All posts by ryan

New Apple Music Early Hours DJ Mix features Love Spirals Downwards

In early 2022, Apple Music launched a DJ Mix Series featuring exclusive mixes dropping bi-weekly from a range of notable artists spanning genres and regions. The show’s second episode, released in March ’22, featured Flux cut, “Alicia” in a mix by Bored Lord. This August, a new mix by Estoc features “Nova,” also from Flux. Both DJ sets mixed our songs with the tracks played before and after, and “Nova” is mixed pretty heavily here with “Prayer” by Burial. It’s crazy how Flux continues to be discovered by new audiences!

Early Hours (DJ Mix) • Estoc • 2025

The beauty of the Early Hours mix is that it exists in a liminal zone-are you winding down after being up all night, or are you just rising to meet the sun? It’s the type of space that allows for all kinds of surprises. Case in point: The music made by Philly producer Estoc, which often blends lurching, abrasive beats with a brooding darkwave sound palette, isn’t typically that conducive to chill environments. But her selections here take her in a beguilingly moody direction, finding common ground across Lamb’s trip-hop, Erika de Casier’s vibey R&B, SKY H1’s dubby excursions, ML Buch’s ambient guitar, and Mulatu Astatke’s classic Ethiopian jazz.

Check out our post about the Apple Music “Early Hours” DJ Mix by Bored Lord

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Archival LSD Interviews with Ned Raggett

Music critic and former radio DJ Ned Raggett has generously shared archival audio of two key interviews from the Ever era. The first, conducted by phone with Ryan in 1996 for a Mean Streets feature, delves into the making of the Ever album and its single “Sideways Forest.” Ryan discusses the “Quantum Remix” of that track as an early glimpse into the new sound he was developing for their next album, Flux, while also reflecting on the band’s recent show in Mexico and his own contrasting feelings about live performance versus studio recording.

The second interview, recorded live in-studio with both Ryan and Suzanne on KUCI’s Music for Lunchpails in late 1997 (and later reprinted in the station’s Winter ’97 Program Guide), shifts the spotlight to Suzanne. Raggett invites her perspective on how the band’s sound was evolving, her musical and literary inspirations, and their recent appearance at ProjektFest. The conversation also touches on an early collaboration with Sean Bowley of Eden—sessions that would remain unreleased until Ryan revisited them years later for Lovespirals’ 2002 debut album, Windblown Kiss.

Together, these interviews chart a rare moment of transition, capturing both the promotional cycle surrounding Ever and the first stirrings of what would become Flux, while hinting at creative directions that would eventually surface in Lovespirals.


“Glittering” Single & Video Out Now

Lovespirals “Glittering” marks a shimmering return to chillout, channeling the hypnotic allure of millennial downtempo electronica through the band’s distinctive brand of dream pop. Built around a haunting piano motif, the track gradually unfolds into a sophisticated contemplation of beauty and illusion.

Anji Lum’s enchanting vocal interplay, characterized ever so slightly jazzy and low-lit phrasing layered with ethereal, witchy harmonies, imbues the song with a seductive yet cautionary aura. Her lyrics flicker between allure and regret, casting love as something dazzling but deceptive:

“Catching feelings / Fell for the flash / Foolish emotions / Now turned to ash.”

Ryan Lum’s signature fusion of electric and acoustic guitar is elegantly woven over a laid-back electronica groove, striking a harmonious balance between earthy tones and atmospheric ambiance. His Big Muff-soaked solo recalls the expressive restraint of Pink Floyd, culminating in a radiantly anachronistic climax—at once nostalgic and fresh.

Wrapped in a soulful, vintage-inspired rhythm and adorned with sparkling ambient touches, “Glittering” serves as both a loving nod to the duo’s past and a subtle reinvention. It invites listeners to lose themselves in the glow, even as it gently reminding them of the adage:

“All that glitters is not gold.”

“Glittering” is available now on SpotifyApple MusicAmazon Music, YouTube Music and other streaming platforms under the original band name, Love Spirals Downwards, as well as on Bandcamp under both LSD and Lovespirals.

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“Okay” Single & Video Out Now

Following the simmering defiance of “Boss Mode,” Lovespirals return with “Okay”— a slow-burning meditation on emotional exhaustion and disconnection, enveloped in a soundscape that seamlessly blends sensual modern R&B grooves with lush dream pop melancholy. Ryan Lum’s signature production style, characterized by ethereal guitar flourishes, emotive ebow leads, and haunting touches of acoustic guitar woven through sparkling synths and contemporary beats, sets the stage for Anji Lum’s soulful, natural-toned lead and airy high harmonies that gracefully drift above the mix. “Okay”further expands the lyrical and sonic universe that Anji and Ryan have been constructing—a realm of whispered truths, shadowed beauty, and the poignant space between our emotions and our words.

“Okay” is available now on Spotify, Apple MusicAmazon Music, YouTube Music and other streaming platforms under the original band name, Love Spirals Downwards, as well as on Bandcamp under both LSD and Lovespirals.

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“Boss Mode” Single & Video Out Now

A silky-smooth blend of soulful downtempo & introspective pop, “Boss Mode” pairs Anji’s soul-baring lyricism & sultry vocal delivery with Ryan’s signature dream pop guitar textures & sleek electronica production. With moody keyboards, crisp beats & soulful guitar flourishes, the song finds strength in vulnerability, drawing emotional resonance from the language of gaming culture—“like boss mode, low health, no refill”—as a metaphor for emotional burnout. 

