Category Archives: News

News

Club Violaine Reopening Party Reunion

Club Violane, “LA’s only shoegazer & dream pop party,” recently returned after a 2 year hiatus to celebrate a visit from one of its beloved founders, DJ Wednesday. Everyone came out to celebrate — including Suzanne — as well as Drew Pluta (formerly of Arcanta) and Rodney Rodriguez (formerly of The Von Trapps and Melodyguild), both of whom performed with Suzanne and I at our last show together. We also met up with Tom of Mira, whom I don’t think I’ve seen since Anji and I toured with them in 2002.

Anji & Suzy with Eric
Rodney, Drew & Ryan
Rodney, Drew & Ryan
Tom, Drew, Anji & Ryan
Tom, Drew, Anji & Ryan
Anji, Tom, Drew, and Suzanne

There’s a cool video about Club Violaine reopening on YouTube:

Audio, News

Projekt Holiday Comp Features New Lovespirals

Check out the brand new Lovespirals recording of an original holiday song by Lovespirals vocalist/lyricist, Anji Bee, for the Projekt Records holiday music compilation, ‘Ornamental‘ — available on double CD or digital download. Love Spirals Downwards band founder, Ryan Lum, returns to his vintage Projekt-era roots with melancholic dream pop guitars and lovely female vocal harmonies. Stream it or download it from Bandcamp or check out the official upload on YouTube.

Continue reading Projekt Holiday Comp Features New Lovespirals →
Review

Echoes Reviews Ornamental CD

John Diliberto of the nationally syndicated radio show Echoes has reviewed the new Projekt holiday compilation CD, Ornamental. Entitled “It’s Christmas. Projekt Gets Ornamental,” reads in part:

There are a lot of post-Cocteau Twins shoegazer ruminations on the album.  Autumn’s Grey Solace … Ashkelon Sain & the Dorian Fields… Unto Ashes… LoveSpirals, who had a couple of my favorite Excelsis songs, (“Welcome Christmas” in their Love Spirals Downwards edition and “Aspen Glow” as LoveSpirals) return with another evocative seasonal song, an original called “Happy Holidays” featuring Anji Bee, who sings it with sophisticated élan,  like she’s casting knowing glances over her shoulder against Ryan Lum’s chiming guitars.

I’ve been begging for musicians to create a different kind of seasonal music besides the rote rendering of the same 25 or so holiday chestnuts over-roasted on an open fire.  Projekt has been fulfilling that since 1995 with Excelsis.  Ornamental takes them in a slightly less gothic and doom-laden mode and makes it a likely pick for the best seasonal CD of 2012, if your tastes in seasonal music heads towards the abyss.

The review, featured in the Program Highlights section of the Echoes website, also includes one of our Future Past band portraits taken by Susan Jennings — a nice surprise!

You can pick up a copy of the 2-CD holiday collection, Ornamental, from Projekt Records.

News

Lovespirals Contribute to ‘The First Time I Heard’ Book Series

Ryan Lum and Anji Bee both contributed stories to The First Time I Heard book series compiled and edited by Scott Heim, who famously wrote Mysterious Skin. Ryan’s story on the first time he heard the Cocteau Twins is out now on Amazon and iTunes, while Anji’s story about hearing Kate Bush will be out later this year.

Other musical acts covered in the series include David Bowie, The Smiths, and Joy Division/New Order with Abba, My Bloody Valentine, Kraftwerk, R.E.M., The Pixies, and Roxy Music coming soon. Additional contributors include Harold Budd, Annie Barker, Ian Masters, Rebecca Coseboom, and many other musicians and vocalists, as well as several novelists, journalists, and poets.

Follow The First Time I Heard on Facebook to keep up with all the latest news on this ongoing series.

Update: The First Time I Heard Kate Bush, featuring Anji’s essay, is now available in digital format on Amazon and iTunes, plus other digital book stores online.

Audio, News

“Little Drummer Boy” Single Now Available

It’s been a dozen years since Love Spirals Downwards founder, Ryan Lum, created this ambient drum & bass rendition of the classic Christmas song, “The Little Drummer Boy,” but at long last, it is finally available for sale! Originally conceived and recorded in 1999 for the Projekt Records holiday music series, Excelsis, this recording has never been properly released. This was the last song that Suzanne Perry contributed vocals to, and it’s sound is very reminiscent of the band’s final album, ‘Flux.’ Like the 1999 Lovespirals song, “Beatitude,” it features jazzy Rhodes piano by guest musician, Gabriel D. Vine, of Monkey Bars.

Over the past decade, 2 versions of this cover song have been floating around the Internet under different titles; there’s the polished aforementioned vocal version, as well as an earlier demo mix which features vinyl vocal samples from a classic old-school Christmas record. This demo mix is stripped down, with more emphasis on Ryan’s funky live bassline, and less use of synth pads. Both versions are quite catchy and a fun addition to anyone’s holiday music library. Pick up the 2 track single for just $2 in the high quality digital audio format of your choice from the newly launched Lovespirals Bandcamp Store. 


