Ryan Lum and Anji Bee of Lovespirals contributed stories to The First Time I Heard book series compiled and edited by Scott Heim, who wrote the novel, Mysterious Skin. Ryan’s story on the first time he ever heard the Cocteau Twins is out now on Amazon and iTunes, while Anji’s story on Kate Bush will be out later this year. Other musical acts covered in the series include David Bowie, The Smiths, and Joy Division/New Order with Abba, My Bloody Valentine, Kraftwerk, R.E.M., The Pixies, and Roxy Music coming soon. Additional contributors include Harold Budd, Annie Barker, Ian Masters, Rebecca Coseboom, and many other musicians and vocalists, as well as several novelists, journalists, and poets. Follow The First Time I Heard on Facebook to keep up with all the latest news on this ongoing series.
A 30 plus minute set of 4 extended club-length Jazz-Step and Atmopsheric Drum and Bass tunes in the vein of Good Looking Records. Classic breakbeats like the Amen and Funky Drummer propel these song with a frenetic pace, while Ryan Lum’s signature reverb-laden guitar chords and ambient synth washes lend a much more relaxed atmosphere to the proceedings. With the sexy saxophone of guest musician, Doron Orenstein, and the dreamy vocal musings of Anji Bee glossing over the top, Lovespirals have created a magically dreamy, late night, uptown vibe perfect for chillout rooms in the club or the penthouse suite.
All of these tracks have been included on compilations including Chillout in the City, The Chill Lounge: 26 Chilled Euro Tracks, Chillout Lounge Vol. 2, Cool Terrasse, Mondisk: A Celebration of 13 Years, and Music for Active Yoga Vol 1. Lovespirals have also licensed these songs to a number of cable, network, and Internet programs including E!’s Gastineau Girls, VH1’s The Love Lounge and Celebrity Fat Camp, MTV’s Made, Playboy’s Celebrity Centerfolds (the Farrah Fawcett episode – bonus!), UK’s Day Trip Designer, various Current TV programs and more.
“Perhaps most notably known in the Goth community under the moniker Love Spirals Downwards, with their Cocteau Twins sound. Frontman Ryan Lum has changed their sound, and shortened the name to just Lovespirals. Together with vocalist Anji Bee, Lovespirals has embraced the sound of Drum n’ Bass and created a masterful relationship. Their release, Ecstatic EP, is a combination of sexy Jazz riffs, mellow breaks, and Bee’s seductive vocals. For those fans of Good Looking Records, Lovespirals could easily be found amongst their ranks in talent, and sound. “ — Hot Artist Spotlight, Mp3.com
“As synthpop’s rise led inexoribly to its decline, some Gothic/Industrial artists have started looking toward other avenues of inspiration. On these releases, Lovespirals [Ecstatic EP] and Claire Voyant [Time Again: A Collection of Remixes – feat. a Lovespirals mix] provide tasty Illbient and Trip Hop influenced grooves and give us a harbinger of Goth’s Next BigThing.” — Kevin, StarVox “Best of 2001”
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!
Internet radio station, Gothic Paradise, published a review of our 2010 album, Future Past, on their website. After a decade, Lovespirals have reconnected with this active source of music and information for the Gothic/Industrial/EBM/Ethereal communities, leading to the band being reinstated on their webzine, as well as having songs added into their show playlist.
Check out the Lovespirals band page on Gothic Paradise which includes a general bio and commentary on the band, plus reviews of both our first album, Windblown Kiss, and our most recent album, Future Past.
Below is the full review of Future Past by site founder, Jacob Bogedahl:
It has been ten years since we reviewed Windlbown Kiss here on Gothic Paradise. Though this latest album was released a couple of years ago at the time of this writing, it’s good to go back and review it as we reintroduce this band to the pages of Gothic Paradise. It comes with eleven dreamy, downtempo pop pieces, exploring some diverse genres and hearkening back to the jazz sounds of years past.
