Interview

Love Spirals Downwards Interview on KUCI 88.9 fm

The All Purpose Nuclear Bedtime Story Phone-In

Projekt Records hooked us up with Love Spirals Downwards’ mastermind, Ryan Lum, to –ostensibly– discuss next weekend’s first-ever ProjektFest LA show at the El Rey Theatre hosted by Coven 13. As Ryan lives within walking distance of the venue, it makes for the perfect choice for this chill, go with the flow musician, who apparently was reluctant to leave his neighborhood as he opted to phone-in his interview rather than drive over for an in-studio conversation. None-the-less, Justin and I had a fun, informal chat with the composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist, who is currently on the verge of completing the band’s fourth full-length album for Projekt. But first he has to figure out the lineup of musicians for next weekend’s concert and whether or not he should strip on stage or set himself on fire. Read on to find out more.

Interview by Anji Bee & Justin Jay of KUCI 88.9 fm. Intro by Anji.


Anji: Gosh, this is really weird doing a phone interview. It’s weird not having the person in front of us. Are you there?
Ryan: I’m just a few miles away, so I’m kinda “there.”
Justin: What, you’re in a phone booth a few miles down the road right now?
Anji: (Laughs)
Ryan: Basically I got lost trying to find the station, so… No, actually I’m at my place about a half an hour, an hour away.
Justin: Don’t give away the location!
Ryan: (Laughs nervously) LA, somewhere.
Justin: LA. Okay. That’s good and general.
Ryan: (Chuckles)
Justin: That should protect you.
Ryan: (Chuckles) I dunno. I’ve never had any, like, psycho fans or devoted freaks try to find me.
Anji: You haven’t?  

Justin: Well, you know, if you wanna give it a shot you can always give out your home address right now.
All: (Laughs)
Ryan: And my phone number.
Justin: There you go. You can at least get some crank calls.
Ryan: (Laughing) Yeah, no, I don’t want that. It’d probably be people that don’t even like us, they just wanna crank call us.
Anji: You’re a pretty visible figure as it is. I mean, I see you at clubs and stuff.
Ryan: I’m tall. I guess I’m easy to spot and stuff.
Anji & Justin: Yeah.
Anji: You really are.
Anji & Justin: (Laughs)
Anji: Yeah, in fact, I saw you at Coven 13 the day. They were filming for some Gothic underground thing on Fox, or whatever.
Ryan: Oh, is that what was going on?  

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Interview, News

Mean Streets on ProjektFest LA

Mean Streets So Cal, March 1998, Volume VIII – Issue 9

PROJEKT FESTIVAL: One of the most dramatic and beautiful nights of music awaits you…

By Ned Raggett

About 2000 years ago. plus a few, the Ides of March proved to not be a pretty good day. At least for a balding fellow named Julius Caesar. However, that was Rome and two millennia away, not Los Angeles and the middle of this March.

At the El Rey Theatre on Sunday, March 15, the third Projekt Festival will be hosted for many an appreciative fan, likely providing one of the most dramatic and beautiful nights of music for years. Organized by Projekt main man Sam Rosenthal, the festival, previously held in the in the label’s headquarter city of Chicago, will feature two of Projekt’s flagship bands— Los Angeles’ own Love Spirals Downwards and Rosenthal’s group Black Tape for a Blue Girl — and Santa Barbara’s faith and the Muse (who though not on Projekt are closely associated with the label via Darkwave distribution). Tickets can currentIy be purchased via Los Angeles at Retail Slut on Melrose, in Orange County at Ipso Facto in Fullerton, and through Projekt at 1-800 CD-LASER. All very well, you say, but why should you care?

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News

L.A. Projekt Festival

The Los Angeles show that I referred to earlier, as some of you may have figured out, is the Los Angeles Projekt Festival at the El Rey Theater on March 15. Check Projekt’s Live Page for the latest info and details. I haven’t mentioned it here until now because the details of the show were constantly changing. The original idea for the show was supposed to be just us and labelmates, Thanatos. Now Thanatos is not playing and the show has become the “L.A. Projekt Festival.” Some of you know that Suzanne and I are not exactly blissful about festival shows, so this will be our last festival performance and your last opportunity to see us at one. Later in the year we plan to get back to doing our own shows again when we do some touring.

News

Dewdrops Records compilation

Dewdrops Records included our song “Delta” on their new 2-CD set, Splashed With Many A Speck, released this past December. The various artist compilation also features our friends Closedown, Faith & Disease, The Von Trapps, Lovesliescrushing, and many more, including Cocteau Twins. The Closedown track, “Bumblebee,” was actually mixed here at our home studio by me.

