Love Spirals Downwards

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Love Spirals Downwards
Origin Los Angeles, California
Genre(s) Dream pop
Shoegaze
Darkwave Ethereal
Instrument(s) Vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, sampler, drum machine, keyboard, hand drum, dulcimer
Years active 1991 – 1999
Label(s) Projekt Records
Hyperium Records
Associated acts Lovespirals
Melodyguild
Website Love Spirals Downwards

Love Spirals Downwards were an ethereal darkwave, dream pop and electronica recording act from California.

Contents

[edit] History

Love Spirals Downwards were begun by multi-instrumentalist Ryan Lum, as a solo recording project sometime in the late 1980's. In 1991, then-girlfriend Suzanne Perry joined as vocalist to record a demo, which led to a contract with Projekt Records. Over its 8-year history, the band released four full-length albums, a career retrospective, and a CD single, selling (by their own account) in excess of 40,000 CDs [1]. They were also included on over two dozen various artist compilations [2], including the Heavenly Voices series released by the German label Hyperium Records.

Lum worked with other vocalists and musicians in addition to Perry, including Perry's sister, Kristen, who appears on the 1998 album, Flux. One of her songs, "Psyche," was used on episode #501 of Dawson’s Creek, originally airing on 10/10/2001. This episode is included on the Season 5 DVD set. [3] Kristen Perry had actually recorded several demos with Lum prior to Suzanne Perry joining the band [4].

Jennifer Wilde (then working under her maiden name, Jennifer Ryan Fuller) performed as a guest vocalist on two tracks for Love Spirals Downwards' 1994 second release, Ardor. Her vocals from one of these songs, "Sunset Bell," were reused for a new version of the song 4 years later on the band's final studio album, Flux. Wilde went on to form her own band, Liquid State, in January 2006. [5]

Although the band never officially broke up, in 1999 Lum began releasing music under the shortened moniker, Lovespirals, featuring new vocal collaborator, Anji Bee. In January 2000, the Love Spirals Downwards career retrospective CD, Temporal, was released by Projekt including new remixes of songs from Flux and promotional materials that seemed to indicate the band were still active. [6]

However, in 2002 Projekt released Lovespirals' first full-length CD, Windblown Kiss, which did not include longtime LSD vocalist Suzanne Perry (nor Kristen Perry or Jennifer Wilde). Soon after, Projekt announced that Perry would release an EP under the band name, Melodyguild, in 2003. The release was pushed back several times before disappearing from the label's site. Projekt released a label sampler CD in December 2006 with a Melodyguild song listed as "from the 'Aitu (maxi CD)'," set for 2007 release, but the release has subsequently been removed from the site with no further mention. [7]

Out later in 2007 are two re-released albums in remastered versions, namely "Idyllis" and "Ardor". Remastered by Ryan Lum in 2007 both releases hold extra tracks[1].

In April 2008 Suzanne Perry, the vocalist for Love Spirals Downwards, returns with her first new work in almost a decade under the Melodyguild moniker. The quartet released the 4-track EP "Aitu" via the Projekt Records label[2]. The tracks on the EP are the following: "Panamint", "Accomplice", "Flicker", "Un parallel".

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

[edit] Various-artist compilation appearances

  • From Across This Gray Land No.3 Projekt Records (1992)
  • From Hypnotic to Hypersonic Hyperium Records (1992)
  • 50 Years of Sunshine Silent Records (1993)
  • The Altered Mind #13 flexidisc from The Altered Mind (1993)
  • Heavenly Voices Hyperium Records (1993)
  • Beneath the Icy Floe Vol. 2 Projekt Records (1994)
  • Zauber of Music Vol. 3 from Music From the Empty Quarter Vol. 12' (1994)
  • Of These Reminders Projekt Records (1995)
  • Beneath the Icy Floe Vol. 3 Projekt Records (1995)
  • Romantic Sound Sampler Vol. 2 Zillo/EFA (1995)
  • Excelsis (v.1): A Dark Noel Projekt Records (1995)
  • Wave Romantics: Dark Ballads & Underground Rock Classics Facedown/Edel (1996)
  • Beneath the Icy Floe Vol. 4 Projekt Records (1996)
  • Beneath the Icy Floe Vol. 5' Projekt Records (1997)
  • Splashed With Many a Speck Dewdrops Records (1997)
  • Life is Too Short for Boring Music Vol. 11 EFA (1997)
  • Indie Gestion: AP 12 Alternative Press (1997)
  • The Projekt Sampler/Beneath the Icy Floe Vol. 6 Projekt Records (1998)
  • Carpe Noctem 1 Bleeding Edge Media (1998)
  • Loraine: A KUCI 88.9FM Benefit Compilation Peach Records (1998)
  • Precipice Recordings Volume 1 Precipice Records (1998)
  • Diva X Machina 3 COP International (2000)
  • Heartbeats Mascara/In-Zoom (2000)
  • Projekt 100: The Early Years, 1985 to 1995 Projekt Records (2000)
  • Darkwave: Music of the Shadows v2 K-Tel (2000)
  • Within This Infinite Ocean... Projekt Records/Borders (2001)
  • Excelsis Box Set Projekt Records (2001)
  • A Dark Noel: The Very Best of Excelsis Projekt Records/Hot Topic (2002)
  • Projekt: The New Face of Goth Projekt Records/Hot Topic (2003)
  • Projekt 200 Projekt Records (2007)
  • A Dark Noel (in the Excelsis series) Projekt Records (2007)

[edit] References

  1. ^ Love Spirals Downwards album remastered
  2. ^ Vocalist Love Spirals Downwards returns with 'Aitu' EP under Melodyguild monikker

[edit] External links

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