As I’ve listened to this album over and over again to come up with a good description, one word keeps popping into my head and it’s one I’ve overused with the description of this duo and that’s “Jazzy”. Though there is a lot at play here, the prominent instruments are definitely a jazz guitar and/or electric piano coupled with Anji’s smooth vocals. The result is a very chilled out jazzy, downtempo pop sound. This is portrayed across all the smooth tracks starting with “Home” which comes out as a sentimental piece that any of us can relate to after being away from home for a while. The sultry, soft vocals take on deeper feeling across various pieces including the moodier tracks “Rain” and “One of Those Days”.
As we get about halfway through the album, a vibrant electronica style comes out on “Love” which actually brings back feelings of the early styles from this duo as well as just a touch of ethereal that fans should really love. Another dreamy highlight comes a bit later with “Meanwhile, Irreplaceable Time Flees”. This heavily ambient instrumental piece drifts along with some excellent guitar work keeping it grounded in the jazz style and dreamy moods. The regular tracks on the album wrap up with “Sinking” and “Believe” remaining on par with the rest of the album, as you listen to each track you can detect the common instruments and tempo which creates a homogenous style and mood that slowly drifts along with a soft groove. There are a couple of demos and a live piece as bonus material that die-hard fans will enjoy and with that it comes to a close.
There you have it, overall the band has really rooted themselves in a solid jazz-infused chillout pop style. We’ve seen the music transform slightly over the years as they’ve grown and explored their own styles and tastes. One thing seems sure, they seem to really be enjoying themselves over the years and with their music and that is the one thing I can highly recommend to any artist.
Rating: 4/5
Its always lovely to get good press, no matter how late or how obscure. California blogger, Terry Majamaki, has included Lovespirals in his Top 10 Music Albums of 2011, alongside Low, Thievery Corporation, Moby, Coldplay, Beastie Boys, and more.
Lovespirals – Future Past (Chillcuts 2010)
While this album was released in 2010, I discovered the album, and the band, this year. As a long time fan of the band Love Spirals Downward, who stopped producing new material in 1998, I had no idea that lead instrumentalist Ryan Lum made a new band with vocalist Anji Bee and released new music under the name Lovespirals. After discovering this I picked up 3 Lovespirals albums spanning the last decade, including; Windblown Kiss (2002), Long Way From Home (2007), and Future Past (2010).
For me, Future Past, is the strongest of the albums and it really stuck with me throughout the year. The music style is a little less etherial and dark when compared to Love Spirals Downward, instead it is more acoustic with subtle downtempo electronica that creates a dreamy pop soundscape. Soft hypnotic melodies with dreamy vocals in every song always puts me in a good mellow mood. Ryan even pays homage to Pink Floyd’s guitar intro from Shine on You Crazy Diamond with Meanwhile, Irreplaceable Time Flies. While I would love to hear a new Love Spirals Downward album, I don’t expect it to happen, however I do look forward to hearing what Lovespirals releases next.
Ryan and Anji of Lovespirals have a ton of news to share with you after 5 months of podfading. Now if you’re following the band on Facebook and Twitter, you may be somewhat aware of what’s been going on with the duo recently, but nothing beats actually hearing the stories told to you by Lovespirals themselves. From looking after their beloved cat, Monster, following his recent stroke, to upgrading the studio computer and its effect plug-ins, while still writing and recording new songs and moving their webstore over to Bandcamp, you’ll hear all the latest news. The show closes out with the Todd Ulrich “Fall” remix of “Walk Away” from the brand new expanded reissue of the hard-to-find ‘Walk Away EP’ out now at lovespirals.bandcamp.com. Stay tuned for purchase details on the upcoming 3345 Music release of “Put Some Music On” by Anji Bee, co-produced by Ryan Lum, and remixed by The Grooveblaster and Intensity of Sound soon!
Lovespirals are now using Bandcamp as their official webstore and to kick off the big launch, they are offering 25% off everything in the store through the end of the year! Simply enter discount code “HOLIDAY” in the checkout dialog after you’ve made your selection and you’ll see the discount applied.
