International distribution of Lovespirals’ new album will begin soon. CDs are already en route to Monitor, in Hong Kong. Noise Kontrol should follow with distribution throughout Mexico in the next few weeks. The band hopes to tour Mexico sometime in 2006.
Category Archives: News
Walk Away on Daily Source Code
Adam Curry played our “Walk Away (Bitstream Dream Remix)” on his Daily Source Code #261, which was just yesterday (Monday). The track was culled from our selection of tracks on Podshow’s new Podsafe Music Network site. I was kinda hoping Adam might dig our stuff when we joined the network…
[audio:http://mp3.dailysourcecode.podshow.com/DSC-261-2005-10-17.mp3]Lovespirals "Free and Easy" Feature
Ryan and Anji discuss the creation of Lovespirals’ new CD, Free & Easy, detailing specific tracks, and comparing this 2005 release to their 2002 release, Windblown Kiss. Audio clips from every track on the album accompany this 15 minute interview feature.
Official 2005 Lovespirals Bio
With the new album comes a new band bio. Check it out:
Lovespirals’ sophomore offering, Free & Easy, is actually band founder Ryan Lum’s 6th album, having released 4 other 10,000+ selling Projekt titles under the extended moniker, Love Spirals Downwards. Since 1991, multi-instrumentalist/producer Lum has been slowly but steadily perfecting his craft, mesmerizing listeners with a dreamy combination of ethereal rock, folk, and electronica, enhanced by female vocals ranging from the sensual to the sublime. 1998’s crossover electronica/rock breakthrough, Flux, possessed a more contemporary appeal than earlier efforts; the drum ‘n’ bass infused “Psyche” was even featured on the WB’s Dawson’s Creek. Enthused by the embrace of both his past fanbase and a newly growing listenership, Lum continued to evolve in a dance-oriented style, creating atmospheric jazz-step club tracks — including a remix of darkwave classic, “Bittersweet,” for Claire Voyant’s Time Again released through Metropolis Records.
By 1999, Lum was closely collaborating with new vocalist/songwriter, Anji Bee, under the condensed name Lovespirals. After a series of singles released on compilations such as Chill Out Lounge Vol. 2 and Chill Out in the City, Lovespirals changed gears and began seriously composing material for their first full-length album. Knowing that the album would be released on Projekt, who are known for darker ambient tinged offerings, Lum and Bee decided to hold back on their more upbeat compositions during song selection for their debut 2002 album, Windblown Kiss, focusing instead on darker, jazz-infused rock and folk tracks more in line with Robin Guthrie’s Violet Indiana and the Twin Peaks soundtracks by Angelo Badalamenti and Julie Cruise.
Fastforwarding to the present, Lovespirals are releasing their second album, Free & Easy, which includes lovingly completed versions of their previously unreleased dance songs, as well as a host of new tracks written between 2002 and 2004. With the freedom of launching their own label, Chillcuts, comes a celebration of high energy electronica tracks sprinkled amongst the moodier fare Lovespirals have come to be known for. From the bittersweet trip hop of the album single, “Love Survives” (featured in new webseries,The Strand), to the catchy deep house of “Trouble” (featured in E!’s Gastineau Girls), to the dark bluesy chill out of “Walk Away” (featured in the WB’s Popular DVD), Free & Easy, truly runs the gamut of downtempo sounds and styles. But Lovespirals could never be content writing only electronica; consider the mood masterpiece of the album, “Habitual,” with it’s soaring ethereal vocal harmonies and organic instrumentation.
Lovespirals’ first truly independent release is sure to surprise and delight their longtime fans, while attracting a new audience with it’s diverse range of genres graced by the smoothly sensual Lovespirals touch.
Lovespirals on Popular: Season 2 DVD
Lovespirals’ song “Walk Away” from the upcoming CD Free & Easy is included on the recent Disney/Buena Vista release of the WB Network’s Popular: Season 2 DVD. The original mix of this slow burning bluesy number is included in Episode #38, entitled “Fag.” Lovespirals are happy to be included in a program that attempts to tackle predjudices of all kinds.
Lovespirals on AMPed Podcast
Lovespirals song “Love Survives” is featured on the AMPed New Music Weekly podcast show #003 for the current week. The AMPed podcast was created to highlight some of the best indie tracks included in various music podcasts which are all joined together under the banner of “The Association of Music Podcasting.” Thus, “Love Survives” was selected from the Spelljamr podcast. You can subscribe to the show through the iTunes store or Odeo.
A really cool feature of the podcast is a special pulldown menu listing all the songs that will take you directly to the track of your choosing. Kind of funny is the fact that the AMPed host refers to us as “The Lovespirals” – hee hee!
New Album Release Announced on Podcast
On the Chillin’ with Lovespirals Podcast v.4, Anji and Ryan share news about the upcoming release of Free and Easy, discuss CD album art, announce Chillcuts proper, talk about a new collaborative recording, and play the PLP “Walk Away” remix contest winning track. Chillin’ with Lovespirals just cracked the Top 100 Podcasts on iTunes! Please help keep it there by subscribing at iTunes.
Radio.Speljamr Podcast
The Association of Music Podcasting station, Radio.Speljamr, included 2 Lovespirals tracks in last week’s podcast — Episode No. 14 of Vol. 1 — as well as a shoutout I recorded for them. Additionally, host Tim Finucane talks about the Chillin’ with Lovespirals podcast. Check out Tim’s musical podcast at http://radio.speljamr.com.
Lovespirals on Pink Floyd Tribute
Lovespirals have contributed a lovely cover of Pink Floyd’s 1969 song, “Cymbaline,” to None of Us is Pink, a massive 3-CD tribute assembled by fansite/forum, Neptune Pink Floyd. Billed “The world’s greatest and largest international collaboration to make a Pink Floyd Tribute CD, by fans for fans” this downloadable collection of 49 tracks was lovingly assembled, mastered, and packaged by hard core fans of this seminal band for absoultely no profit whatsoever. None of Us is Pink is available via BitTorrent in SHN format, along with complete artwork including a 27 page booklet, at the NPF site. You can also enjoy Lovespirals’ version of “Cymbaline” in 192k mp3 on Lovespirals’ MySpace page for a limited time.
Chillin with Lovespirals Podcast
Lovespirals have launched a brand new podcast in conjunction with Chillcuts called “Chillin’ with Lovespirals.” Ryan and Anji discuss the evolution of the band’s fan interaction and computer use, answer fan email, and more in the premier episode. Download and subscribe via RSS for future episodes via the handy visual links on Lovespirals’ site.
Back catalogue on iTunes
The entire back catalog of albums by Love Spirals Downwards is now available on iTunes Store USA, UK, Canada, & Europe. If you are unfamiliar with the former band incarnation, this is a great opportunity to explore the many sound and style changes Ryan explored from 1992 to 1998. We’ve created a special Lovespirals/Love Spirals Downwards iMix with some of the highlights from both Love Spirals Downwards and Lovespirals.
Rodney Rodriguez to join Lovespirals for Concert
Rodney Rodriguez (of The Von Trapps and Elysium fame) who performed with Love Spirals Downwards for their final live shows in 1998 — as well as with Suzanne Perry’s new band, Melodyguild — will be joining Ryan and Anji at their show this Thursday on second guitar. This is the first time Lovespirals have worked with another guitarist, so it should be pretty exciting. Doron will not be joining the band on sax this time, so all the way around it will be a very different show than past events. If you live in the area, you should drop by 14 Below, in Santa Monica, to check it out. Full details on the previous news posting.