“Aslan’s sun is rising, thanks to Internet support from the drum n bass community”
Many people fear that free music on the web isn’t worth much more than that. Often times I agree, but every now and again I’m proven wrong by someone truly exceptional making their way via the medium of the internet. Aslan’s is one such artist.
I first came into contact with Aslan’s through posts to a news group run by Chicago-based forwardbound.com, a site dedicated to the bands and labels of atmospheric drum n bass. Taran, of Aslan’s, regularly posts links to his newest tracks, usually hosted by ironcladmindfloss.com (a site that he and friends have created as an artistic outlet for musicians, poets and fine artist alike.) He began putting his songs on the more infamous mp3.com just a few months ago, as a more reliable way to make his music available, and has been rather pleased with the results.
Already, the mp3.com site has logged over 250 downloads/streamed plays of mp3’d tracks from his upcoming album (available on their own DAM system by the time of print), something Taran feels he has Forward Bound to thank for. Fellow producers and DJs from the Forward Bound list have been very supportive of his work, lending criticism and critical contact information to the project. Several companies and individuals have expressed interest in releasing vinyl or pressing dub plates of Aslan’s songs, which is something Taran is quite excited about.
Having just begun his dnb production career a scant 2 years ago, he couldn’t be more happy to have caught the attention of a sometimes fickle audience. But, more than “the list,” Taran has nothing but good, solid music to point to for his success. I would classify his music as straddling the line between Warp, which caters to the avant garde Intelligent Dance Music set, and the primarily atmospheric Drum n Bass focused Good Looking Records’ sounds — including some of the best aspects of each. With intelligent drum programming and atmospheric toppings, Aslan’s is a treat for both the mind and soul.
“Falling Vast,” one of the most recent songs added, was the first to capture my imagination. With it’s catchy bassline and samba-esque percussion, I soon found myself grooving to the beat and nodding my head in time. Quickly stealing my attention, however, was “Placebo,” with it’s moody keys loop and punchy rhythm.
More moody, even, is “Eldila,” which reminds me somewhat of electronic innovator, Plaid. A lovely, wispy melody (a harp, perhaps?) is juxtaposed over a mechanical brushed-sounding drum beat, a flute melody, occasional samples of waves, bird calls, and — of all things — old time western pistol fire, plus a strange sub-basey clicking sound that’s the oddest touch of all. This song is truly magical in it’s ability to whisk one away to a dream like state, where all such disperse elements spin a cohesive story.
“Eustace,” which apparently brought Aslan’s to the attention of the powers-that-be at mp3.com who choose the featured artists, is a slightly heavier number, with a nice ambient breakdown halfway through and foot-tapping percussion throughout. The last of the free tracks offered is “Mother Monarch,” one of the slower songs, with an odd groove and quirky sounds, one of which sounds suspiciously like a dog bark.
The final 3 tracks of the album are also definitely worth collecting, if you’ve enjoyed the other 5 tracks Aslan’s has generously offered on mp3.com. (but you may want to check out the ironcladmindfloss site for additional tracks, if you know what i mean…) “Pan2” is a funky downbeat song with oodles of ambience that you won’t want to miss. “The Yard” has the trippiest beats and silliest melodies of the bunch, placing Aslan’s more firmly on the side of IDM than dnb. “Dragon Spirits,” may be the weakest song, but still plenty enjoyable as well.
“Son” is a strong first effort for this young talent from Indiana, and I believe it will make a nice launching pad for Aslan’s future in dnb and IDM. Be sure to check out these tracks while they are still available to you through the graces of artist-based technology on the internet.
[Originally posted to RadioSpy, a subsidiary site of GameSpy.com]
I was recently turned on to riffage.com, the latest downloadable mp3 site on the web, through a bandmate. Fearing “riffage” was an allusion to 80’s Heavy Metal, I was a bit hesitant to check it out. My doubts were soon to put to rest, however, as I saw that Riffage had a contemporary look and feel, with colorful techno-styled graphics (think orange and purple), lots of embedded Flash files, front page feature stories, and constantly updating content.
There were a plethora of navigational choices from the entryway, making my first contact with the site almost daunting, but I decided to begin with what seemed the obvious choice; “Get Music Now!” This was where I ran into the Featured Artist Section, which highlighted Shape Shifter UK as the Electronic/Techno artist for the period. As he also had 4 tracks included on their Electronic Top 40, he seemed a promising artist.
I quickly downloaded the 7 free mp3s listed, with little or no trouble. However, I kept receiving error messages when I attempted to purchase any of the other 4 tracks. Thinking that the mp3s might also appear on the band’s official home page, I checked out the Band Info Section and clicked on a link which turned out to be an mp3.com page. There I located a free download of one of the purchasable Riffage tracks, plus 3 other free tracks which weren’t listed at Riffage. Now armed with 10 free mp3s, I had a healthy 58 minute playlist –including 6 of the 10 tracks which appear on the Shape Shifter UK cd entitled “Fears and Emotions” (currently available only as a DAM cd on mp3.com).
