Lovespirals

Lovespirals are the evolution of Love Spirals Downwards, the influential ethereal dream pop band founded by multi-instrumentalist Ryan Lum. Lum first crossed paths with vocalist, lyricist, and creative partner Anji Bee in the mid-1990s through Projekt Records events and local shows. Bee, who ran music fanzines in the late '80s and early '90s and then became a DJ and music director at KUCI 88.9 FM, was familiar with Lum's work through Projekt, who had sent promos for review and promotions. She interviewed Lum multiple times on-air, and the two gradually developed a creative rapport. Bee's initial vocal contribution was a sampled oooh ahhh on the drum’n’bass track “Ecstatic,” and she soon began co-writing with Lum. Their remix of Claire Voyant’s “Bittersweet,” released in 2000 on Accession Records and in 2001 via Metropolis Records as part of the Time Again: A Collection of Remixes, was credited to Love Spirals Downwards. Around this time, the duo released several original drum'n'bass singles under the LSD name via mp3.com before adopting the new name Lovespirals. Their debut album as Lovespirals, Windblown Kiss, was released in 2002 by Projekt Records, and marked a major stylistic shift. Moving away from pure electronica, the album embraced organic instrumentation and classic songwriting, blending jazz, blues, folk, and dream pop into a timeless, evocative collection of songs that still retained the lush textures and atmospheric beauty of Lum’s earlier work. In 2005, Lum and Bee founded their own label, Chillcuts, for the release of their sophomore album, Free & Easy. A fusion of electro-acoustic downtempo, deep house, and jazzy-yet-rock-infused chill out, the album demonstrated Lovespirals’ continued evolution while preserving their sensual and dreamy sonic identity—anchored by Lum’s smooth, soulful guitar and Rhodes piano and Bee’s seductive vocals and romantic lyricism. Their 3rd album, Long Way From Home --a return to their more organic sound, blending dream pop and Americana, with hints of jazz, blues, and soul-- and the Motherless Child EP were co-released by reapandsow, inc. and Chillcuts in 2007. 2008 and 2009 saw the release of two remix collections of This Truth from Long Way From Home, by Chillcuts and Loverush Digital, respectively. With radio and club support from Armin Van Buuren, Denny Dowd, The PH Factor and others, the Damien S And Love Spirals Feat Anji Bee set of This Truth mixes did well in dance music charts, hitting #2 in World Trance, #4 in World House and #10 in World Commercial on the DMC, as well as making the #8 spot on Music Week’s Upfront Club Chart. Their 2010 album Future Past further refined their blend of downtempo electronica and dream pop. Companion remix collections—the Love EP and the Feel So Good EP—reimagined select tracks for club and chillout audiences with mixes from artists including fellow Projekt artists, Soul Whirling Somewhere and Falling You. Lovespirals continued releasing digital singles and EPs throughout the 2010s, as well as collaborations including “Blessed” by Falling You, “Love Will Turn Your Head Around” with Karmacoda and Beth Hirsch, and “Naive” with Karmacoda. Additionally they co-created a full-length album released in 2013 as Anji Bee called Love Me Leave Me, with an additional set of remixes of the title track including their own “Love Me Leave Me (Balearic Chill Mix).” In 2018, they released Life Goes On, their dreamiest, darkest, and most ethereal album to date—focused on guitar-and-voice-based dream pop, with touches of alt-country, soul, and trip hop. It served as a synthesis of Lum’s decades-long musical evolution. In 2022, the duo released the three-song Smile - Single, blending dream pop, soul, jazz, and blues. Their 2020 single “Lonely Sunset” explored a chill house vibe, further showcasing the duo’s stylistic range. Chillcuts also became home to digital reissues of all Love Spirals Downwards material, including the digital-only Live (2014), Sideways Forest - EP (2017), Ever [Remastered Reissue] (2020), and Flux [Deluxe Edition] (2023)—which featured a never-before-released Lovespirals rendition of “Misunderstood.” Projekt had earlier reissued Idylls and Ardor in 2007 as remastered and expanded editions, with digital distribution handled by Chillcuts. In 2023, Lost in Ohio released the first-ever vinyl edition of Flux. In 2024, Lum and Bee revived the Love Spirals Downwards name for a new chapter, releasing a series of singles including “Noumenon,” “Not Myself,” “Used to Be,” and 2025’s “Boss Mode,” reflecting a matured return to the project's ethereal roots. Lovespirals continue to connect with fans through their long-running podcast, Chillin’ with Lovespirals, now available both as a YouTube video show and an audio podcast on Apple, Spotify, and most major podcast platforms. For more music, news, and content, visit www.lovespirals.com. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.