Audio, News

New Falling You Album Featuring Suzanne and Anji Out Now

The 2-time NAR Lifestyle Music Award winning musical project, Falling You, just released a new album entitled, Adore, on Magnatune. Enigmatic band founder and producer, John Michael Zorko, has long worked with a revolving cast of talented and varied female vocalists including former Lovespirals Downwards vocalist, Suzanne Perry, Victoria Lloyd (of Claire Voyant and Mono Chrome), Dru Allen (of Mirabilis and This Ascension), Erica Mulkey (AKA Unwoman), and Shikhee (of Android Lust) — just to name a few.

In her first appearance with Falling You, Anji Bee contributes lyrics and vocals to the ambient opening track, “Blessed,” penned about her relationship with bandmate, Ryan Lum, who engineered and recorded her vocal tracks.

Suzanne contributed lyrics and vocals to the album’s second track, “Champagne.” With its summery dream pop feel, this collaboration brings to mind her work with Melodyguild. Suzanne had previously been featured on Falling You’s 2006 album, Human, and 2008 album, Faith.

Long time friend of the band, Ken Lee (of Eleven Shadows), mixed and mastered the songs of Adore alongside John at his Blueberry Buddha Recording Studios.

Continue reading New Falling You Album Featuring Suzanne and Anji Out Now →
Audio, News

Ryan Lum on Black Tape for a Blue Girl Song

Did you know Ryan contributed guitar to the Black Tape For A Blue Girl song “Overwhelmed, Beneath Me“ released by Projekt and Hyperium Records in 1993? This song was originally recorded in 1992 with vocalist Lucian Casselman for the album ‘This Lush Garden Within,’ an album that has been reissued several times with different artwork. This recording was also featured on ‘The First Pain to Linger’ maxi CD that accompanied Sam Rosenthal’s 1996 novel of the same name.

“Overwhelmed, Beneath Me” was reworked in 2000 with then-current vocalist Elysabeth Grant. That version appears on the ‘With A Million Tear-Stained Memories’ 2-CD collection released by Trisol and Projekt in 2003 and on ‘A Retrospective’ collection released by Shadowplay in 2008 as well as by Projekt for the longer digital-only release, ‘The best of (deluxe: 2008​+​1991).’

News

LSD featured on Topher Mix

A laptop DJ set by Topher — originally performed June 7, 2006 at Café Des Arts in Nice, France — has just surfaced on Mixcloud. Called Ambient Journey Into IDM & Glitchy Breaks Mix, the first of two parts includes Love Spirals Downwards alongside tracks by Lexaunculpt, Kid 606, The Orb, Autechre, Kraftwerk, and others. It looks like this recording may have initially circulated through Topher’s netlabel Aries Slant Recordings as a direct-download 320 kbps MP3 file, but this is the first time we’ve encountered it.

The 1994 Ardor version of “Sunset Bell (feat. Jennifer Ryan Fuller)” appears here, cross-mixed with Kid 606’s “Soniqizzmaster.” Interestingly, back in January 1999, Kid 606 and Ryan both appeared at Sterile, a cool Costa Mesa event put on by KUCI DJ 9-5 Superspy, who also included “Nova” by Love Spirals Downwards on the 1998 2xCD KUCI benefit compilation Loraine alongside Lexaunculpt, who also appears in this mix. Small world!

News, Review

Gothic Beauty Reviews Future Past

To our great surprise, Gothic Beauty included a review of Lovespirals’ 2010 album, Future Past, in the latest issue of their 80 page glossy color magazine. Gothic Beauty Issue 33 is available now at Barnes & Noble, Borders, Hastings, Chapters, Walden Books, Book World, Sheltam Books and Copperfield’s Books – or directly via gothicbeauty.com. Reviewer Michael writes, in part:

“This album is designed for chill atmospheres. It reminds me of late nights at the bar and a jukebox loaded with good music. The song “Rain” is not to be missed — I’ve fallen in love with the song and want to have the song’s babies.”

News, Review

Re:Gen Mag Reviews Future Past

Re:Gen online magazine review of the latest Lovespirals album:

Ryan Lum and Anji Bee go big on their fourth full-length album, adding ‘70s blues and progressive rock elements to their chilled out soul-tinged electronica.

Their fourth album together is a step into a bigger sound for Ryan Lum and Anji Bee. The duo’s fascination for ‘70s soul and jazz is amplified in Lum’s production, with the Rhodes piano that gave 2007’s Long Way from Home so much of its signature warmth joined by lush, almost disco-tinged strings on the languid, smokey “Rain” and the laidback but funky “Water Under the Bridge.” The guitars are bigger too, the spaced out progressive instrumental “Meanwhile, Irreplaceable Time Flees” segueing into the wah-wah-laced soul of “Insignificant.” Bee’s voice is stronger, more mature, and more powerful this time around as well; Lum and Bee have a reputation for love songs, but “Feel So Good” and “Shine” are positively lusty, highlighting both Bee’s range and her sensuality. The real standout on this album, though, is “Home,” which is more reminiscent of earlier Lovespirals songs in its cozy romantic vibe but features the best singing the pair have ever recorded, with subtle multi-tracking enhancing an already impressive vocal showing.

Continue reading Re:Gen Mag Reviews Future Past →