In Paul Sumner-Williams own words, Shape Shifter UK “cover{s} the spectrum of the underground dance scene {with} a blend of Techno, House, Breaks, Drum n Bass and Ambient.” I would have to agree with this statement, but further clarify that the type of House music Sumner-Williams writes is generally of the Trance variety, unfortunately my least favorite type. Shape Shifter’s songs are never overly long, clocking in at roughly 6 minutes on average, and the compositions seem more listening oriented, than club focused. Still, I could easily imagine hearing some of the more banging Techno tunes — “Fires of Hell” and “Wobbly Ground,” in particular — or even the Progressive track, “Illusion,” at a rave.
I found his Breaks and Jungle-influenced songs to be pretty enjoyable on the whole, having a fairly ambient bend and laid-back tempo to them. There are traces of Techno stylings which makes me hesitate to call them Drum n Bass, as he does. I’d almost call them Intelligent Jungle, because of the bleepy sounds he favors, but the programming isn’t as intense as say, Photek. A few tracks are almost neatly split between a Progressive and Breaks/Jungle feel, particularly “The Snake Charmer” and “Believe in Me.” This discussion points to Sumner-Williams’ statement that he’s “trying to break the mold of commercial dance music” by blending the various genres together, and in so far as that goes, he is quite successful.
My favorite tracks would have to be “Introduction to the Future,” which is an appropriately spacey number with nice pads, a catchy bleepy synth lead and deep piano line, and “Distant Voices,” which features an eastern-inspired female vocal loop and a sample of thunder claps over a slow sweeping analog lead and thumpy bassline. “Making Sense of it All” is also a catchy tune, with spastic breaks and a rolling bassline. “The Haunting” has some nice percussive elements as well, but I wasn’t as excited about the synth lines or sounds.
I should also mention that I was impressed by the sound quality of the mp3 files themselves, being very clean and of a good volume level.
Over all, I’m happy to have discovered both Shape Shifter and Riffage, and look forward to monitoring the progress of both as this new age of technology advances and brings us in closer contact with artists via the web.
[Originally posted by RadioSpy, a subsidiary of GameSpy.com]
I penned this review of the latest LSD release on Projekt Records for my KUCI website, but wanted to share it here, too. Especially since I designed the album art!
LSD begin the new millenium with the release of Temporal, a collection of songs spanning the 7 year history of the band. From their hauntingly beautiful acoustic beginnings to their present drum’n’bass & electronica sound, this compilation covers the entirety of Love Spirals’ career with 13 tracks culled from their master tapes. Arranged in groups of three songs from the four major periods of recording, Temporal begins at the end, with a set of remixes from the last studio album, Flux, done by Ryan last summer.
“Alicia” is a flamenco spiced bossa nova drum’n’bass tune with lovely acoustic guitar licks provided by Rodney Rodriguez of The Von Trapps. With the remix, the vocals are downplayed, and the rhythm made stronger. Lots of ethereal pads have been added, to subsitute for the old analogy keyboards of the original. “Misunderstood” has been almost entirely revamped with exciting breakbeats and lots of fabulous moody saxophone played by Doron Orenstein of Toof. This remix is my favorite track of the album for sure.
Also included on the album are several songs from various compilations or eps, such as the heartbreaking instrumental, “Amarillo.” Ryan is a master at extracting the maximum amount of emotion with a minimal guitar melody, and this composition of acoustic, electric and ebowed guitar is a masterpiece. No vocals are needed to get his melancholic message across to the listener. “Asleep” is a near-instrumental from the period between Ever and Flux which appeared on a small-run compilation by Precipice Recordings. This early attempt at d’n’b production definitely shows the influence of Good Looking Records artists on the band’s music. For vocals, Ryan ran a sample of Suzanne backwards, lending a very strange effect to a simple, fairly upbeat track. Of course, there’s always an undertone of sadness in all LSD songs, and “Asleep” is no exception.
There’s also a live track from one of the rare performances given by the band. Simply acoustic guitar and vocals (plus plenty of reverb), this song gives you a fair idea of the magic of those early days for LSD. Taken from a group of recorded performances recently uncovered by Ryan, this is just a taste of the rumored “live album” he plans to release at some point in the future.
To fill out the ensemble, there’s a nice array of tunes culled from each release, presumably Ryan’s favorites, since he put the release together himself. All in all, Temporal is 66 bliss-filled minutes lovingly selected as a body of work as unique as the journey of Love Spirals Downwards music from then to now has been.
For those who have never heard Love Spirals Downwards before and want some band comparisons, let me offer the following: Everything But the Girl, Perfume Tree, Massive Attack, Halou, Siddal, Cocteau Twins and Slowdive.
