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 during their final live tour.
The event was so successful that Club Violane opened again the following month for a Saint Marie Records night to launch their new release by local band, Broaddaylight. Ryan was one of several DJs that night, along with James of Broaddaylight and Mo of The Flir, plus house DJs Doomie and JuaNN. Local bands Sway, The Bixby Knolls, and Ancient Arms also performed. Check out Ryan’s DJ set on the band’s MixCloud account:
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.
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.
Check out the brand new Lovespirals recording of an original holiday song by band vocalist/lyricist, Anji Bee, for the Projekt Records holiday music compilation, ‘Ornamental‘ — available on double CD or digital download. The band returns to the vintage roots with melancholic dream pop guitars and lovely female vocal harmonies. Purchase the CD or download from Bandcamp or stream the audio on YouTube.
Ryan Lum of Lovespirals (and formerly, Love Spirals Downwards) put together this mix set during his atmospheric drum & bass DJ heydey between promotions for his 1998 album, Flux, and his 1999 retrospective comp, Temporal, in 2000. Funnily enough, it does not include ANY of his own music. 😉 The Atmosphere ’99 set was first released via Live365 in April 2000 and featured in the Jungle section of the short lived RadioSpy site run by GameSpy in March 2000. After more than a decade, it is now available as a free download on Lovespirals’ SoundCloud page, limited to 200 downloads. Go download your copy of the nearly hour-long Atmosphere 99 Mix by Ryan Lum now! Stream the DJ set from the widget below, and be sure to share it with your friends.
If you’d like to hear Ryan spin some tunes live, you’re in luck, as he will be DJing at the intimate chillout event, Savasana Relaxative, on March 31st. Also DJing is local legend, sid&molly, and our own, Anji Bee of The Chillcast. Additionally there will be an aphrodisiac elixir bar, traditional Gong Fu Cha tea ceremony, and raw chocolate confections being served. No alcohol, just good vibes. Come chillout with Lovespirals!
The 2-time NAR Lifestyle Music Award winning musical project, Falling You, just released a new album entitled, Adore. Enigmatic band founder and producer, John Michael Zorko, has long worked with a revolving cast of talented and varied female vocalists including Victoria Lloyd (of Claire Voyant and Mono Chrome), Dru Allen (of Mirabilis and This Ascension), Erica Mulkey (AKA Unwoman), Shikhee (of Android Lust), and Love Spirals Downwards‘ own Suzanne Perry.
In her first appearance with Falling You, Lovespirals’ vocalist, Anji Bee, contributes lyrics and vocals to the ambient opening track, “Blessed,” penned about her relationship with bandmate, Ryan Lum, who engineered and recorded her vocal tracks for this long distance musical collaboration. Friend of Lovespirals and Falling You, Ken Lee (of Eleven Shadows), mixed and mastered the track (and indeed, the whole album) alongside Zorko at his Blueberry Buddha Recording Studios.
Lum’s former bandmate, Suzanne Perry, contributed lyrics and vocals to the track, “Champagne,” which follows Bee’s cut on the album. With its summery dream pop feel, Perry’s collaboration brings to mind her work with Melodyguild. Perry’s vocals were engineered and recorded by Melodyguild bandmate, Cris Miller (of Silver Screen). Perry had previously been featured on Falling You’s 2006 album, Human, and 2008 album, Faith.
Another highlight of the album is closing track, “Alchemy,” featuring Kirsty Hawkshaw. Famous for her work with Opus II, BT, Tiesto, and Delerium, Hawkshaw has a long and impressive list of dance music credits to her name. Her breathy voice and high harmonies add a lovely depth and focus to Zorko’s light-as-air beats and textures.
Though known for his melancholic mix of ambient textures and ethereal vocals, Zorko wanted to “explore a more optimistic side of emotional music and this gift called life.” To this end, Zorko employed liberal use of heavy, distorted, electric guitar in the vein of classic 90’s shoegazer acts like My Bloody Valentine and Ride, which may surprise his long time listeners!
