Joined DJ Membraneous B. Sausage last night for a “sneak attack” DJ set and interview on the Ryders of the Plastic Groove show at KUCI FM. Anji was on hand to snap some pix.
KUCI DJ set and interview
All posts by ryan
Interview with Ryan Lum on KUCI’s Riders of the Plastic Groove Show [Transcription & Audio]
Ryan was a special guest DJ on Riders of the Plastic Groove –Orange County’s longest-running electronic music show— on KUCI 88.9 fm in Irvine. After his set, he stepped into the studio to have a chat with Gary Liu AKA DJ Membraneous B. Sausage. The following is a transcription of their interview from a cassette recording that was later shared on YouTube. Scroll down for the video.
Membraneous: You’re listening to the show that we refer to as Riders of the Plastic Groove, but tonight we get another special edition as it is the Membraneous B. Sausage Sneak Attack. I am your host, Membranous, and my side right now is Mr. Ryan Lum. He is the DJ that you just heard spinning for approximately the last hour and 15 minutes or so. In addition that, he is also a member of the band Love Spirals Downwards, who record for the Projekt Record label. Why don’t you say a few word for us?
Ryan: Yo! What’s up? Hey, you listening G, out there in HB? You better be! He didn’t come down tonight, sick boy. [Referring to Daniel Bremmer aka DJ 9-5 Superspy]
Membraneous: Thanks for coming down, by the way.
Continue reading Interview with Ryan Lum on KUCI’s Riders of the Plastic Groove Show [Transcription & Audio]
DJ sets, radio appearances, and more
I’ve got a few radio spots coming up at KUCI, including a live remote broadcast that you can attend. I’ve heard that they can really get the crowd moving up there sometimes, so come join the fun! (but no booze, please…) All KUCI shows are broadcast via the internet, so you can tune in that way, as well. And later in April and May, I’ll be DJ’ing in San Francisco and Los Angeles. I’ll post more about those gigs soon.
- Wednesday, Feb 23
KUCI 88.9 fm, Irvine, CA
Music for Lunchpails – 8:00 pm
On-Air phone interview -
Friday, Feb 25th
KUCI 88.9 fm, Irvine, CA
Swope Transmissions – 8:30 pm
On-Air interview & CD giveaway -
Friday, Feb 25th
KUCI 88.9 fm, Irvine, CA
Riders of the Plastic Groove – 9:00 to 10:15 pm
Live remote broadcast: Ryan will be spinning a live on-air DJ set
This remote broadcast event will run from 9 pm to 12:30 am (and longer if conditions permit) at the University of California Irvine, outside in the Computer Science Plaza. It is free and open to the public, so come on down and dance! For directions, please view the Riders’ website.
A number of internet features are happening over the next few months, including an exciting interview with Radio Spy. I’ve also made my mix CD available through Live 365, so everyone can finally get a feel for what my DJ sets are like. More interviews with the band will be coming up in the next few weeks and months, so stay posted.
And then there’s the store promotions. We’re in a number of listening stations, so check for any in your neighborhood:
- Twist & Shout — Denver, CO listening station 2/1 – 2/29
- Rasputins — San Fran, CA listening stations 2/1 – 3/31
- Barnes & Noble — Nationwide listening stations 2/2 -2/29
- Virgin Sunset — Hollywood, CA listening station 2/8 – 2/22
- National Record Mart — sale price and positioning 2/22 – 3/13
- Borders — Nationwide listening stations 3/11 – 5/16
Temporal Review in ‘Inside Borders’ Magazine
There’s a new review of ‘Temporal‘ in the ‘Inside Borders‘ store magazine for February. Be sure to check out our album in the Borders listening stations this month!
Drifting Toward a Romantic Twilight
Just as Valentine’s Day can bring about all kinds of emotions with regards to romantic love, so can romantic music take on many different forms. Such is the case with the duo known as Love Spirals Downwards. They were one the first acts to exist on the Projekt record label, which has been a specialist in all manner of gothic, electron ambient, and other various ethereal kinds of music for over 10 years now. From their 1992 debut, Idylls, to 1998’s very popular Flux, Love Spirals Downwards has always existed in a moody, enchanting universe all its own, thanks to the music scapes of guitarist/keyboardist Ryan Lum, and the unearthly crooning of vocalist Suzanne Perry. Their earlier releases contain haunting, drifting melodies and layered, melancholy vocals reminiscent of Enya, while later albums incorporate some gentle yet vital dancebeats into the spell. Now, Love Spirals Downwards releases a long-overdue retrospective titled Temporal. It features 13 songs spanning all of their albums and singles, and includes six previously unreleased tracks. It is a comprehensive overview of the duo’s many shades. Whether you’re relaxing in the dark tranquility of post-first-date bliss, or are swimming in the nostalgia of love lost, this album will help keep you warm.
