Lovespirals

It could be said that Lovespirals' Ryan Lum and Anji Bee are jacks of all trades; since 1999 this Southern California duo have been collaborating on everything from songwriting and recording, to dance track remixing, to album art and website designing, to creating their own record label, internet radio station, and band podcast.

Beginning with atmospheric jazz step drum 'n' bass singles featured alongside the likes of LTJ Bukem on comps like Chill Out Lounge Vol. 2 , then sidestepping into moody rock/folk/jazz organica for their 2002 album, Windblown Kiss (of which Jazz Review's Lee Prosser proclaimed Lum "a master of guitar"), Lovespirals follow up in 2005 with a collection of electro-acoustic downtempo, deep house, and jazzy yet rock- infused chill out aptly named Free & Easy released on their own Chillcuts label. Indeed, the duo has traversed many genres while steadfastly maintaining a recognizably dreamy, sensual vibe courtesy of the smooth, soulful guitar and Rhodes piano of Ryan Lum, enhanced by the seductive vocals and romantic lyrics of Anji Bee (of whom Music Tap's Matt Rowe enthused, "Shockingly beautiful and sultry vocals... erotically charged").

Lovespirals began as an outgrowth of Lum's former band incarnation, Love Spirals Downwards, who - despite a 4 album/50,000+ selling success story on indie Projekt Records - seemed in need of new life following the 1998 crossover rock/electronica breakthrough, Flux (Option Magazine's Scott Becker wrote "A great, contemporary record& one of the best things I've heard in months," while the WB's Dawson's Creek featured a cut in a season premier). In a 1998 interview for radio station KUCI, Lum admitted he believes in "always trying different things, trying to push myself, not falling back into what I did before -- even if it was successful. I get bored, and feel as if I've cheated myself if I don't push myself to do something new"; something he'd be just as likely to say now, 7 years later.

Bee, who comes from a background in college radio and underground fanzines, has worked hard to maintain a high profile for the band, working to diversify their audience and reach new markets. Recent promotions have included placing Free & Easy tracks "Trouble" (a bouncy deep house number featuring sax by Monkey Bars' Doron Orenstein) on E's Gastineau Girls, "Walk Away" (the bluesy, soulful original mix) on the WB's Popular 2 DVD, and the bittersweet trip hop single, "Love Survives," on new webseries/ DVD, The Strand. "Love Survives" and Bitstream Dream's remix of "Walk Away" are also receiving regular airplay on a number of internet radio stations and podcasts, as well as online feature placements such as with the cool, arty Mooncruise site. Lovespirals' own site is very active, including a band blog and podcast, whose listenership -- partly through iTunes, partly through the band's RSS feed -- increases by the hundreds each episode. Bee's Chillcuts Live365 internet station further assists promotions by surrounding Lovespirals with a close support team of like-minded indie bands, such as Bitstream Dream, Beauty's Confusion, and Hungry Lucy. Not only does Bee feature these bands in her largely female-fronted electronica playlists, but she's collaborated with them all musically as well.

Yes, it seems that Lovespirals are, indeed, jacks of all trades... and masters of their own destiny.