Some people will get it and others won’t, but either way, everyone should take notice of the fascinating character called Miranda July. One is never quite sure when she is inventing a personality or pulling it up from personal experiences, and where the line is drawn or blurred between artist and art, with her. Artist is the correct term to use for Miranda, as she certainly isn’t a rock star — even though both full-length release CDs and a 7 inch single of hers have been released by Kill Rock Stars. Miranda has recently been a featured guest vocalist for two K Record bands as well; Dub Narcotic Sound System ( for a duet on the title track, no less) and ICU (soon to be released, I’m told.) Besides her blossoming recording career, she heads a small company called Big Miss Moviola, which has been producing and distributing underground movies made by women for a number of years. In addition, she develops complex audio-visual performances utilizing slide projections, lights, props, music and electronics to bring her dramatic scenarios to life for audiences across America. Miranda was also involved briefly with a K-related group called The Cha-Cha Cabaret, a “punk ladies variety show” of radical femmes bringing old-time glamour to the punk forum. All this activity has brought Miranda to the attention of various groups of people, as diverse in nature as she is herself. And now, let us allow Miranda to get out of the car and walk and walk and walk…
Love Spirals Downwards are known as the darlings of Projekt Records. And with just cause; they are the best selling band, with the hottest moving new release of Projekt for 1998, “Flux.” This latest of 4 popular full-length albums marks a turning point in the band’s ever-fluxing sound. Whereas the last album, “Ever,” showcased several electronic-based songs in the mix, “Flux” concentrates almost completely on the electronica side of band mastermind, Ryan Lum’s musical influences. There has been some slight controversy over LSD’s “sound change” and band member relationships, but all of that seems ludicrous to the mellow, well-adjusted Lum. He’s always created the music for Love Spirals Downwards using whatever inspiration happened to hit him, be it a fine dining experience, an exotic vacation, a shamanic vision, or just simply a new piece of gear to fiddle around with. Although a philosopher at heart, searching for his own personal truth in life, Ryan isn’t a terribly serious artist with an attitude or an agenda. He just likes to make music for the fun of it.
Anji: So this time around, we’re going to talk about the band, your new album, musical influences, and then just generally shoot the bull. Justin: And we’re not going to mention fire tonight. Ryan: Yeah. We won’t mention fire or stripping. Anji: Or Goth clubs? Ryan: Oh, anything, as long as there’s no fire or stripping. (Laughs) Last time, that’s all we talked about. Anji: Yeah, that Coven 13 show seemed to make a really big impression on you. Ryan: The one with the fire and the stripping? Or our show there?
Most people who have heard of Jarboe know her as the hypnotically captivating side kick to Michael Gira, of the Swans and World of Skin. Indeed, for many years she seemed content to act as such. Now she is finally truly on her own, musically and spiritually. With the release of her fifth solo album, Anhedoniac, Jarboe is making a statement about the finality of her severance with both Swans, and Gira himself. With her upcoming sixth album, she intends to make a statement about her own self-empowerment and self-healing. To this end, she is also launching her own web site, apart from the Swans web site, where she can better imprint her own personal style and tastes. Jarboe is staying busy, constantly making new contacts in the music and art world, and filling up what would seem to be a hectic schedule planner of exciting events for the next year. Jarboe has come into her own. She has the power and she’s learning how to use it. Following is a transcription of an enlightening interview that my co-host, DJ Justin Jay, and I conducted with her live on the air via telephone, for our radio show the “all-purpose nuclear bedtime story,” on KUCI 88.9 fm, in Irvine, California.
Justin: How long ago did Anhedoniac actually come out?
Jarboe: Well it was supposed to come out on the 23rd of May, but it just came out in August because I had a lot of trouble getting it printed — getting the CD booklet printed, because there are some rather graphic photographs. I went to several different printers after they started the work. It wasn’t the people that I talked with at the company that had a problem with it, it was the people that were actually going to be working with it; binding it or actually working with the images. The first couple of people were Christians, quote unquote, and they took offense and so just pressured the printing company to have us take the job elsewhere. And then the last problem I had; the woman was a feminist, and she thought the images were degrading to women because I am shown in a state of being scarred and mutilated. She thought I was advocating battered women — which is ridiculous because I am one tough cookie and not prone to that kind of thing (chuckles). So it finally came out in August, much to my relief! I had to e-mail all these people that had pre-ordered it and explain the updates. It was a pretty interesting experience. Only recently with this beating that happened, of the man that was gay; that’s kind of an example of the kind of thing rearing its head. I live in a vacuum. I forget that there are reactionary people out there that are rather dangerous, and that they want things to be their way or they become very threatened. So, the artwork with this project, and the lyrics too; they found offense to printing those.
I wrote this review for the program guide for KUCI 88.9 fm
With Flux, Ryan Lum has fully committed himself to the electronic groove based sound first hinted at on his last album, Ever. This newest album should finally blast away the misconception that Love Spirals Downwards is a “goth band.” If you ask Ryan, he’ll firmly insist that they never were gothic to begin with, as he himself is certainly not goth, and neither is his long time vocalist, Suzanne Perry. While he admits having been to Helter Skelter a time or two, Ryan has been deeply involved with the underground rave scene since 1989.
Flux gives full play to Ryan’s increasing attraction to the melodic side of drum and bass music, with seven of nine tracks using that unique polyrhythmic technique for the basis of the songs. Over this electronic bed of beats, samples and synth, he lays his signature guitar melodies and lush washes, using both electric and acoustic guitars. Unlike most drum and bass projects, vocals are used extensively on Flux, creating more of a listening album feel that a dance club vibe. Ryan utilizes more sampling of vocals now than on past albums, which were more rock based.
