Discovered that “Sunset Bell” from Love Spirals Downwards’ 1998 album Flux has had at least four NTS Radio airplays this year:
- 10 April — TRiNH
- 17 August — Liquid Mirror w/ Olive Kimoto
- 7 October — Prolonged State w/ TJ Lavin
- 12 October — Liquid Mirror w/ Olive Kimoto
It’s interesting to hear this dub techno track finding a home in such varied sets—from TRiNH’s new wave, synth pop and folk selections to Liquid Mirror’s electronica, breaks and leftfield pop, and Prolonged State’s dub techno and techno. Trip hop is shared tag across three of the broadcasts, though it’s not how I’d describe “Sunset Bell.” Dub techno is definitely the best fit.
There’s also some history to clear up, because two very different recordings share this title. “Sunset Bell” began as a spontaneous collaboration between Ryan Lum and Jennifer Wilde, then known as Jennifer Ryan Fuller, during recording sessions for the 1994 album Ardor. Ryan later reworked that beatless ambient piece into an entirely new version for Flux in 1998.
To distinguish the two, the newer recording was renamed “Sunset Bell (Flux Mix)” for the 2023 Flux Deluxe Edition. The NTS tracklists all use the shorter title, “Sunset Bell,” but I listened back to every show and confirmed that all four played the 1998 Flux version—not the Ardor original. In case, it’s cool that folks are still digging this mix 28 years later!
You can listen to the shows through the linked NTS archives.