Lovespirals

Infobox musical artist
Name = Lovespirals


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Img_size = 200
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Background = group_or_band
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Origin = United States
Genre = Dream pop Electronica
Years_active = 1999 – present
Label = Chillcuts Projekt
Associated_acts = Love Spirals Downwards
URL = http://www.lovespirals.com
Current_members = Ryan Lum Anji Bee
Past_members = Doron Orenstein Gabriel D. Vine Sean Bowley
Notable_instruments =

Lovespirals is a US Dream pop and Electronica band from Southern California featuring multi-instrumentalist/producer, Ryan Lum, and lyricist/vocalist, Anji Bee.

History

The origins of Lovespirals began with a 1998 side project of Lum's Projekt Records band, Love Spirals Downwards [ [http://www.kuci.org/~justin/bedtime/lsd.htm] "lovespiralsdownwards.com" Retrieved on 11-29-07 ] The new outfit found Lum teaming up with Doron Orenstein and Gabriel D. Vine, of Subliminal Records duo, Monkey Bars, for the instrumental track, "Beatitude." [ [http://www.lovespirals.com/?p=425] "lovespirals.com" Retrieved on 11-29-07 ] Bee joined in as vocalist soon after [ [http://www.cholermagazine.com/articles/lovespirals.shtml] "choler.com" Retrieved on 11-29-07] [ [http://www.jivemagazine.com/article.php?pid=12] jivemagazine.com Retrieved on 11-29-07]

At first, Lovespirals' music picked up where Lum left off with "Flux", the final Love Spirals Downwards' studio album, creating Drum and Bass and Downtempo compositions. The first song officially released to CD was a Jazzstep remix of Claire Voyant's "Bittersweet," for "," in April 2000. The remix was attributed to Love Spirals Downwards, though the song was composed by Lum and Bee, with saxophone contributions by Orenstein. [ [http://www.lovespiralsdownwards.com/?p=71] "lovespiralsdownwards.com" Retrieved on 11-29-07]

In July 2000, the band launched an Mp3.com page under the name "Lovespirals" which included the first song featuring Bee's vocals, "Ecstatic." [ [http://www.lovespiralsdownwards.com/?p=72] "lovespiralsdownwards.com" Retrieved on 11-29-07] They followed up with a second digital single called "Hand in Hand" in August. These tracks were pressed to acetate for Lum's use in DJ sets during promotions for the Love Spirals Downwards career retrospective CD, "", released earlier that year. [ [http://www.lovespiralsdownwards.com/?p=73] "lovespiralsdownwards.com" Retrieved on 11-29-07] In 2001, these songs were released via an Mp3.com Enhanced CDR called the "Ecstatic EP", along with a new track called "Spanning Time," and their Claire Voyant remix. [ [http://www.discogs.com/release/733489] "discogs.com" Retrieved on 11-29-07] StarVox Magazine listed the "Ecstatic EP" and "Time Again" in their Top 10 Staff Favorites of 2001, citing Lovespirals and Claire Voyant's "triphop-influenced grooves" as "Goth's Next Big Thing." [ [http://www.starvox.net/credit/2001.htm#Kevin] "starvox.com" Retrieved on 11-29-07] Mp3.com featured the EP in their "Hot Artist Spotlight" on January 25, 2002, stating:

:"For those fans of Good Looking Records, Lovespirals could easily be found amongst their ranks in talent and sound." [ [http://www.lovespirals.com/index.php?page_id=392&review=10] "lovespirals.com" Retrieved on 11-29-07]

By 2002, however, the band had eschewed Drum and Bass in favor of more Dream Pop focused territory - albeit with Jazz and World flavorings - for their first full-length CD, "Windblown Kiss", released on Lum's long time label, Projekt. The album features two collaborations with former Projekt labelmate, Sean Bowley, of Eden, as well as sax contributions by Orenstein. [ [http://www.projekt.com/projekt/product.asp?sku=PRO00133] "projekt.com" Retrieved on 11-29-07 ] . Oddly enough, "Windblown Kiss" was linked to another burgeoning Gothic subgenre, "slow teary-eyed Gothic Jazz":

:"Lovespirals’ "Windblown Kiss" of 2002 was heralded as the style’s official birth and fulfilled the lifelong dreams of darkwave and lounge lovers like myself by blending the melancholy, ethereal vocals of the former with the breezy, slow sway of the latter." [ [http://www.utulsa.edu/collegian/article.asp?article=1623] "The Collegian Online" Retrieved on 11-29-07 ]