Also of note is the fact that Ryan used several vocalists for Flux. Not only did he work with Suzanne, but also her sister, Kristen, for two songs, as well as using a sample of Jennifer Ryan Fuller taken from Ardor, for one track. All the vocals are very dreamy, light, ultimately feminine and classically Projekt in sound. I believe it’s the vocal sound Ryan preferswhich still keeps him in favor with the gothic/Projekt/4AD contingency that follows LSD, perhaps even more so than his beautifully poignant guitar playing. This combination brings to mind Cocteau Twins, particularly the Otherness EP. More closely related in sound would be Massive Attack, with Elizabeth Frazier (of Cocteau Twins) providing vocals, on the new album Mezzanine. Both acts produce a similar blend of pop rock and electronic dance music in a listening album format.
Through college radio air play and Projekt’s increasing promotional devices (such as listening booths in major chain stores) word is leaking out to the general public. LSD possesses a potentially wide appeal that has remained mostly untapped until this point. Their blend of ethereal pop and danceable grooves is truly the most contemporary thing going on at Projekt records and something that I think many people are ready for.
For myself, I find Flux to be a perfect balance of sing-along songs and zone-out background whether I’m on the computer, doing housework, hanging with friends or driving around. The tempo is steady, the melodies heartbreaking, the vocals soothing, and it all flows together in the seamless, trance inducing, spirit-lifting vein of LSD’s past albums. Ryan has a way of creating happy-sad music that simultaneously makes me feel exalted and contemplative. Fans often speak of the spirituality of LSD’s music, and Ryan agrees that his music is largely a spiritual expression. With Flux, the songs speak both to your spirit and your mind, your heart and your body.
Faith & Disease are an ethereal band that hail from the city best known for breeding the “grunge” scene… Seattle, Washington. While having very little, if anything, in common with that brand of rock, neither do they really fit in with the Gothic scene. With their fourth full-length album, “Insularia,” the band have solidified and perfected their beautifully melodious style of ethereal pop rock. Fans of “slow core” (i.e.. the band Low) should take note, as well as fans of 4AD and Projekt Records. Gorgeous female vocals, lush electric and acoustic guitar, moody keyboard, exotic percussion and the occasional flute or violin are what comprise the instrumentation for songs written by Eric Cooley and Dara Rosenwater, assisted by Steven Knouse and Joshua Furman — along with a host of special guest musicians, including Chris and Carla of the Walkabouts. Though Faith & Disease have been an active force in their hometown, and within the American Goth scene for some time, they are just now broadening their fan base through college radio airplay. The band tour regularly, which may be considered a rarity among dark-tinged acts. Justin and I were lucky enough to catch them live at a show in Portland, Oregon, and were quite impressed by their performance. This interview, however, was conducted live over the air, via telephone.
Justin: Wow! Your voices sound remarkably like they do on that station ID we recorded with you. Eric: Well, we’re the same people that did that! Justin: You’re kidding!? Eric: My voice hasn’t matured that much in three months. Justin: You’re not in a men’s room right now, are you? (Referring to the station ID recorded in the Men’s Room of Satyricon in Portland, Oregon.) Dara: No. No, we’re actually at headquarters, at Ivy Records. Eric: We’re at the Ivy Compound, in Seattle. Justin: The Ivy Tower? Eric: Actually, it’s pretty close to that; we’re on the Tenth Floor of the Ivy Office, and there’s only 10 floors here, so it’s a little tower. Anji: Wow, you’re in the Penthouse Suite. Dara: From here you can see the — which harbor is it? I don’t know, but it’s an amazing view! Eric: Yeah, it’s a big body of water. Anji: Ooh, ahh — waterfront property. Eric: And we can see David Gobel, who funds Ivy Records, in the other room — and it is kind of a penthouse, because he has a robe on and a couple of women in bikinis next to him. Anji: In-door Jacuzzi? Dara: He’s in the room with the gold door. Ha ha ha. Eric: No, actually he has a white Microsoft tee-shirt and sweat pants on. Anji: We’re both wearing green T-shirts. Eric: I’m actually wearing a green shirt, too. Dara: I’m not. I’m wearing black (distraught). Anji: Oh, you’re not in the club! The Spring Equinox Club. Eric: I feel so… assimilated.
Projekt Records hooked us up with Love Spirals Downwards’ mastermind, Ryan Lum, to –ostensibly– discuss next weekend’s first-ever ProjektFest LA show at the El Rey Theatre hosted by Coven 13. As Ryan lives within walking distance of the venue, it makes for the perfect choice for this chill, go with the flow musician, who apparently was reluctant to leave his neighborhood as he opted to phone-in his interview rather than drive over for an in-studio conversation. None-the-less, Justin and I had a fun, informal chat with the composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist, who is currently on the verge of completing the band’s fourth full-length album for Projekt. But first he has to figure out the lineup of musicians for next weekend’s concert and whether or not he should strip on stage or set himself on fire. Read on to find out more
Interview by Anji Bee & Justin Jay with intro written by Anji.
