All posts by Anji

Always evolving

Looks like we updated the site yet again! Seems like there’s always something new we want to try out. Sometimes we bring back something old that we miss, but with a new twist — like this blog! Now ya’ll can comment on things, if you feel so inclined. We’re still in need of some new band photos, as Ryan and I look quite a bit different than we did back in the Windblown Kiss period, but it looks like we’ll be hooking up with our favorite photographer, Susan Jennings, early next year. It’s not as far away as it sounds…

Ryan and I have already made a New Year’s resolution to stay in better communication with our fans, and part of that will be accomplished by sending out newsletters more often. We get people signing up to the newslist every week, but it’s been months since I’ve sent one and I do feel a little bit bad.

We’ve also set up an RSS feed of our news page, and I think we’ll have one of the journal soon, too. Looks like we haven’t added that link to the site yet, though. I’ll have to pester our code monkey. Heh heh…

"Love Survives" Garners Garageband Awards

“Love Survives” has been showered with Reviewer Pick Awards at Garageband.com this week, including top 3 awards in the categories of Female Vocals, Lyrics, Keyboards, Bass, Melody, Production, and Mood, as well as “Best Love Song,” “Best Feel-Good Track,” and “Coolest Chill-Out Track”. Check out the dozens of awards and reviews of “Love Survives” plus other Lovespirals songs at http://www.garageband.com/artist/lovespirals

Lovespirals Song of the Week Award
Lovespirals "Love Survives" Wins Track of the Week Award on Garageband

Walk Away (SinQ Remix)

I’ve felt the dizzy heights
Don’t wanna take the fall
Well, I’ve climbed and seen the sights
Just wanna take it all in
Then walk away, yeah (x2)

I’ve come close to the fire
Nearly burned my hands
I won’t be lifted higher
To be dropped to the sands
No

No, I’ll walk away
Find my own space
I’ll hide away
Til I feel safe again

Maybe I’m acting scared
See, I been hurt before
And my old heart just ain’t prepared
To take a chance any more
No

I’ll walk away
Find my own space
I’ll hide away
‘Til I feel safe again
I’ll walk, I’ll walk away
Again
Find my own space
Again
I’ll hide away, til I feel safe again
I’ll walk, I’ll walk away
Ooh

– By Anji Bee (BMI)

Synerdata Lovespirals Feature

This month Synerdata Radio is hosting a 2+ hour streaming radio feature on the history of Lovespirals and Love Spirals Downwards in 160kbps mp3 format. The show includes 2 cuts from every album, plus unreleased and demo tracks, as well as numerous interview clips of the band members taken from various sources, compiled and hosted by Anji Bee. The show is in medium to heavy rotation on both the main feed and the “secret hidden underground” feed, so keep an ear out for it!

Editor’s Pick on CNET’s Download.com

Lovespirals are now CNET’s new music.download.com. In fact, we were the editor’s pick on 5/6/2004, with the following editorial commentary:

The smooth grooves conjure comparisons to Portishead and Everything But the Girl. Combining jazzy torch-song vocal stylings with modern trip-hop sounds and rhythms, Lovespirals craft an infectious and exotic down-tempo sound that you might hear playing in an upscale New York club or Parisian underground lounge.

Lovespirals 2004 Biography/Discography

We’ve been sending out demos of some of our new dance and downtempo tracks to various labels, just to see if there’s any interest for compilations, singles, or even a full album. This is the latest bio to go along with the the tracks:

Since 1999, producer/musician Ryan Lum and singer/songwriter, Anji Bee have made an unlikely marriage of dusty vinyl classics to sparkling new CDs, informed by a lingering affair with Jazz. Familiar, yet exotic, the sounds and styles of this creative duo guide modern electronic composition in a more organic direction, forsaking simplistic sample loop based production in favor of traditional song writing and performance.

The interplay of Bee’s sensual vocals and Lum’s emotive guitar playing – given equal importance with the beats — illustrate their love of melody in song craft; something all too often missing in electronica music.  From track to track, and even within each tune itself, the duo culls their favorite aspects of music past and present – those most beautiful, soulful, haunting, or groovy – to create their own unique flavor; fresh and tasty.

Lum and Bee, working under the moniker, Lovespirals, have released various compilation tracks, downloadable singles, and even an album, Windblown Kiss (for indie Projekt Records), and have also performed all across North America with a semi-live set featuring guitar, sax, and vocals over a backing track on laptop. Lum has also appeared in Los Angeles and San Francisco clubs with traditional DJ sets, often including dub plates of their material.

If you are seeking music for the mind and soul, as well as the body, then Lovespirals are for you.

And while I’m at it, here’s our current discography:

DISCOGRAPHY:

(2000) Claire Voyant – Time Again – Metropolis Records “Bittersweet (LSD Mix)”
(2001) V/A – Chill Out in the City – Water Music Records “Beatitude”
(2001) V/A – Chill-Out Lounge v. 2 – Water Music Records “Hand in Hand (Radio Edit)”
(2001) Lovespirals – Ecstatic EP – MP3.com
(2001) V/A – Excelsis v.3: A Prelude – Projekt Records “Aspenglow”
(2002) V/A – Mondisk: A Celebration of 13 Years – Monitor Records “Hand in Hand”
(2002) Lovespirals – Windblown Kiss – Projekt Records
(2002) V/A – The Arbitrary Width of Shadows– – Hot Topic “Dejame”
(2002) V/A – A Dark Noel – Hot Topic “Aspenglow”

Change is a comin'

This may well be the final journal entry. We’re preparing to overhaul the site and I think we’ll probably axe the journal. We just don’t write in it very much. I already update the news and man the messageboard, so that doesn’t leave a lot of inspiration for the journal. Plus, those in the know already read my personal journal elsewhere…

Remix Competition Winners Announced

The Peace Love Productions remix competition of “Walk Away” has ended, and the winning remixes are all featured on Lovespirals’ SoundClick page. The Grand Prize Winner is SinQ, from Holland, with his “Don’t Look Back” mix, while Canada’s Bitstream Dream and Finland’s Funklovers produced the two Runner Up mixes. Lovespirals also selected a number of additional remixes as Honorable Mentions.

The Prizes for this contest included a copy of Ableton Live 3, Abelton Live Power, the Alien Guitars CD, the Dsound RT Player Pro & Stompin’ FX, plus the PLP Disco Tech Loop CD. Lucky winners!

You can also read a Side-Line story on Lovespirals PLP remix contest.

Walk Away (Bitstream Dream Mix)

I’ve felt the dizzy heights
Don’t wanna take the fall
I’ve climbed and seen the sights
Just wanna take it all in
Then walk away

I’ve come close to the fire
Nearly burned my hands
I won’t be lifted higher
To be dropped to the sand
No

I’ll walk, I’ll walk away
Find my own space
I’ll hide away
Til I feel safe again

Maybe I’m acting scared
See, I been hurt before
And my old heart just ain’t prepared
To take a chance any more
No

I’ll walk away
Find my own space
I’ll walk, I’ll walk away
Find my own space
I’ll hide away
Til I feel safe again
I’ll walk, I’ll walk away
Find my own space
I’ll hide away
Til I feel safe again

— By Anji Bee (BMI), arrangement by Rom di Prisco

Remix Contest Ends Soon!

The PLP “Walk Away” remix competition ends February 5th, after which
time all of the entries will be judged and a Grand Prize winner selected.
Lovespirals will host an mp3 of the winning mix and several runner-ups
on their newly launched SoundClick page. Plans are also underway for a remix CD highlighting a wide range of remix styles, so stay tuned for more news!