After leaving Projekt to form their own label, Chillcuts, Lovespirals returned in 2005 with "Free & Easy". This second album continued the band's exploration of Jazz, but in a much more Electronica-oriented style. As part of the album's promotion, Peace Love Productions held a remix contest for the album single, "Walk Away." [ [http://www.peaceloveproductions.com/lovespirals.html "Peace Love Productions" Retrieved on 12-06-07] ] An entry by Bitstream Dream - whom Bee has collaborated with on several songs - was one of Lovespirals' first tracks deemed podsafe. Podsafe Music Network founder, Adam Curry, premiered "Walk Away (Bitstream Dream Remix)" on Daily Source Code #261 [http://mp3.dailysourcecode.podshow.com/DSC-261-2005-10-17.mp3] on October 17, 2005. [ [http://www.lovespirals.com/index.php?m=2005&paged=5] "lovespirals.com" Retrieved on 05-11-07] This remix currently holds the #2 position on the Podsafe Music Network's Top Ten Most Played On Podcasts chart for the Downtempo genre. The #1 position is held by another "Free & Easy" single, "Love Survives." Also in the Downtempo Top Ten is the 2004 Bitstream Dream song, "Phantasma," featuring Bee's vocals and lyrics. [ [http://music.podshow.com/music/lists/NewTopTenListsGenres.php?genre=Downtempo&Submit=sort] "Podsafe Music Network" Retrieved on 9-2-08]

In June 2005, Lovespirals began a band podcast entitled "Chillin' with Lovespirals" [ [http://www.linkedin.com/in/anjibee] "LinkedIn: Anji Bee" Retrieved on 11-29-07 ] The show's theme music is the opening intro from title track, "Free & Easy." [ [http://anjibee.com/promos-intro-songs/] "anjibee.com" Retrieved on 11-29-07] In addition to band news, the podcast discusses "recent trends in music and technology." [ [http://chillinwithlovespirals.podshow.com] "PodShow" Retrieved on 11-29-07] "Chillin' with Lovespirals" became available on the iTunes store in July 2005. [ [http://www.lovespirals.com/index.php?m=2005&paged=10] "lovespirals.com" Retrieved on 12-06-07] In 2006, the podcast was signed on with PodShow with the extended the show name "Chillin' with Lovespirals: Insights of an Indie Band." [ [http://www.linkedin.com/in/anjibee] "LinkedIn: Anji Bee" Retrieved on 11-29-07]

Bee was signed to PodShow as a podcast producer in February 2006. Her first PodShow property was the weekly podsafe Chillout music podcast, "The Chillcast with Anji Bee", which she originally launched in January 2006 on Ourmedia as "The Chillcuts Chillcast" as a tie-in to the band's label. [ [http://ourmedia.org/node/136697] "ourmedia" Retrieved on 12-06-07] The show's theme song was created by Lovespirals. [ [http://anjibee.com/promos-intro-songs/] "anjibee.com" Retrieved on 11-29-07] "The Chillcast" was added to the "Adam Curry's PodShow" lineup on Sirius Stars in January 2007. [ [http://anjibee.com/anji-bees-podcasts/] "anjibee.com" Retrieved on 11-29-07]

Lovespirals' 3rd album, "Long Way From Home," released October 23, 2007, was a return to guitar and vocal based compositions, more in the Dream Pop style, with Americana or Alt. Country influences. The CD was named after a lyric in the American Spiritual, "Motherless Child", which was the first single from "Long Way From Home". [ [http://wc09.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:fxfrxzrhldje] "All Music Guide" Retrieved on 11-29-07] Lovespirals' rendition of "Motherless Child" was first released on the Podsafe Music Network on June 1, 2007, and has been featured on podcasts including Daily Source Code [ [http://curry.podshow.com/?p=663] "Daily Source Code" Retrieved on 12-06-07] , Accident Hash [ [http://www.accidenthash.com/2007/06/04/rainy-ladies/] "Accident Hash" Retrieved on 12-06-07] , Financial Aid Podcast [http://cdn.libsyn.com/financialaidpodcast/20070622.mp3] , PodShow Radio [http://m.podshow.com/media/174/episodes/81799/podshowradio-81799-10-03-2007.mp3] , and the Podsafe Music Countdown Top 10 [http://media.libsyn.com/media/cdogg/PMC_20071007.mp3] . The album's second single, "This Truth," currently ranks #8 in the Podsafe Music Network's Top Ten Most Played on Podcasts chart for the Downtempo genre [ [http://music.podshow.com/music/lists/NewTopTenListsGenres.php?genre=Downtempo&Submit=sort] "Podsafe Music Network" Retrieved on 9-2-08] .