Anji: Gosh, this is really weird doing a phone interview. It’s weird not having the person in front of us. Are you there? Ryan: You can imagine I’m there. I’m just a few miles away, so I’m kinda there. Justin: What, you’re in a phone booth a few miles down the road right now? Anji: (Laughs) Ryan: Basically I got lost trying to find the station, so… No, actually I’m at my place about a half an hour, an hour away. Justin: Don’t give away the location! Ryan: (Laughs nervously) LA, somewhere. Justin: LA. Okay. That’s good and general. Ryan: (Chuckles) Justin: That should protect you. Ryan: (Chuckles) I dunno. I’ve never had any, like, psycho fans or devoted freaks try to find me. Anji: You haven’t?
Justin: Well, you know, if you wanna give it a shot you can always give out your home address right now. All: (Laughs) Ryan: And my phone number. Justin: There you go. You can at least get some crank calls. Ryan: (Laughing) Yeah, no, I don’t want that. It’d probably be people that don’t even like us, they just wanna crank call us. Anji: You’re a pretty visible figure as it is. I mean, I see you at clubs and stuff. Ryan: I’m tall. I guess I’m easy to spot and stuff. Anji & Justin: Yeah. Anji: You really are. Anji & Justin: (Laughs) Anji: Yeah, in fact, I saw you at Coven 13 the day. They were filming for some Gothic underground thing on Fox, or whatever. Ryan: Oh, is that what was going on?
Anji: Yeah, we inadvertently got filmed and put on TV. We didn’t even know what was going on.
Ryan: Oh, like a few months ago? In January? Anji: No, it was just last Sunday. Ryan: Last Sunday? Anji: Yeah, last Sunday they were filming there. Ryan: Oh, they were filming that? Anji: Yeah, you missed your big promo shot. Ryan: Nah. They probably wouldn’t have put me on. I wouldn’t have had anything sensational to say.
Anji: Plus, you’re just like a regular guy. You don’t have any, like, spiderwebs drawn on your face or anything. Ryan: Exactly. That’s a prerequisite to be on those Fox Underground specials. You have to be a freak, or like a major loser on heroin or something. Justin: So wait a minute, we were on there — so what are you saying? All: (Laugh uproariously) Ryan: I live really close to there. I heard a freak was going to light himself on fire and I wanted to see that. Anji: Well, did you see the guy spinning around with all the needles through his flesh? Ryan: Yeah, he was supposed to light himself on fire. I don’t know if you noticed the reference to that when they played the Jimi Hendrix song? Anji: I was wondering why they were playing Jimi Hendrix. Ryan: That’s why, because he was supposed to burn himself. Even though I got in free, I felt like I wanted my money back. Anji: Two of my friends were there because they wanted to see Joel take his clothes off so they wanted their money back. Ryan: Who’s that? The guy that was spinning around? Anji & Justin: No! Anji: No, this is Fate Fatal, the singer of Deep Eynde.
Ryan: Oh the singer was going to take his clothes off? Anji: Well, he usually kinda strips down to, like, a loin cloth and a razor blade vest. Ryan: You had friends that wanted to see that? He’s wasn’t exactly Brad Pitt. Should I strip down then? Is that the way it works out? Justin: Yes. Anji: You’re going to be playing there next Sunday, right? Ryan: Mmm hmm. Yeah. Maybe we’ll strip? I’ll try to get all of us to strip, if that’s what people are into. We’ve never done that before while playing live. Anji: “All of us“? How many of you are going to be performing? Ryan: I dunno. Anywhere between 2 and 4. (Laughs nervously) Anji: Really?! Oh, I didn’t know that. Ryan: We have a guitar player who’s, he played on a song or two on the new record we’re working on. Anji: Oh cool. Ryan: So the idea kind of extended out of that — “Hey, why don’t you play the song that you played on the record with us?” And we’re going to try to do a few more songs. The only setback for Rodney being there Sunday is that his wife is expecting a baby right around that day. Hopefully the baby won’t be coming that day. Justin: Oh, wow, yeah, that wouldn’t be good. Ryan: So, I’m just taking it all as it comes. You know, I want him to play because we got together a few nights ago and it sounded great. I really loved what it added to the songs that he played on. And then another friend coming out who might be —we’re going to see — we’re just trying to work him into either drums or another guitar. I don’t know, he’s bringing both pieces of gear out. I don’t know what will happen. I have no idea. I know we’re playing, but I don’t know if it’s going to be two, three or four people yet. Justin: Have you ever played live before with more than just the two of you? Ryan: We have, but just for like a song or two. Like, yeah, just one song. We had friends that do percussion. Anji: Cool. I think last time I talked to you about the live experience, you were kind of complaining that you were bored with the set you’re doing. So, this ought to throw a lot of excitement into it. Ryan: Oh, yeah, totally. Yeah, it’s kind of painful to play the same songs over and over and over again. I mean, the way to make it less painful is to pump a new kind of life into it by doing something different to it. I started working with Rodney on guitar, and it’s like, “Wow, this is cool!” It brings this whole new… you know, I thought it