All four of Lovespirals’ full-length albums (Windblown Kiss, Free & Easy, Long Way From Home and Future Past) are available for sale both in CD and digital format, and come with various bonuses. The digital downloads contain 3 bonus tracks each; early demos, live recordings, cover songs, or previously unreleased tracks. Downloads also include fun stuff like lyric sheets, hi-res artwork, band photos, or music videos. All CD orders come with a free digital download including these extras, plus Lovespirals will personally autograph your CD cover. And best of all, the band have put together a very special 4-album gift pack which includes a free CD copy of the 2011 compilation,The Chillcast with Anji Bee; 5 Years of Chillin’featuring the brand new Lovespirals’ song, “Try To Forget,” and the brand new single by Anji Bee, produced by Ryan Lum, called “Put Some Music On.” Get all 4 albums on CD, plus the comp, all bonus tracks, digital download items, PLUS an original promo postcard, poster, and band glossy (while supplies last) for just $40 + shipping — minus a 25% discount if you act before December 31, 2011!
Lovespirals’ Bandcamp store also carries all 6 of the band’s digital-only EPs, including a brand new release of their impossible-to-find Walk Away EP with additional tracks that have never before been released! So what are you waiting for? Go check it all out at lovespirals.bandcamp.com – and pick up some independent music for your friends and family this holiday season.
The various artist compilation, The Chillcast with Anji Bee: 5 Years of Chillin’, is now available on the NoiseTrade site. Featuring an exclusive new song from Lovespirals, called “Try To Forget,” plus the Karmacoda remix of the band’s cover of “Motherless Child” – which features additional vocals by Heather Pierce and B – plus the new Anji Bee single, “Put Some Music On,” co-produced by Ryan Lum of Lovespirals, this album is a must have for Lovespirals fans. Lovespirals’ pals and collaborators MoShang, Chill Factor-5, 7 Day Visa, Adam Fielding, Mr. Meeble, and Sunburn in Cyrpus all contributed tracks, as well as Ernesto + Markus Z, Science for Girls, Steve Kilbey + Martin Kennedy, and Under. Best of all, you can download the entire collection for free! The NoiseTrade site allows listeners to “tip” artists via PayPal, so if you’d like to do so, feel free, but by no means is it necessary. We hope that you’ll help us spread the word about this great free download on your Facebook, Twitter, G+ and other social media sites! Download the 5 Years of Chillin’ Comp Free from NoiseTrade
To our great surprise, Gothic Beauty included a review of Lovespirals’ 2010 album, Future Past, in the latest issue of their 80 page glossy color magazine. Gothic Beauty Issue 33 is available now at Barnes & Noble, Borders, Hastings, Chapters, Walden Books, Book World, Sheltam Books and Copperfield’s Books – or directly via gothicbeauty.com.
Reviewer Michael writes, in part:
“This album is designed for chill atmospheres. It reminds me of late nights at the bar and a jukebox loaded with good music. The song “Rain” is not to be missed — I’ve fallen in love with the song and want to have the song’s babies.”
Lovespirals have just released a 40 minute, 9-track extended single of “Feel So Good,” from their 2010 album, Future Past. Last December, Sony Acid Planet held a remix contest for Lovespirals’ funky, Pink Floyd-esque, retro electro-rock tune, and over 40 producers put their own unique stamp on the original track. The Feel So Good EP features the very best of the bunch.
There’s the slinky trip hop grooves of Yumenomado’s grand prize winning “Film Noir Mix” and Noizz Factor’s jazzy “Glamour Mix,” both of which have a decidedly organic feel. Or check out the more electronic oriented mixes by DJ Chris and National Pool, who rely more on loops and classic drum machine patterns. If you’re into heavy beats, then the Electer and 7 Day Visa mixes should fit the bill. Def Men Walking took the song in a completely different direction with the addition of MC work and an old school Manchester feel. And then there’s Jack Ketch’s “Peckaries Parts 1, 2 & 3” which takes the song’s most Floydian elements and constructs an ode to the classic rock band that David Gilmour himself would likely chuckle over.
Anji Bee‘s soulful vocals hold the release together with their delicate balance of earthy sensuality and otherworldly ethereality, with each mix playing up different aspects. While some producers left the arrangement and vocal sound nearly untouched from Ryan Lum’s original mix, others played with sampling or pitch to use the voice more as a musical element.
Thanks to all of the bands and producers that participated in the remix contest, as well as to our friend, Jamahl Richardson, for his 7 Day Visa remix. If you dig their remixes, be sure to check out their original music. Thanks also to Scott of ithinkitsnice for his amazing artwork.
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.
