It seems that Lovespirals’ 2005 single, “Hand in Hand,” from sophomore album, Free & Easy, has found a new audience on the Below Zero radio show. The band are currently featured on the front page of the official show site with a very nice writeup. Apparently the track has been steadily climbing their charts over the past month, since DJ Mason Rothert discovered and dusted off this “timeless gem,” as they so generously called it.
Lovespirals have quietly started their own revolution in the world of chillout and carved their own style out with their three albums. From the dreamy folk and rock sounds of Windblown Kiss (2002) to the more soulful jazz and blues of Free & Easy (2005) they come full circle with Long Way From Home, which is back to the dream pop roots.
While Anji Bee sings her sad lyrics with a voice that tucks you in at night, Ryan Lum masterfully produces melancholic music. These two have been at it for nearly a decade and their hard work is really paying off. They have worked very hard in the digital music revolution as well as podcasting with Anji Bee’s chillcast shows. Anji is known as “the sexiest voice in podcasting” and she has made everyone at Below Zero freeze over which is a good thing in the world of chill.
Lovespirals track, “Hand in Hand” from their release Free & Easy has made a comeback for us at Below Zero. When we went back and listened to this song we had to bring it out as it is a timeless gem. We are happy it reached #1 on our TOP 10 list after a four week climb.
As an interesting sidenote, “Hand in Hand” was originally recorded as an extended Jazz Step Drum n Bass track in 1999, making it the second song ever produced by Lovespirals. It was first pressed to acetate for Ryan’s DJ sets, then uploaded to mp3.com, and eventually included on the digital-only Ecstatic EP in 2001. This early mix was featured in an official Mp3.com Best Song of the Week contest and was included on the Chill Out Lounge 2 compilation alongside D&B master, LTJ Bukem. The Ecstatic EP itself was spotlighted as a Hot Pick on mp3.com (“for fans of Good Looking Records“), and listed in StarVox’s Top 10 of 2001, hailing it’s “tasty illbient and Trip Hop influenced grooves” as a “harbinger of Goth’s next Big Thing.”
You can download and compare both versions of “Hand in Hand” from Lovespirals’ Amie Street store. For CD purists, pick up a copy of Free & Easy from the band store to have it autographed by Ryan and Anji just for you!