would just be adding something to what Suzanne and I do, but more than that, it’s like a whole ‘nother human adding a whole ‘nother layer to it. So, it’s cool. Anji: Yeah. It’s something for you to react against too. Ryan: Yeah, then we could jam. We could rock out too. Anji: Ooh you should. Ryan: We’re going to, like, do our poses and stuff that we, you know, always wanted to do, but I couldn’t do before. So now I can rock out. Anji: Hot licks. Justin: Have you been practicing those? Ryan: Practicing the poses? They’re already working out how we’re going to destroy our guitars at the end of the set. Anji: Aww, yeah. Well, maybe you could be the man that sets himself on fire? Ryan: Yeah, I’ll strip, I’ll light myself on fire, put needles in myself, and spin around on a wheel like a freak. Anji: Oh, I better contact Fox so they can get down there. Ryan: Oh, yeah, they’ll wanna film that. (Chuckles) Justin: Oh, you know they’re listening right now. They’ve already got their tipsters calling it in. Ryan: Yeah, I hope so. Yeah, come film us. We’re all freaks, Fox, come film us. Anji: Oh my God. Ryan: We’re just four nice people. If we tell them that, they won’t come. So, we’ll tell them we’re freaks. Justin: Yeah, we’ll keep this secret. Anji: That’s funny. So, you know, I don’t know if you want to talk about this or not, but you kind of mentioned to me earlier that you were going to be asking a KUCI DJ to come up and spin a little bit? Ryan: Oh, yeah. Well, just before our set, I kind of consider it like a part of our set, like the 20 or so minutes that immediately proceed when we come on, it’s a critical, important time. So, yeah, I like to have music play that I like. Often I’ll bring CDs and stuff at our shows and play something that I’m into, or I think kind of sets a good mood for us to come on afterwards. So, I know Daniel’s kind of music he plays on a set would be something I want to have played, anyway. So yeah, I think it’s going to work out good. Anji: Wow, that sounds really great. Ryan: I’m keeping it a secret from Projekt though, so… I think they might get mad that I’m not playing the kind of music that I officially should, or I don’t know… they’re kind of dogmatic about certain things. So, I dunno know. I just don’t tell them all my crazy ideas about like, you know, how I’m going to burn myself and stuff. Anji: Yeah. (laughs) Ryan: All this is going to be a total shock to them. (laughs) Anji: I love it. Yeah, you’re going to go beyond just wearing the psychedelic shirt on stage. Ryan: (Chuckles) I don’t think I’m gonna wear the psychedelic shirt for a while. Anji: Oh, you learned your lesson, huh? Ryan: (Chuckling) Yeah, yeah, no. Only at our own shows will I wear the psychedelic shirts again.
“Love Spirals Downwards’ Ryan Lum said his “un-gothic” orange psychedelic shirt got mocked by vampires” Alternative Press review of ProjektFest Chicago in 1996
Anji: Aww yeah, I’m sure you’ll be seeing a lot of black lace and stuff. Ryan: Yeah, that’s cool. See some cute goth babes? Anji: Yeah. Ryan: That’s why I was there in January. I was a judge for a “Goth Babe” show there. Yeah, they asked me and I said, “Well, sure, I’ve seen many goth babes in my day. I can definitely tell you a goth babe when I see one.” In fact, I kind of appreciate the goth babe look. It’s cute. It’s sexy. It’s nice. But it sucks though, like, the girl who won was not goth, though. She was somehow more of a fetish or industrial kind of chick. Anji: Oh. Ryan: I think why she won is she was like — oh, it comes back to fire! She was, like, eating fire. Anji: What?! Ryan: I think she’s just friends with a lot of the people there, too, the judges. I don’t think the judging was right. It was kind of biased. I dunno. After it got started, I thought it was stupid. I thought it was gonna be really cool, but I thought it was really hacked. Justin: You know, any contests like that is just a popularity contest. Ryan: Yeah, basically it was like, yeah, like high school, basically. Justin: Yeah. Ryan: I told the girl that I voted for with the highest points later on, I said, “You know, I gave you the highest points because you were the best Goth Babe there.” She goes, “Well, your vote didn’t count.” I said, “Yeah, I was one of the judges.” Anji: Oh, you know… Ryan: I didn’t have my fangs on again. Anji: You should remember the needles in your eyelids. Ryan: Oh, yeah, I got to do something next time to stand out more. You guys noticed me because you know me, but if you don’t know me, I’m just some tall guy that you don’t notice. Anji: Well, I dunno. You’re so tall, it’s hard not to notice you “Who’s the tall friendly guy that’s smiling over there?” Ryan: Here’s a guy that’s tall, smiling, laughing, drinking a beer. Justin: He’s having a good time here. Anji: He looks relaxed and happy. Ryan: Yeah, I guess you’re right, I guess I do stand out there. All: (Laughs) Anji: That’s funny. You know what? I better tell the people that they’re listening to KUCI in Irvine. This is Ryan from Love Spirals Downwards, and we’re talking to him about the Projekt Fest —ostensibly— that’s coming up this Sunday. What time are you guys going on at? Ryan: At 11. Anji: That’s a good time. Ryan: Yeah, not too late, not too early. Justin: Yeah. So what did you mention who else is going to be playing with you there? Ryan: