A review of Temporal appeared in Outburn Magazine #12. Projekt sent along a clipping to share. It reads:

REMIXES AND SINGLES FROM INNOVATIVE SHOEGAZERS: I can’t think of any ethereal band more sonically enchanting or musically daring than Love Spirals Downwards. No group has pushed the boundaries of the shoegazer sound since the formative days of the 4AD label during the 1980’s. Over four albums, programmer, Ryan Lum, and vocalist, Suzanne Perry, have deftly weaved solemn soundscapes with intelligent, thoughtful poetry. Unafraid of emerging electronic styles, Lum embraced ideas from genres as disparate as drum & bass and goth to evolve Love Spirals Downwards’ unique sound. Temporal serves as a great introduction to their music, a thirteen track CD offering remixes of “Misunderstood” and “Alicia” from 1998’s Flux, as well as songs from their earlier albums. Hearing early songs like the tenebrous “Ladonna Dissima” from 1992’s Idylls illustrates how versatile and adventurous the duo is. Fans will also appreciate “Amarillo” and “Mediterranea,” previously only available as singles or on compilations. This release reminds me of how much I anxiously await Love Spirals Downwards’ next album. ~ David Slatton

A sassy review of Temporal appears in Magnet Magazine Issue 44 for April/May 2000. Projekt send over a press clipping to share. It reads:

As one of the most consistent ethereal bands of the last decade, Love Spirals Downwards has absolutely nowhere to go but … down. This retrospective collection of unreleased and hard-to-find synthetic dreamscapes succeeds on a variety of cosmic levels. With Ryan Lum writing and performing the music and Suzanne Perry providing the words and vocals, LSD is an exotically insular sound machine. While Lum’s grasp of technology isn’t always distinctive and Perry’s warble can feel overly familiar, the pair still generates a dramatic wall of sound that stands proudly alongside the works of Dead Can Dance and the Cocteau Twins. Using slight touches of acoustic guitar, saxophone and percussion on top of their ambient/goth electronics and windswept vocals, Perry and Lum are able to create and sustain a mood that’s nearly alien and wholly atmospheric. Still, if you don’t enjoy working your way through a vast abyss of chiming guitars, swirling synthesizers and haunting female croons, Temporal may not be the ideal purchase. Achromatically packaged and containing moodist masterworks like “Asleep,” “Depression Glass” and “This Endris Night,” this album certainly has the icy sound required to keep things properly evocative. Anyone else feel like having an absinthe?

—Mitch Myers

A new review of Temporal has appeared in Lexicon Magazine #15, and Projekt sent along a clipping to share. I appreciate L’Ange Noir’s Huxley reference in this quirky review, and find myself wondering which record store they work at.

Smooth and relaxing as if on holiday, this new album by Love Spirals Downwards is like dropping “three (grammes) for a dark eternity on the moon” in reference to Huxley’s soma holiday. For the novice this is the definitive starting point for an acquaintance with LSD and most definitely a great way to get to know the Darkwave/Ethereal genre that predominates Sam Rosenthal’s Projekt label.

Continue reading Temporal Review in Lexicon →

A short but sweet review appears in Side-Line Magazine, Issue 31 April/June 2000. Projekt sent over a press clipping, which reads:

I love anything this band puts out. This collection of works is no exception. They always give the listener a treat with their beautiful music. Their songs are made up of Ryan Lum’s smooth guitar work and Suzanne Perry’s lovely, yet haunting voice. They have also utilized the talents of some special guests over the years including guitar, saxophone, and even vocals. The tracks on “Temporal” are a varied selection of Love Spirals Downwards’ songs ranging from their first release, “Idylls,” in 1992 through to “Flux” in 1998. The best part about this release is the addition of 5 tracks previously unavailable on any of their past albums. A must-have for any Love Spirals Downwards fan; of which I’m sure there are many!