Projekt sent over a press clipping of our interview for Singapore Vogue. It reads:
LOVE SPIRAL DOWNWARDS
“Reaching into the heart of the matter” by Zulkifli Othman
Love Spiral Downwards are just one of those bands that make music that transcends, well, music. Like Dead Can Dance or the Cocteau Twins, their sound reaches inside human feelings, a sound that has become a trademark for all bands on the Projekt label. The American duo of Suzanne Perry and Ryas Lum create a sincere innovation in lush and expressive visions. What follows was due to be a straight question and answer format, but it was anything but a simple yes-and-no affair.
Zulkifli Othman: Is there another aspect of the band we should know, because your music is a stimulation of feelings? The ultimate mood music, if you will.
Ryan Lum: Well, I don’t know about the “ultimate” mood music, but yes, I see our music as a kind of music that stimulates feelings and is often moody. What I think is unique about our music is that we give it a direction to which the listener is very free to take it where they are led by their own mind. It’s kind of an escapist thing.
Zulkifli Othman: Your latest effort, Ardor, comes across as slightly blissful and uplifting. This is in contract to the previous effort, Idylls, which was slightly darker,
Ryan Lum: I don’t know how conscious I am about those kinds of things when I make music because it’s not a very thought out process for me. I guess Idylls isn’t really that dark though, just a little bit. The new album’s apparent brightness, I think, comes from the kinds of sounds and textures that I made with the guitars; more interesting textures than the plainer acoustic guitars on Idylls.
Zulkifli Othman: What are some of your influences? I mean, critics have described your music as a mix of the Cocteau Twins and Dead Can Dance, but they say that to other bands, like Love is Colder then Death!
Ryan Lum: I have liked them, still do more or less. I’m influenced by lots of different music though. What I listen to and what I am influenced by are two different things quite often. Right now, I’m listening to the new Slowdive album, Pygmalion, which is by far the best this year. I think that a couple songs on Ardor have been influenced by them.
Zulkifli Othman: I read in an interview where you said that “the more esoteric, atmospheric bands are not gonna turn a big profit as would a more accepted kind of punk sound.” what are your current thoughts on music today?
Ryan Lum: Bands like Slowdive, for example, and ours are just not as popular than those that are more rock, like Pearl Jam, or more punk like the Breeders. I’m not putting them down, but they have a more accepted sound. It’s really hard for me to relate to American bands. I feel like they’re from another planet. I feel more at home with the Stone Roses, The Orb, Aphex Twin, or Future Sound Of London. Even their most commercial [bands] like the Cranberries or Oasis, I can relate more to than the commercial ones from the United States.
(Note: The interview was made possible courtesy of Tower Records)
We actually sent over more answers than were used, and some of the answers presented were edited down or paraphrased. They got a quote about Slowdive mixed up with Seelfeel, and none of Suzanne’s answers were included, so for the record, here’s everything we said:
Singapore Vogue Magazine Interview (March 9, 1995)
Ryan: We have been making music together since 1991. Our debut to the musical world was having the two opening songs on Projekt’s ‘From Across This Gray Land No. 3‘ compilation in 1992. I would say that as time goes by, our sound is changing, partly because we are changing as people, and partly because we have different musical equipment to give us new ideas.
Ryan: Well, I don’t know about the “ultimate” mood music, but yes, I see our music as definitely a kind of music that stimulates feelings and is often moody. I know that it certainly stimulates my feelings, both when I am making a song and when I listen to it afterwards. What I think is sort of unique about our music is that we give it a direction, but each listener is very free to take it where they are led by their own mind. There’s no real thing that they are supposed to “get,” other than what happens, how they are affected by the music. It’s kind of an escapist thing.
Ryan: I don’t know how conscious I am about those kinds of things when I make music because it’s not a very thought out process for me. I basically start recording, or just mess around in our studio, without any real idea. And after a while doing this, an idea sometimes comes out of the sounds I’m messing around with. From there I start adding more instruments and sounds to that, and then a song starts to emerge. I guess Idylls isn’t really that dark though, just a little bit. Ardor’s apparent brightness, I think, comes from the kinds of sounds and textures that I made with the guitars; more interesting textures than the plainer acoustic guitars on Idylls.
Ryan: I have liked them [Cocteau Twins], still do more or less. I’m influenced by lots of different music though. But, it’s really hard to say exactly who or what has influenced me. What I listen to and what I am influenced by are two different things quite often. Right now, I’m listening to the new Slowdive album, Pygmalion, a lot, which is my favorite album of the year by far. It’s really amazing! They are really a great band and everything they have released has been nothing short of brilliant. I’ve also been very into Seefeel. I think what they have done with loops will be influencing people for many years to come. I think that a couple songs on Ardor were probably influenced by them. Future Sound Of London is really good, too.
Ryan: I would say that our sound is ethereal, and somewhat ambient in a sometimes dark sort of way, sometimes in a bright and uplifting sort of way. I wouldn’t describe our sound as gothic at all, however. I rarely see us described as that. I guess you could call us an ethereal ambient group if you want to try to categorize our sound.
Ryan: Oh I still firmly believe that to be true, especially here in America. Slowdive again, unfortunately, is a perfect example. Their new album is not released here domestically; it’s available only at a much higher import price. Thus, they won’t be selling as much here as they could if it were also a domestic release. Bands like that and ours are just not that popular as bands that are more rock like Pearl Jam or more punk like the Breeders. I’m not putting them down. They just have a sound that is more accepted here. It’s no coincidence that of the many CD’s I have, over 90 percent of the bands are from Europe, mainly the United Kingdom. It’s really hard for me to relate to most American bands. I feel like they are from a different planet, while I feel much more at home with the Stone Roses, Primal Scream, the Orb, Aphex Twin, and Future Sound Of London, or the Sundays. Even their most commercial bands like the Crannberries or Oasis, I can relate to much better than the commercial bands from the United States.
Ryan: As I mentioned earlier, a lot of the music that I like can be considered ethereal or ambient, and often both. I don’t mind being put into an ethereal scene, because I think that it is somewhat appropriate. I consider bands like the Cocteau Twins, Slowdive, Closedown, and ourselves to be in the same genre, which can be fairly called “ethereal.”
Suzanne: Although not premeditated, I was conscious of using lyrics that listeners may find discernible. However, as discernible as many lyrics may be on Ardor many are quite incoherent (outside of a Love Spirals Downwards world!). Sure I may be using English words, but as far as putting them all together and trying to make sense of them… Good Luck! However, Ardor does contain more coherent phrases than Idylls and this is probably what most people are hearing. It is true that while making Ardor I often found using “real language” to be more reflective of the mood of the sounds I was hearing.
Suzanne: I experience different emotions for different songs (as I think listeners do as well). Some words that describe recurring emotions…..longing, desire, disappointment, escape. I shy away from words (even now as I respond to your question) because I prefer the overall impressions a song makes upon you. I find words to be limiting in that they are usually intended to convey meaning. I don’t want to impose that much on a listener or myself. I believe our songs aren’t about “getting it”, instead they are about experiencing what is created. I like to think of the music we make as art that is intended to be experienced by every individual in their own way (This is our only objective and the essence of Love Spirals Downwards.)
Ryan: I believe that many people think that we are weird mysterious people, perhaps because our music is a bit weird and mysterious. Many interviewers seem a little surprised when they meet us. I think that they were expecting us to be different than how we really are in person, which is really down to earth and real. We are definitely not pretentious.
Ryan: We thank you for wanting to interview us. That’s great how the music that I record at my place here affects people half the way around the world. I never thought that would ever happen, so that’s one thing that has been enjoyable for me being on Projekt.