Adore is available as a digital download now directly from the Magnatune site, with CDs to follow soon. Watch for it on iTunes, Amazon, eMusic, etc later this month.
San Francisco band, Karmacoda, invited Lovespirals to collaborate with them on music for their upcoming 4th album, Eternal. While the album is due out in August, the two songs featuring Anji and Ryan are out now. [8/2/2011 update: Eternal is out now on iTunes]
The Epic Single was just released this week and had its world premier on The Chillcast Episode #275. “Epic” includes guitar work by Ryan Lum, as well as Rhodes piano by Eamonn Flynn of SF duo, Under. In addition to the original album mix and reprise mix of “Epic,” the single includes an upbeat dance remix by Andy Sybilrud of SF electronica act, Return To Mono. Karmacoda frontwoman, Heather Pierce, has said “Epic” is her “favorite song” and it will likely be yours, too, once you hear her sultry siren’s call on this jazzy trip hop torch song.
As long time fans and friends of Karmacoda, Lovespirals were honored to be included in the creative process of this very talented band. Be sure to check out recent episodes of The Chillcast with Anji Bee to hear these tracks and more from Karmacoda’s fantastic new album, which we hear debuted at #191 on the CMJ Radio 200 Chart this week!
The album will also be available as a limited edition, audiophile grade 192g, blue vinyl LP on August 9th. Check www.karmacoda.com for purchase details.
Included in Anji’s set is Lovespirals’ brand new track, “Try To Forget,” as well as her solo song, “Put Some Music On” (produced by Ryan Lum, of Lovespirals, btw…), along with several other cuts from her new 5 Years of Chillin’ compilation. In addition, she featured several recent Lovespirals remixes, including the winner of the “Feel So Good” remix competition held by Sony Acid Planet earlier this year. Also in the mix are 2 brand new Anji Bee collaborations; one with The Grooveblaster, and the other with Karmacoda and Beth Hirsch, as well as her recent collaboration with 7 Day Visa.
Properly Chilled was founded in January 2005. Dedicated to downtempo music and culture, their approach is a widely inclusive one, bringing together the sounds of nu jazz, broken beat, world fusion, dub, trip hop, deep house, jazzy hip hop, ambient electronic, idm, glitch, reggae, acid jazz, afrobeat, cosmic disco, dubstep and pretty much any other laid back child of electronic music.
We’ve been together a decade
Though its gone by in the blink of an eye
When I think back on our years together
The only thing I wonder is why
We didn’t begin our lives much sooner
From the first time we met
You belong to me and I belong to you
Yeah
We’ve been together a decade
We’ve been together a decade
Though its gone by in the blink of an eye
When I think back on our years together
The only thing I wonder is why
We didn’t begin our lives much sooner
From the first time we met
Well every moment we’ve shared is precious
And there’s nothin’ ’bout us that I regret, no
Well every moment we’ve shared is precious
You belong to me and I belong to you
(repeat)
This year it will be a decade
We’ve stood together hand in hand
Telling each other everything
Trusting the other will understand
We have never been lead astray
I don’t think we ever will
There doesn’t seem to be a need
That our deep love can’t fulfill
You belong to me and I belong to you
(repeat)
Lyrics by Anji Bee. Remix Arrangement by Adam Fielding.
This week’s “indie edition” of the award-winning Coverville podcast includes Lovespirals’ rendition of Pink Floyd’s “Welcome to the Machine.” This track was recorded in 2006 for a fan-created tribute compilation called NPF Tribute Vol. 2: The Return of the Sons of Neptune available as a free download from the Neptune Pink Floyd site. While you’re there, you can also grab our cover of “Cymbaline” from the NPF Tribute Vol. 1: None of Us is Pink. Thanks to Brian for featuring Lovespirals for the 3rd time on his great show! We really enjoyed the selections this episode, so be sure to check out Coverville #474 for a good time.