Black Tape for a Blue Girl from Projekt, and us —Love Spirals Downwards— and Faith and the Muse — I have no idea what label they’re on anymore, they were on Tess. Anji: Yeah, it’s kind of odd if it’s a Projekt Fest? Ryan: Yeah, it’s kind of weird. Like, it’s a Projekt Fest, but there’s only two Projekt bands. Anji: Yeah, if its a festival that’s a little… Ryan: I should try to pump it up, but to me, it just seems like a Projekt Fest by name, you know, because the other ones are usually two days and there’s a whole bunch of Projekt bands, maybe one or so non-Projekt artists, I don’t know. Anji: Yeah, I thought originally there was supposed to be a couple other bands? Ryan: Yeah, well, originally it was supposed to be just a Thanatos and Love Spirals Downwards show. Anji: Oh, is that how it started? Justin: Hmm. Ryan: That’s what I agreed to when they first asked me to do it. Padraic from Thanatos was going to bring his band out west. Justin: Right. Ryan: I don’t know. They wanted to have a bigger show than what would have been if they just played. So, you know, piggyback onto a Love Spirals Downwards show and that would be a nice little show. But it kind of got morphed and twisted. Thanatos is no longer playing, now it’s a Projekt Festival. Anji: That’s really odd. And then when I talked to Lisa, she said that Coven 13 is actually putting it on, not Projekt, so I was really confused. Ryan: Yeah, it’s weird. Anji: Yeah, it’s very odd. Ryan: I mean, if anyone’s ever gone to the Projekt Festivals in Chicago, this will be completely different. That’s why I say it’s more of a Projekt Festival by name, because other ones, it’s like a big thing. People travel from all over. There’s a hotel where a lot of people stay at. It’s an event of sorts, you know? It lasts for several days. This will be one that just lasts for several hours, you know? It’s kind of communal in a certain sense, the Chicago ones. You know, there’s all these people all together. You see them all around. Anji: Yeah, well, hopefully we’ll get a real one out here sometime. Ryan: Yeah, I don’t know. I wouldn’t count on it. This is probably the closest you’ll get. So go, people, if you want to sort of see one. Anji: Yeah. Ryan: As far as I know they are not going to have a Chicago one this summer. So, maybe that’ll all change, but I don’t think so, because they’ve really got to start planning it now. So, this is probably it, that’s my best guess.
Anji: So, hey, tell us about your new album you’re working on. I’m really curious about this. Ryan: Oh, it rocks. It’s really good. Anji: It rocks? Ryan: I hate talking about something like that. I mean, I don’t hate it. It’s hard. It’s difficult to do, just because, I don’t know… I never know what to say. I know what it sounds like. I’ve heard all the songs a ton of times and I’m really jazzed about it, but to describe it… That’s always difficult for me. That’s why I just like to make records and just let people describe it themselves or something. But it’s a little more, I don’t know… Each of our albums change. We’re not, you know, frozen in place since our first record or anything. And, you know, as we progress through life and, you know, age and experience different things, you know, you change as people and your aesthetics change a little bit, and your art changes a bit. This album’s another kind of change, I guess. I don’t know, it still sounds like us. It’s very, you know, pretty and sensual and spacey. But it has more, I don’t know, more electronic stuff than acoustic guitar. Justin: Oh, nice. Anji: That’s what I was wondering! Ryan: Ethereal Breakbeat, is what I said a couple times. Anji: That works! Yeah, I was going to ask you if it had more beats, like you were starting to work with beats on the last one. Ryan: Yeah, the last one is more of a straightforward kind of trance beat. This one is much more, I don’t know, it’s more funkier beats, I guess. Yeah, breakbeats, you know. Anji: So, speaking of beats and electronic stuff, I think, you were telling me that you have kind of a solo, more techno type thing that you’re working on as well? Ryan: Ummm… No? Anji: What were you saying about what you were going to do up on Dan’s show? Ryan: I was going to play some of our stuff. Anji: Oh, okay. Ryan: Yeah, without Suzanne. Just like, come and play the music, and samples of her –and other stuff– and kind of rock that all together live. Anji: Oh, I hope you’ll still get a chance to. Ryan: Yeah, I hope to. Yeah, after the show’s done and after our album’s done next month, then I can start doing other fun things that I’ve been putting off –just out of necessity– because I’m just trying to direct all my momentum to finishing this record up. I’ve been working pretty hard on it for about a year, really hard since summer, and I just want to finish it. Anji: Wow, so where are you recording it at, at home? Ryan: Yeah, my studio. Anji: Oh, you have a studio. Justin: Nice. Ryan: Yeah, I always do everything at my studio. I would spend like $100,000 —no, more than that— if I had to use a real expensive, you know, real studio. Anji: So, have you worked alone or do you have someone that helps you? Ryan: I work alone. Anji: Really? Ryan: I mean, other than the people I record —like Suzanne’s voice and stuff — but I work alone. Anji: Wow, so you just… Ryan: I do everything. Anji: