different kind of seasonal music besides the rote rendering of the same 25 or so holiday chestnuts over-roasted on an open fire. Projekt has been fulfilling that since 1995 with Excelsis. Ornamental takes them in a slightly less gothic and doom-laden mode and makes it a likely pick for the best seasonal CD of 2012, if your tastes in seasonal music heads towards the abyss.

The review, featured in the Program Highlights section of the Echoes website,  features one of our Future Past band portraits taken by Susan Jennings, which was a nice surprise. You can pick up a copy of the 2-CD holiday collection, Ornamental, from Projekt Records.

Lovespirals See Duran Duran

Ryan and I picked up last minute tickets to see Duran Duran at the OC Fair’s Pacific Amphitheater last weekend. Back in the 80’s I actually created and distributed a popular fanzine called, Duranies Unite, so you could definitely say they’re one of my favorite bands. They fell off my radar for most of the past decade or so, but a friend got us pit passes for their sold-out show at The Fox Theatre in Pomona last year and we were both impressed by how on top of their game they are (see my video of “Ordinary World” on YouTube). This year’s show focused more on the hits than last years, which is always a let down for the more hard core fans, but pleases the masses – especially at an event like a county fair. Still, they played a few of my faves from the new album, All You Need Is Now, including “Before the Rain,” and “The Man Who Stole A Leopard,” the later of which I caught on my iPhone. Check out the video on Lovespirals Official YouTube account, below:

Anji and Ryan of Lovespirals watch Duran Duran at the 2012 OC Fair

Inside the Machine Interview with Anji Bee

Anji Bee is the featured artist on the second episode of Inside The Machine, the new audio show of Nicholas Young, founder of Original Machine. She and Nicholas sat down for an hour long interview on Skype, which actually went a bit longer as the two enjoyed their discussion of independent music, radio, podcasting, and fine arts so much. The show revolves around the back stories of 4 of Anji’s songs, “Love Me Leave Me,” “Hand In Hand,” “Love Will Turn Your Head Around,” and “Put Some Music On (Intensity of Sound Retro Funk Mix),” all of which are included in full on the show.

2017 UPDATE: This station is now defunct, but this artist feature i archived on the Internet Archive account: AnjiBeeOnInsideTheMachine

Continue reading Inside the Machine Interview with Anji Bee