News

Oui Magazine

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Lovespirals were mentioned in a recent issue of Oui
Magazine, for their Oui Rocks section. Devil Doll gives
a brief update of the band in her “Oh My Goth” column,
alongside The Empire Hideous and Virgin Black. A
promo photo by Susan Jennings is included (with the
band fully clothed…) Thanks to Elizabeth for the press
clipping!

LOVESPIRALS (formerly Love Spirals Downwards) songwriter/producer, Ryan Lum and singer/songwriter, Anji Bee, are currently preparing for the release of their first full-length album, tentatively titled ‘Oh So Long,’ due out in May 2002. Ryan reports: “There’s lots of little surprises in our sound this time around, including a wonderful guest appearance by Sean Bowley (of Eden) on 2 tracks. As I have recently rediscovered my love of guitar, this album is really based around beautiful melodies on both acoustic and electric guitar, as well as Anji’s gorgeous, versatile vocals. We’ve had a lot of fun working on our first album together and hope that love shines through to our fans!”

— from Oui Magazine
Press, Reviews

Chain DLK Reviews ‘Windblown Kiss’

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A positive review of our debut full-length album has appeared in Chain DLK, ” your #1 source for electronic, industrial, ambient & dark experiments music.” It reads, in part:

With the new group, new influences have come through, with a strong jazz element. To think of it, this is like Billy Holiday with better vocals and more of a mood! “Oh So Long” starts off with a sensual horn section and Anji Bee’s masterful ethereal vocals, which go for mood and emotion, not a high pitch like a lot of ethereal vocalists. She reminds me alot of the girl from Portishead a bit, but softer. As good as Suzanne Perry was, Anji Bee has her matched. The rest of the album flows with a very controlled calm, very laid back and sensual. A welcome shift of direction, and should please fans of both jazz, ethereal, and emotional folk music. And if you’re looking for that CD for you and your lover to listen to under some candlelight, this is it!Very recommended.

 9/10 KlingKlangBedlam

Read the full review here.

Blog

Blardy blar!

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Haven’t posted much lately… Been too busy with promotions and tour travel plans, I guess. We also wrote and recorded a new song. Ryan cut his hand and had to get stitches last week, so that’s slowed him down a bit, but he’s almost recovered now.

We’ve been toying with a new version of “Ring” for the live set, which is kind of interesting. We didn’t do any LSD songs at ProjektFest. Ryan thought they were “kinda boring” compared to the material from the new album. He’s addicted to Jazz chords now! I think he’s also going to work up backing tracks for the new song, which we’ve been calling “Walk Away.”

Still no final word from any of the 3 people who want to set up shows in Mexico. We got a new request this week, too. Eventually we should have something settled, though.

Reviews

Jazz Review.com, Featured Artist July 2002

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windblown350
Windblown Kiss (2002)

Lee Prosser reviews Windblown Kiss for Jazz Review, July 2002

Ryan Lum and Anji Bee are Lovespirals. With a touch of soft blues and world music motifs, this entry into the smooth jazz category is a surefire hit and should appeal to a wide listening audience.

The music is refreshingly original and likeable, enjoyable in all ways. The 10 selections include “Oh So Long,” “Dejame,” “Windblown Kiss,” “Our Nights,” and “I Can’t See You,” among others.

Ryan Lum is a master of guitar, his techniques fresh and pleasant, and the sensual vocals of Anji Bee perfectly reflect the high quality of the musical compositions. Windblown Kiss is a magical listening experience, filled with sensitivity and beautiful soft jazz sounds.

Lovespirals is topnotch.

See the original review at jazzreview.com

Interviews

The Women of Mp3.com Interview

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Jianda Johnson interviews Anji for a feature article on the Women of Mp3.com Station.

JIANDA: How did you get into music, how long have you been making it, and when did you join Lovespirals?

ANJI: I’d say that I first got into music through my dad. One of my earliest memories is circling around the coffee table to “Here Comes the Sun,” when I was barely able to walk. I started singing very early, doing school productions from Pre-School on. Shortly out of High School, I got invovled with different garage bands, doing gigs, and recording 4 track demos. Strangely, I really always wanted to be a guitarist, but I’ve just never been very adept at it! I did play guitar in an industrial noise rock band for awhile, but it was a struggle for me. I played percussion in another band around that time too. It’s funny to think about those old bands now, in comparison to my work with Lovespirals. Speaking of Lovespirals, I began working with Ryan in early 1999.

JIANDA: Can you please explain the difference between Lovespirals and Love Spirals Downwards?

ANJI: When Ryan and I began working back in 1999 on Drum ‘n’ Bass tunes, he was in a transitional period, unsure if he wanted to make another listening album or start releasing 12’s instead. At that time, we weren’t sure if our stuff was going to be released as Love Spirals Downwards or as some kind of side project. We were just recording songs and pressing dubplates for him to spin in his DJ sets, not sending them around to labels or trying to get them released. Then I made those tracks available online through mp3.com and folks started contacting us to include stuff on compilations, so by now all of them have been released somewhere or other, which is really cool. But I digress… It’s tremendously hard to explain exactly where or how things changed between Love Spirals Downwards and Lovespirals, because it was all just a natural progression.

