Love Spirals Downwards were featured in the French fanzine, Noising Therapy. Below is an English translation and the original pages:
We owe some pages of Noising Therapy to our friend, the formidable American label Project, which has presented us with two of its most beautiful artists: BLACK TAPE FOR A BLUE GIRL and LYCIA. For the record, a while ago, we had an interview with LOVE SPIRALS DOWNWARDS. Curiously, a good number of the fans and attentive listeners of Ryan of LSD have decided not to wait forever to discover this band, and you who read this, here is LOVE SPIRALS DOWNWARDS. Unfortunately, the post office strikes on the one hand, and Ryan’s exhausting LSD studies on the other, decided otherwise. As it’s never too late to do well, and because we consider it essential to make you discover this group, here is LOVE SPIRALS DOWNWARDS.
NOISING THERAPY: Can you quickly introduce us to the group?
RYAN: There are two of us: Suzanne and me. She sings, and I do everything else: I compose the lyrics and the music, and take care of the recording and production. Suzanne and I started working together in January 1991, but I had been making music for a long time. In fact, on our album “Idylls”, there are even some songs that date from 1989.
NT: Aren’t you afraid of being called the “New COCTEAU TWINS”? Do you appreciate groups like COCTEAU TWINS or DEAD CAN DANCE?
RYAN: I think I was influenced by COCTEAU TWINS, although they are no longer as influential on me today as they were six or seven years ago. The same goes for DEAD CAN DANCE; I even think I preferred them at the time. Currently, my greatest inspiration is probably the music of POPOL VUH, a German band from the mid-70s. So I’m not afraid of being considered a clone of COCTEAU TWINS, because it’s totally wrong. I really don’t believe that our music sounds the same as theirs: we are not a copy, and we don’t borrow anything from their songs. Absolutely not. Conceptually, we may be like them, in the sense that we make airy and ethereal music.
NT: Do you prefer more atmospheric music, like Harold Budd for example?
RYAN: That’s right, Harold Budd is one of my favorite artists. My favorite compositions of his are “The Pearl” and “The Plateaux of Mirror.”
NT: What inspires you in this kind of atmospheric atmosphere?
RYAN: I don’t know exactly. I think there is a certain sound that I like and that’s what I aspire to. I don’t like recording a guitar without effects. Maybe I stick too many effects on it and that’s what makes my music so atmospheric.
NT: LSD are the initials of the group. Was it premeditated?
RYAN: Of course, we were aware of this when we came up with this name for our band. But it was in no way our intention to make the link between our name and LSD.
NT: When did you meet Sam Rosenthal?
A: We met him after sending some demo tapes, back in late 1991. We did this more for fun than for anything else, because we didn’t take it very seriously. But, luckily, Projekt answered us positively. At first, they just wanted to hear more of our songs. And after a few months, they started making us offers. First for participation in the compilation ‘From Across This Gray Land n°3,’ and then for our own album! I think it’s really out of luck that our music fits very well with the Projekt genre. I didn’t even dare to hope for it.
NT: What are your relationships with other groups on the label?
RYAN: Certainly Sam Rosenthal and I are good friends now. Recently, I was able to spend some time with Mike from LYCIA, who I really appreciate. I also had several phone conversations with Sean from EDEN, Pat from THANATOS, Michael from SOUL WHIRLING SOMEWHERE, and Scott and Melissa from LOVESLIESCRUSHING They are all very nice, but I would really like to grab a drink one day with Sean and Pat. That would be great.
NT: What are your favorite songs?
RYAN: My favorites from our album are “This Endris Night” And “Illusory Me”.
NT: Why doesn’t “Mediterranea” appear on the CD?
RYAN: One of Sam’s requirements for the ‘From Across This Gray Land n°3 compilation was that we use an unreleased song. We chose “Mediterranea”
NT: Have you planned to record a new album soon?
RYAN: Yes, I’m working on it. I hope it will be finished in time to be able to go out in the spring.
NT: Is it possible to see you in concert? Have you ever played in the USA, and are you interested in coming to play in Europe?
RYAN: No, for the moment we haven’t played live even once. I really don’t know how we would do that, because there are only two of us while some of our songs have between 4 and 6 guitars. However, I think that would bore people. Nonetheless, I think I would like to tour, and why not do it once in Europe!.