The two lead singles from "Long Way From Home" were also released as digital EPs, with Downtempo, House, and other Electronica genre remixes hearkening the band's previous sound. The "Motherless Child EP" released September 16, 2007, contains remixes by Hungry Lucy, Karmacoda, MoShang, Chris Caulder (of Beauty's Confusion), The Black Channel Citizen, and Lovespirals' own Ryan Lum. A year later, the band assembled a 10 song collection of remixes culled from their second Peace Love Production remix contest [ [http://peaceloveproductions.com/lovespiralsremix.html] "Peace Love Productions" Retrieved on 9-2-08] to create the "This Truth EP". Artists include the contest winning producer, Pomatic, runner-up Kambronn, and Projekt Records labelmate, Soul Whirling Somewhere (aka soulwhirlingsomwhere). All of these remixes, plus the still-unreleased "Walk Away EP", are available on the Podsafe Music Network [ [http://music.podshow.com/music/listeners/artistdetails.php?BandHash=e3c33daae9277da122dcdf04772745a6] "Podsafe Music Network" Retrieved on 9-2-08] for free download and use by podcasters and Internet DJs.

Lovespirals' music has been featured internationally on network television, cable, DVD, podcasts, vidcasts, Internet and radio including: The Oprah Winfrey Show, E!'s Gastineau Girls, VH1's Celebrity Fit Club, the WB's Popular boxed set, "The Strand: Venice" (by Daniel Myrick of The Blair Witch Project fame), The Chalet Show with Lynn Parsons, and Adam Curry's Daily Source Code. [ [http://www.lovespirals.com/bio.cfm?page=bio http://www.lovespirals.com/bio.cfm?page=bio] "lovespirals.com" Retrieved on 05-11-07 ]

Discography

*Ecstatic (2001 Mp3.com)

*Windblown Kiss (2002 Projekt Records)
*Free & Easy (2005 Chillcuts)
*Long Way From Home (2007 Chillcuts/reapandsow)
*Motherless Child EP (2007 Chillcuts)
*This Truth EP (2008 Chillcuts/reapandsow)

Various Artist Compilations

* Claire Voyant "Time Again: A Collection of Remixes" Accession Records (2000)
* "Chill Out Lounge Vol. 2" Water Music Records (2001)
* "Chill Out in the City" Water Music Records (2001)
* " Music Inspired by SWAT" SWAT Productions(2001)
* "Excelsis 3: A Prelude" Projekt Records (2001)
* Claire Voyant "Time Again: A Collection of Remixes" Metropolis Records (2001)
* "Excelsis Box Set" Projekt Records (2001)
* "Mondisk: A Celebration of 13 Years" Monitor Records (2002)
* "Cool Terrasse" CH Musiq (2002)
* "Blisscent 1" Blisscent Records (2002)
* "Projekt: Gothic" Projekt Records (2002)
* "Projekt 2002.2" Projekt Records (2002)
* "The Arbitrary Width of Shadows" Projekt Records (2002)
* "A Dark Noel: The Very Best of Excelsis" Projekt Records/Hot Topic (2002)
* "Projekt 2002.3" Projekt Records (2002)
* " Dark Horizons - A Decade of Darkness" Dark Horizons (2003)
* "Projekt 2003.1" Projekt Records (2003)
* "Precipice Vol. 2" Precipice Recordings (2004)
* " NPF Tribute Vol. 1: None Of Us Is Pink" NPF (2005)
* " NPF Tribute Vol. 2: The Return of the Sons of Neptune" NPF (2005)
* " Asian Variations: Various Artists Remixed by MoShang" OnsePlate (2007)
* " Projekt200" Projekt (2007)
* " The Best of Sunday Sundown" Intralog Sunday Media Network (2007)

References

External links

* [http://www.lovespirals.com/ Lovespirals] Official site
* [http://www.myspace.com/lovespirals Lovespirals] on MySpace
*amg|id=10:e7f3zfd2eh6k|label=Lovespirals
* [http://www.discogs.com/artist/Lovespirals Lovespirals] Discogs.com page
* [http://www.gearwire.com/lovespirals-recording.html/ GearWire] Article about Ryan's use of ProTools and GarageBand software
* [http://solipsisticnation.com/?p=129 solipsistic NATION No. 56: Lovespirals] Podcast. Interview with Anji Bee and Ryan Lum, plus, select tracks from their EPs and LPs and side projects.