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Love Spirals Downwards

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Love Spirals Downwards
OriginLos Angeles, California, U.S.
GenresDream pop, dark wave, ethereal wave, drum and bass
Years active1991–1999
LabelsProjekt Records, Hyperium Records
Past membersRyan Lum
Suzanne Perry
Websitelovespiralsdownwards.com

Love Spirals Downwards was an American, California-based band, that incorporated ethereal wave, dream pop, drum and bass and electronica.

History[edit]

Love Spirals Downwards was begun in the late 1980s[1] by multi-instrumentalist Ryan Lum.[2] Lum initially worked with several different vocalists including Kristen Perry,[3] who co-wrote a demo version of the song "Kykeon."[4] Hearing these early cassette recordings while studying abroad in London,[5] Kristen's sister and Lum's then-girlfriend Suzanne[6] decided she wanted to try out for the band when she returned to America.[7] At that time Lum was pursuing a philosophy degree,[8] while Perry was in a masters program for psychology.[9] In January 1991[10] as Lum recounted, Perry “just started singing one night” while he was “jamming something that became the song “Forgo” and it sounded cool, so we carried it out and found out that we worked together nicely.”[11]

In the summer of 1991 the newly formed duo sent a demo tape with their first three songs "Forgo," "Mediterannea," and "Dead Language" to 4AD, Creation Records, and indie label Projekt Records[12][13] Pressed to come up with a band name for their demo tape, the duo found inspiration in a late night radio show, where the broadcaster exclaimed, “Love spirals upwards!” [14] [15] Upon the advice of a friend, however, they changed "Upwards" to "Downwards" to better fit the band's genre[16] as well as to avoid a connection to Louisiana State University.[17]

Over their 8-year history with Projekt Records, Love Spirals Downwards released four full-length albums, a career retrospective and a CD single, selling (by their own account) in excess of 40,000 albums.[18] They were also included on over two dozen various artist compilations,[19] including the Heavenly Voices series released by the German label Hyperium Records.

Kristen Perry returned to collaborate with Lum on two tracks for the 1998 album, Flux. One of her songs, "Psyche," was used on episode No. 501 of Dawson's Creek, originally airing on October 10, 2001. This episode was included on the Season 5 DVD set.[20]

Jennifer Wilde (then working under her maiden name, Jennifer Ryan Fuller) performed as a guest vocalist and lyricist on two tracks for Love Spirals Downwards' 1994 second release, Ardor. Her vocals on one of these songs, "Sunset Bell," were reused for a new version of the song four years later on the band's final studio album, Flux. Wilde went on to form her own band, Liquid State, in January 2006[21] and is currently performing in the band Sword Tongue.[22]

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, career retrospective CD Temporal was released by Projekt, including new remixes of songs from Flux and promotional materials that seemed to indicate the band was still active.[23]


Soon after Lovespirals released their 2002 debut album Windblown Kiss, Projekt announced that Perry would soon release an EP with a new band. Melodyguild began with drummer, Matt Gleason and bassist/guitarist, John West, both former members of LA band, The Von Trapps. West was later replaced by The Von Trapps bandleader, Rodney Rodriguez,[24] who had contributed guitar to Love Spirals Downwards’ final studio album [25] and live performances back in 1998.[26] Perry’s band performed sporadically between November 2002 and January 2004 with the band membership changing several times.Melodyguild Official Site via Internet Archive</ref> In 2004, Projekt's Holiday Single 2 limited edition CD featured a Melodyguild cover of “Sally’s Song” from The Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack.[27] The band’s first original song, “Panamint,” appeared on the Projekt 2007.1 compilation CD, [28] and in June 2008, the long awaited Aitu ep was released via Projekt Records.[29] In 2021, Projekt re-issued the release on the label’s Bandcamp page under the band name “Melodyguild.”[30] Other digital music services such as Spotify and Apple Music -- as well as the Projekt webstore -- have the EP listed under Love Spirals Downwards with the title, “Suzanne Perry’s Melodyguild: Aitu.” [31] [32]

Discography[edit]

Studio albums[edit]

  • Idylls (1992, Projekt Records)
  • Ardor (1994, Projekt Records)
  • Ever (1996, Projekt Records)
  • Flux (1998, Projekt Records)

Compilation albums[edit]

  • Temporal (2000, Projekt Records)

Compilation appearances[edit]

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

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Losing Today #1, September 1999"
  2. ^ "Fond Affexxions Version 1.2, Indian Summer 1993"
  3. ^ "The Altered Mind #12, September 1992"
  4. ^ "Kristen Perry "Kykeon" Demo on YouTube"
  5. ^ "As If Issue 2, August 1993"
  6. ^ "Carpe Noctem Vol. 2/Issue 2, 1995"
  7. ^ "As If Issue 2, August 1993"
  8. ^ "Isolation #13, February/March 1993"
  9. ^ "The Muse: The Journal of Women and Music, February/March 1995"
  10. ^ "As If Issue 2, August 1993"
  11. ^ "Tear Down the Sky: The Big Musik Issue 1993"
  12. ^ "The Altered Mind #12, September 1992"
  13. ^ "Tear Down the Sky: The Big Musik Issue 1993"
  14. ^ “The National, Feb. 29, 1996, Music for the end of the millennium“
  15. ^ "KUCI 88.9 FM Winter 1997 Program Guide"
  16. ^ "As If Issue 2, August 1993"
  17. ^ "The Altered Mind #12, September 1992"
  18. ^ "Love spirals downwards history". www.lovespirals.com. Archived from the original on June 4, 2004. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
  19. ^ "Love Spirals Downwards". Discogs. Archived from the original on December 8, 2006. Retrieved July 12, 2006.
  20. ^ "Dawson's Creek Music Guide ep.501 "The Bostonians"". Archived from the original on October 10, 2007. Retrieved March 5, 2007.
  21. ^ "Liquid State (Mark Fassett and Jennifer Wilde) : Late Bloom album". Liquidstatemusic.com. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  22. ^ "Sword Tongue – Home | Facebook". Swordtonguemusic.com. February 18, 2015. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  23. ^ "Projekt: Darkwave - 'Temporal (A retrospective)'". Archived from the original on November 18, 2006. Retrieved December 12, 2006.
  24. ^ Melodyguild Official Site via Internet Archive
  25. ^ Love Spirals Downwards Official Website
  26. ^ Love Spirals Downwards Official Website
  27. ^ |Projekt Official Website
  28. ^ Discogs
  29. ^ "Vocalist Love Spirals Downwards returns with 'Aitu' EP under Melodyguild monikker". Archived from the original on May 1, 2008. Retrieved April 29, 2008.
  30. ^ Bandcamp Projekt Page
  31. ^ Projekt Official Webstore
  32. ^ Spotify

External links[edit]

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