Continue reading The Women of Mp3.com Interview →
Blog

The Von Trapps

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Last night Ryan and I went to Violaine’s one year anniversary/Dew Drop’s Cocteau Twins tribute CD release party out in L.A. The club they have it at, Vertigos, is really cute! I wish it hadn’t been quite so loud though… Local legends, The Von Trapps, featuring Rodney Rodriguez (who played the Flamenco guitar lead on “Alicia” as well as second guitar for LSD’s last live performance) performed. They are really, really good. I wish to heck that they would finally put together a full length CD. The new 3 song demo they gave us last night is pretty amazing. Jenny sounds even better than ever!

Well, at least they have given in and made an mp3.com page, so people can check them out there: http://www.mp3.com/thevontrapps

News, Press, Reviews

Gothic Paradise Reviews Windblown Kiss

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Website and radio station, Gothic Paradise, announced in their latest newsletter: “Added a review and information on the debut album from the newly formed Lovespirals, featuring almost legendary, multi-talented Ryan Lum of Love Spirals Downwards fame. Combined with Anji Bee‘s musical talents and beautiful voice, they’ve managed to create a very captivating sound. Their style reflects only vaguely Ryan’s previous work with Love Spirals Downwards and takes on a more Jazzier tone with touches of Flamenco, Folk and other genres. I like to compare them to the latest release from The Cranes, dreamy and experimental and Julee Cruise, Ethereal and Jazzy. Great stuff and one of the latest releases on Projekt Records!“

Here’s the full review written by Jacob Bogedahl:

I’ve been waiting for this release for a long time and it’s been well worth the wait. I, like other fans of Love Spirals Downwards wasn’t sure of what to expect with this release. I had heard a little bit about it and had a listen of “Dejame” early on before the release. Also being a fan of Julee Cruise and hearing that similarity, I knew I was going to enjoy this album.

Combining so many instruments, different guitars, various styles including Flamenco, Jazz and a bit of Ethereal, everything comes together almost perfectly. The beginning track “Oh so long” really sets the somewhat melancholic yet jazzy mood for the album. The follow-up track “Dejame” is my favorite from this work of art. The Spanish lyrics are pensive and Anji’s vocals are beautiful and thought-provoking. There are some upbeat tracks that have an overall happy mood to them such as “He Calls Me”. “Windblown Kiss” is probably the track that can most closely be compared to the more Gothic Ethereal style with the acoustic elements and the overall dreamy feeling you get while listening to it, another favorite of mine.

Some other great points about this album are the additions of saxophone by Doron Orenstein. Also, the addition of male vocals by Sean Bowley on several tracks. There are other contributions by these artists and others with the entire production, including mastering by Robert Rich. Such a combination of musical styles and instruments along with the talents of this duo is just outright innovative and enjoyable. I think a wide audience will really enjoy this album. I give it a 4 1/2 out of 5 rating, not quite perfect more for my own tastes than for any flaws in the music.

See the Gothic Paradise band bio for Lovespirals at: http://www.gothicparadise.com/lovespirals.htm

Also be sure to check out Gothic Paradise’s Ethereal channel radio programming!

Reviews

High Bias Review

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Michael Toland reviews “Windblown Kiss”

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An outgrowth of the Gothic dreampop band, Love Spirals Downwards, Lovespirals cast aside much of the previous incarnation’s psychedelic gloom while retaining its romantic angst. The airy arrangements and acoustic guitars put a new spin on the kind of emotional claustrophobia at which LSD was so adept.

“And it’s oh so long to wait/I lack the patience/Give me strength” Bee sighs in “Oh So Long” as she waits to be reunited with her lover; “Swollen Sea” and “I Can’t See You” also look for beauty in the pain of lost love. But Bee and Lum don’t forget joy: “Our Nights,” “He Calls Me” (which adds an overt spiritual dimension to the proceedings) and the title tune celebrate love instead of dreading it.

Interestingly, Lum and Bee invite guitarist/songwriter Sean Bowley from Eden to contribute vocals and lyrics to two cuts; the results are strong Gothic folk/pop songs, but they don’t fit with the rest of the record. Still, those songs don’t detract from an otherwise consistently beautiful treatise on romantic expression.

For fans of: the Cardigans, Cousteau, Everything But the Girl

highbias.com

Get your copy of Lovespirals’ ‘Windblown Kiss’ CD from Projekt.com 

Blog

Witching Hours interview

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Just got off the phone with Bryan. Boy oh boy, did Ryan and I TALK! We were so impressed by how well Bryan had done his research; he seemed to know a lot about us. We just blabbed and blabbed… I think I had a little too much coffee beforehand. I bet you can hear me slurping it down over the phone, too — heh heh.

Its really cool that Bryan’s going to send me a mini disc of the interview, so I can edit a chunk out and put it up on our mp3.com page. I love doing stuff like that! I haven’t had anything new to include on our page in awhile, either, so this will give folks a reason to visit that site again.

I think I’m addicted to providing Internet content…

Ethereal Chillout Music