Splashed with many a speck
Interview

Interview in Sturm und Drang, Winter 1997/98

They say that every style has a limited life, from its prosperous origins to decline. There is, however, a current that has been in force for quite a few years and that has not declined at all: the heavenly voices. What began in the 80s with 4AD and continued with Hyperium now stars Projekt, a very successful American label that treasures some of the best ethereal music bands, such as LOVE SPIRALS DOWNWARDS, a Los Angeles duo formed by guitarist Ryan Lum and vocalist Suzanne Perry. In 1992 he made his debut with ‘Idylls,’ followed by ‘Ardor’ and his great and last work, ‘Ever.’

By Sonia Garcia

SUD: What is the meaning of the band name? Love Spirals Downwards? Does it have something to do with the acronyms that are formed with the initials, that is, the psychedelic LSD, and the effect that your music can cause?

Ryan: It’s just a name, we had to call ourselves somehow: it doesn’t mean anything.

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Interview, News

KUCI 88.9 FM Winter 1997 Program Guide [Scan, Transcript & Audio]

Interview and photography by Ned Raggett

It’s a beautiful name, Love Spirals Downwards. It calls up so many wonderful images, but the name would mean little if the band wasn’t so good as well. With Ryan Lum on guitars and other instruments and Suzanne Perry on vocals, LSD have created three excellent albums for Projekt Records over the past few years. The most recent, Ever, is quite something; a wonderful wash of Lum’s layered, exquisite acoustic and electric guitar work and Perry’s truly angelic vocals. LSD played an acoustic set on KUCI on Friday, November 15, after which they sat down for a talk about many and varied things — and during which they proved to have, as a duo, one of the best repartees around!

Ned: Ryan has mentioned elsewhere that he was trying to experiment more with electronics on this album. As the singer, what do you try to do on the new album that was different from the past?

Suzanne: I don’t know if ever try and aim for anything, I just see what comes out. The only aim is to do something different — or at least feels different. I don’t necessarily make something different, or consciously try to be different… I don’t know if this makes sense?

Ned: I’ve heard stranger explanations!

Ryan: I lost her!

Ned:  Well,  here’s another question for you, Suzanne…

Suzanne: Ask me a simple one, ‘cause I’m really stupid!

Ned: A simple one it is. Who are your influences, singing or lyrically?

Suzanne: Oh… (pause)

Ned: Never mind, that’s not so simple. Cancel!

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News

Mexico Projekt Fest

We recently got back from another wonderful time in Mexico. After just dealing with a less than ideal audience in Chicago, the Mexico City audience’s enthusiasm for us, Lycia, and Arcanta was rewarded by great performances from us all (I’d say we all performed much better than in Chicago). The show was one of our best to date, with or without the electricity (those of you who were there know what I mean). The U.S. Projekt Fest audience could learn a few lessons from the Mexican audience, who really seemed to be there for the MUSIC rather than socializing.

After the show, Suzanne and I traveled to Cancun, on the Yucatan, for some relaxation and exploring. The highlight was visiting the pyramids and Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza.

Again, we had a great time in Mexico and look forward to the next time.

News

New album, upcoming show

Currently, we are hard at work on a new album. It’s coming together very nicely and I expect to be finished this Spring for a Summer release. If you’ve been to any of our shows this year, then you’ve heard some of the new songs, and can probably figure the direction it’s heading.

Also, and this is still very tentative, we may be doing a big Los Angeles show in March. I’ll post more information later.

Review

Ephemera Reviews ProjektFest ‘97

A huge feature on the Chicago ProjektFest is featured in Epherma, packed with photos from this multi-day event.

Love Spirals Downward usually plays a mellower type of acoustic rock, most easily compared to the Cranes or bands of a like nature. Tonight they would debut a new style that sees more of an electronic feel. Suzanne admitted to a bout of nervousness, that preceded this appearance, and related a story about an X-files monster (the Chupacabra??) and how it’s name could be said to the beat of one of their songs. It was really quite refreshing to see a band get off their high horse and actually be friendly and personable to the audience. You felt like they were performing for you in their living room. It was nice and intimate. Except for a few NOISY people who talked all through the set it was good. The electronic songs brought up comparisons of Portishead or Lamb and still sounded a bit rough around the edges, but eventually those gave way to the acoustic guitar style that most are used to hearing form these two. What can you say, it’s sheer beauty to hear Suzanne’s voice pierce the still air. There is nothing more honest and breathtaking. They wrapped up with another electronic bit. All in all I could say that it was a very surreal performance. You would have these very beautiful songs juxtaposed with anecdotes and silly songs about a “pickleman.” It wasn’t as jarring as, say, Rasputina’s commentary but it was equally bizarre. I liked it a lot. No one should miss the opportunity to see these guys. No one.