You produce and everything. Ryan: Oh, yeah, that’s the only way to do it. Anji: Yeah, I agree. Justin: I do, too. Anji: Yeah, that’s what we do, too. But sometimes it gets to be a little bit difficult, you know, when you’re like playing guitar and then also trying to push the buttons and everything. Ryan: Yeah, you get used to it, I guess. Anji: Yeah. So, hmm, anything else that you wanted to let us know about? Ryan: Um, I don’t know. Love Spirals Downwards, buy them. Go down to Tower, buy them. Anji: You could promote the website. Ryan: Oh, yeah, um, there’s the project site, which is projekt.com. Projekt is spelled with a K, not a C. Justin: That’s helpful. Ryan: And from there, you can just click on to our page, which is a really long, I don’t know, well professionally done page. Not just like a hacked together thing or anything. Justin: Like ours. Justin & Anji: (Laughs) Ryan: I haven’t seen your guys. Justin & Anji: (Laughs) Ryan: Yeah, we got a lot of stuff there, actually. I update the news on there regularly, like every month or so. There’s not always something to talk about, but whenever there’s something going on like, you know, a show, or album progress or something I want people to know, I’ll put it on there so they can know what’s up. Um, you can email us, there’s a way to do that on there. And we have a guest book too, so you can, you know, read with other people all across the world have to say. So you’re not the only one that likes us, if you happen to like us, you’ll find a whole bunch of other people — and you can add your comments. And I have some reviews of some of our records — in case you’re kind of wondering more or less what it sounds like. And also we have audio for some songs on Ever, our most recent album, which is about a year and a half-old now. It requires a plug-in, a shockwave plug-in. And I don’t know, check it out. There’s a lot of stuff there. Anji: Cool. Ryan: Yeah, projekt.com Justin: That’s nice and easy to remember. Ryan: Yeah, very easy. Anji: So do you have any requests or something we might play right now? Ryan: Um, of mine? Anji: Of yours or anyone else. Ryan: I don’t know, I won’t be able to hear it, so… Justin: We’ve actually got Ever in the player right now, if you wanna pick a song off of there. Anji: Oh, yeah. What’s your favorite song off of Ever? Ryan: A favorite song? Oh, man. I was just out with someone last night and she kept asking me questions like this that put me on the spot. Anji: Oh, no. Ryan: Like a whole bunch of times! I think she started doing it after a while just to, um, watch me squirm. Anji: What? Ryan: Because I would freeze. My brain just freezes, you know? Anji: I’m like that, too. Justin: That’s great. Now we’ve got a recording of it. Anji: Squirming. Ryan: Of my brain freezing?! Justin: Ryan squirming. Ryan: Can you hear that? My brain freezing. Anji: Sort of. Ryan: Um, off Ever. Let’s see. That was kind of like, um, um, let’s see. “Madras,” song 3. Justin: Yeah. Anji: Alright, we’re gonna do an instant request now. Can you give us a station ID first?
Ryan: This is Ryan from Love Spirals Downwards, and you’re listening to KUCI. Anji: In Irvine. Ryan: Damn it. So I have to say “KUCI, in Irvine.” Justin: That’s right. Ryan: Okay, I’ll try to learn to, I’ll get it right. I have a good memory. Justin: Good. Ryan: If I did, I would’ve got it right the first time. Okay, um, this is Ryan from Love Spirals Downwards, and you’re listening to K-U-C-I in Irvine. Justin: Oh, that’s so amazing. Anji: All right, thank you. Justin: Yeah, that’s going to be our next station ID that we make up here.
Ronny Moorings proved to be a quietly charming interviewee. He is polite, gracious and intelligent, with a soft-spoken manner that is very appealing. He has none of the rock star attitude you might find in someone who’s been in the business as long as he has. Mr. Moorings holds himself with an understated confidence that puts one at ease when talking to him. Nevertheless, we were a bit nervous having him up to our humble studio, particularly since we were not as well-prepared as we could have been. Both he and Antrome were very patient and cooperative with us. They graciously donated two CDs and posters to our listeners, as well as provided us with a copy of the new CD single for our show library. The following is an edited transcription of our conversation from the show.
JUSTIN: Tonight we have a special guest in the studio with us. RONNY: Hi, I’m Ronny Moorings, from Clan of Xymox. JUSTIN: And we also have Antrome, from Tess Records, in the studio. So… RONNY: Fire! You’re still trying to get your breath from running into the studio, right? JUSTIN: Yes, the joys of caffeine! So, tell us what’s been happening with Clan of Xymox… The last thing I remember you doing was as Xymox actually, with the album Phoenix. But I saw on the bio sheet that you’d done a few albums since then. RONNY: Yes, well, that was just basically Xymox experimenting with a new direction. The most important thing is that now Clan of Xymox signed to Tess Records, which is based in Santa Barbara. We just recorded a new album, called Hidden Faces and a sneak preview, of course, is this EP, Out of the Rain. JUSTIN: And when was this released? ANTROME: Two days ago, on the 8th. JUSTIN: And when will the album come out? RONNY: This September.