Marking a shift from the darker emotional tones of recent singles like  “Not Myself” and “Noumenon,” “Boss Mode” calls back to the bittersweet soulfulness of “Why Not Today” and the melodic warmth of “Life Goes On,” while carving out its own space with a confident groove and glimmers of hope. The result is a track that straddles introspective pop and downtempo electronica, inviting listeners to power through life’s harder moments with grace and groove.

“Boss Mode” is available now on SpotifyApple MusicAmazon MusicYouTube Music and other streaming platforms under the original band name, Love Spirals Downwards, as well as on Bandcamp under both LSD and Lovespirals.

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“Will It Ever Be The Same (VIP Mix)” Single & Video

Lovespirals unveil a lush reimagining with “Will It Ever Be The Same (VIP Mix).” A favorite of Lum’s from their 2018 album Life Goes On, the duo elevates the original’s brooding beauty with a richer, moodier production taking advantage of their current studio arsenal. New to this version is a hypnotic vocal sample—“tell me, tell me…”—looped throughout, adding a modern rhythmic hook, while subtle 808 percussion lifts the stately dream pop track into a more contemporary space. Anji Bee’s haunting vocals express a yearning for connection, echoing into the cosmos with aching clarity. A modern classic reborn.

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The Call (VIP Mix) Single & Video Out Now

Ryan & Anji Lum revisit their 2022 single, “The Call,” with an even moodier and more atmospheric 2025 reboot. The new VIP Mix amplifies the song’s shoegaze and dream pop essence with a bigger, better guitar sound and more immersive ethereal vocal harmonies. The hook-laden guitar lead and spacey synths evoke The Cure, while the track’s melancholic yet driving energy harks back to Ryan’s early 90s work, as well as the duo’s 2018 album, ‘Life Goes On.’ Anji’s emotive vocals shift effortlessly between bold confidence and dreamy sincerity, adding depth to the song’s hypnotic pull. A nostalgic yet refreshed take, this version of “The Call” is a hauntingly beautiful throwback with a modern twist.

Out now on Bandcamp, Spotify, Apple, Amazon, YouTube, and other digital platforms.

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Princess P Vinyl Set Features Love Spirals Downwards

Swedish DJ, Princess P, included “Sunset Bell (Flux Mix)” on her epic new 3-LP compilation set called Infinite Sonore. This is the newly remastered version from the Flux Deluxe Edition, and it features the enchanting vocals of Jennifer Wilde. Mental Groove Records has pressed just 500 copies which are available now on Bandcamp.

From the liner notes by Liner notes by JD Twitch (Optimo):

This is a journey, not a compilation, lovingly selected by Swiss underground DJ Princess P to take you on a transcendent musical voyage, from the pulsating echoes of Spacemen 3 to the ethereal tones of Natalie Beridze, throughout rarities from Atypic, LFO and Irdial Discs’ Mimi Majick, her selection spans a decade of blending electronic dreamy soundscapes with ecstatic rhythms that move seamlessly from the dancefloor to introspective moments.

Echoes Features “Welcome Christmas”

The Echoes Radio‘s “An Echoes Night Before Christmas” show included Love Spirals Downwards’ “Welcome Christmas” from the 1995 Projekt album, Excelsis. Show host John Diliberto has played this classic holiday recording –noted as “the perennial favorite“– every year as part of their holiday programs, including “An Echoes Christmas,” “The Night After Christmas:  A Christmas Day Soundscape,” “An Echoes Night Before Christmas,” “Sonic Seasonings,” “Christmas and Hanukkah,” “An Echoes Christmas I: The Night Before,” “Seasonal Slow-Flow Echoes,” and the “Echoes Extended – A Winter Holiday Soundscape” — which also included the 2001 recording of “Aspen Glow” for Projekt’s Excelsis Vol. 3 ~ A Prelude CD. That Lovespirals holiday gem has been featured nearly every year, as well, on programs including “The Night After Christmas: A Christmas Day Soundscape,” and “An Echoes Christmas” –but most often on their “Echoes Winter Solstice” mixes. It’s nice to know that we’ve become a part of this nationally syndicated radio show’s holiday season tradition.

Juno Recommends Downtempo Features ‘Flux’ Vinyl

The UK DJ music site Juno added the Lost in Ohio vinyl reissue of Flux to the Juno Recommends Baeleric/Downtempo chart, along with a review:

Love Spirals Downwards’ seminal 1998 album, Flux, receives a well-deserved vinyl reissue, enriching its ethereal soundscape with newfound clarity and depth. Remastered by Ryan Lum, the album’s lush blend of ethereal guitars, celestial vocals, and pioneering breakbeats resonates as powerfully today as it did upon its debut. From the skittering rhythms of ‘City Moon’ to the haunting beauty of ‘Psyche,’ the album’s innovative fusion of genres captivates listeners, offering a timeless sonic journey. Insightful liner notes by Jason Morehead of Opus Zine accompany the release, providing a deeper understanding of the album’s creative process and enduring impact. Flux stands as a landmark in the dream pop genre, hailed by Pitchfork and post-punk.com among others and this vinyl reissue allows fans to rediscover its transcendent beauty once again.

Buy Love Spirals Downwards Flux vinyl reissue from Juno