KUCI FM Reviews Temporal
Anji Bee, DJ and music director at KUCI 88.9 FM, wrote a review of our new Projekt release, Temporal: A Collection of Music Past & Present. Anji actually designed the cover art for the CD, including some of her own photography. Her review reads, in part:
“From their hauntingly beautiful acoustic beginnings to their present drum and bass and electronica sound, this compilation covers the entirety of Love Spirals’ career with 13 tracks culled from their master tapes. Arranged in groups of three songs from the four major periods of recording, Temporal begins at the end, with a set of remixes from the last studio album, Flux, done by Ryan last summer.
“Alicia” is a flamenco spiced bossa nova drum’n’bass tune with lovely acoustic guitar licks provided by Rodney Rodriguez of The Von Trapps. With the remix, the vocals are downplayed, and the rhythm made stronger. Lots of ethereal pads have been added, to subsitute for the old analogy keyboards of the original. “Misunderstood” has been almost entirely revamped with exciting breakbeats and lots of fabulous moody saxophone played by Doron Orenstein of Toof. This remix is my favorite track of the album for sure.
Continue reading KUCI FM Reviews Temporal
Temporal officially released
Temporal has been released by Projekt Records! We want to thank everyone who pre-ordered it at our webstore, and invite the rest of you to come pick up your copy (on sale for $13, including a personally signed band photo) at our e-store.
Several offers for interviews with radio stations, e-zines and magazines are coming in now, as well as a few DJ gigs, so keep checking back here for the particulars. If you are interested in setting something up with me, feel free to send an email.
Echoes Recommends ‘Excelsis’ CD
The nationally syndicated radio show Echoes is offering the classic 1995 Projekt holiday compilation CD, Excelsis, on their site as part of their recommended holiday music list. Here’s their review:
An album that gets into the mood of Christmas in the deepest way. You’ve never heard these traditional carols performed so darkly. Projekt Records has gathered many of their gothic bands together on this collection and the results are startling atmospheric and resonant. You will not forget Area’s haunting take on “O Come Emmanuel,” nor the two radically different versions of “Carol of the Bells,” Arcanta’s Gregorian like sonorities and This Ascensions joyful synthesizer laden refrains. Love Spirals Downwards goes furthest afield for their tune, “Welcome Christmas” from ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas.’ This is an album we wish we could play year round, but it’s too perfect for Christmas.
New song, new album
It’s certainly been some time since I’ve had a moment to update the news section! Lots of things have been going on for me and the band recently and it’s all kept me quite busy.
First off, I want to mention our exclusive holiday song, “The Little Drummer Boy,” which is available FREE for your listening pleasure at our webstore. We’ve included both a Real Audio file and mp3 format, so be sure to take a listen (and download it for later enjoyment).
Secondly, I’m sure you’ve noticed the new look of the website; we’ve updated it in the style of…. our next album! Yes, we will be releasing a full-length album on Projekt Records this coming new year. Entitled Temporal, it features music from points covering our entire career, including 6 tracks which have never appeared on any Love Spirals Downwards albums. Check out the Releases section for further details.
Peace,
Ryan
Keyboard November 1999 LSD Feature
BEAUTY AND THE BREAK
by Markkus Rovito
Ryan Lum may have tamed the breakbeat. His duo with vocalist Suzanne Perry, Love Spirals Downwards, has turned out three brilliant albums of majestic, guitar-wash dream-pop on the Projekt label, rife with heavenly ballads that conjure images of exotic cultures. But on Flux, the group’s fourth album, Lum adds breakbeats to the mix without compromising the band’s signature sound.
A follower of the dance music scene since the acid house of the late ’80s, Lum had wanted to do a more electronic Love Spirals Downwards album for years, but never found the right style. “When I first heard the more ambient, ethereal breakbeat stuff, I was amazed,” he says. “I haven’t heard music that moved my soul like that in years.” So when work began on Flux, the multi-instrumentalist/producer built many of the tracks on breakbeat foundations. “I’m used to making pop songs, like an A section, a B section,” Lum says, “but half the songs on Flux don’t follow that traditional pattern. It’s like having all these different parts and having them make sense as they flow together.”
LSD in Sony Soudbyte Winter 1999
LOVE SPIRALS DOWNWARDS FOUNDER RYAN LUM DISCUSSES USING THE SONY MDM-X4 FOR THE BAND’S LATEST ALBUM, FLUX.
I got the MDM-X4 mainly to record vocals, figuring that four tracks of audio would be plenty for our vocal tracks. But soon after I started using the MDM-X4 for recording Suzanne Perry’s vocals, it became apparent to me that I could get much more out of this unit than I first thought I could from a 4-track recorder. By planning my editing, I found I could free up a track or two, which then gave me ideas to add more guitars to many of the songs, which I did. Using the MDM-X4 gave me more creative options with my guitars, which in the end helped make the songs better.
