The band are really excited about finishing up their upcoming album! Ryan and Anji talk the mixing process, discuss what’s next, and chat about some of the promotion they’ve already begun. Anji asks listeners to send in questions for the in-studio videos they are uploading to the Lovespirals Facebook page, and urges them to add themselves as fans. The duo also talk about spending the day at Village Studios for the Audio Underground talks, attending the Blame it on Rio show at Hollywood Bowl and Bob Weir show at the Greek. Be sure to join the band email list to keep up with album release news and to get a free download of Lovespirals’ cover of “Cymbaline” — which the band play a clip of at the show’s end.
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The show continues this week with more lovely last-of-summer Latin-infused chillout. This time around, however, we travel beyond the sounds of Brazil to include artists from Argentina, Venezuela, Spain, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic. Plus there are a few folks from the US, Canada, and Europe that have a Latin flair. I’ve really been loving the past two mixes, but I do promise to get back to a more standard format next show.
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Thought I’d share some of the video I took at this weekend at the Blame It On Rio Fireworks Spectacular at the Hollywood Bowl. It was fantastic to see Bebel Gilberto perform with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra out under the stars. The music is so achingly beautiful and romantic… Seu Jorge was amazing, as well, he has such a strong voice and stage presence. And their ending finale was simply magic! To say nothing of the Brazilian Carnaval dancers, drummers, Capoeria artists and out-of-control fireworks display… Man, what a night! I actually had a sense of what the bowl must’ve been like when it was first built, with the lovely vintage orchestra arrangements and that old school sense of glamor that Gilberto and Jorge brought to the stage. Sigh…
Bebel Gilberto performs “Tanto Tempo” with the LA Philharmonic Orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl
Lovespirals are in the final stages of producing their 4th full-length album, tentatively titled, Future Past. The 11 songs comprising this new collection include some of the band’s most ambitious work to date. Band founder, Ryan Lum, has achieved what he feels is truly a big-studio sound in his private home studio. His attention to detail in sound design is born of a true love of the craft, and he’s been perfecting these skills since his first indie release, Idylls, back in 1992. Lum has updated his musical equipment and recording system quite extensively since Lovespirals’ 2007 album, Long Way From Home. This might be most noticeable to the listener in the range of guitar and keyboard sounds used on this album. In addition to the Rhodes piano and Hammond organ featured in the past, Lum has enhanced his vintage keyboard palette with analogue synth and string machine sounds. And guitar tones too have been pushed into new future retro sonics, utilizing both vintage and modern boutique guitars, tube amplifiers, and effects pedals.
Ryan Lum strums acoustic guitar in Chillcuts Studio
Band vocalist, Anji Bee, who began collaborating with Lum in the early 2000’s, has also worked hard to improve upon her sound and performances. Armed with a new microphone, cabling, and preamp, she has pushed her voice to new heights, exploring diverse vocal territory. From deep, sultry rhythm and blues soulfulness to bright, ethereal breathiness — and all points in-between — from a single voice to a 3-part harmony; Bee is the vocal equivalent of a one-man band. And lyrically, Bee has dug deep to unearth some of her most revealing and intimate lyrics yet. Though her song topics have always touched upon more than personal relationships, the abundance of such fare in the past has led critics to label Lovespirals as purveyors of “love songs.” Bee feels confident that will not be the case this time. Interestingly, the two songs most obviously tied to romance are not ballads, but upbeat numbers; “Feel So Good” is soulful funk with a distinctly retro feel, while “Love” is an atmospheric drum ‘n’ bass song, reminiscent of the duo’s earliest work together.
Anji & Ryan of Lovespirals listening to a fresh take
Not that this new album is wholly composed of electronica vibes; on the contrary. Lovespirals have achieved a fine balance between their various influences, including moody classic-rock ala Pink Floyd or Fleetwood Mac; groovy late-period Motown soul & funk; bittersweet electropop in the vein of Air or Zero 7 — with a sprinkling of sensual slow-burning blues, and a dash of the soaring ethereality that the band has long been known for. Somehow Lum and Bee are able to take such disparate elements and combine them into an easily identifiable sound that can only be described as “Lovespirals.” Though it’s hard to label their music for today’s highly genre-defined culture, Lovespirals are not concerned. The joy of independent music is that it is not bogged down by marketing research and sales strategies; it exists because of the creator’s love of music. And Future Past is certainly a labor of love for Lovespirals.
Anji Bee in Chillcuts Studio working Lovespirals’ new album
Ryan Lum in Chillcuts Studio working Lovespirals’ new album
Please add yourself to the Lovespirals newslist to stay informed of release date, news, events, and specials.
Bazooka Joe, host of the excellent solipsisticNATION podcast, invited me to participate once again in an “exquisite corspe” mix. The basic gist is that 9 electronic music podcasters – including Joe – each selected one song, based solely upon hearing the track that was selected right before them. Joe took all the tracks and edited them together, choosing to keep the podcaster comments until after all the music had been played. You can check out the fascinating results on today’s show!
I’ve got a real treat for you this week; a 90 minute DJ style mix of Brazilian music. And everything is a FREE DOWNLOAD! This weekend I’m going to the big Blame It On Rio Fireworks Finale at the Hollywood Bowl featuring Bebel Gilberto and Seu Jorge, so that is partly my inspiration here. Plus it has simply been far too long since I last featured this countries’ lovely and diverse music. I guarantee that once you hear this episode, you will fall in love with the sounds of Brasil, too! A big THANK YOU goes out to all of the labels who made the choice to go Podsafe with their artists’ music.
* Sorry, this free mp3 download link has since expired…
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Jazzy chillout artist, The Grooveblaster, is working on a new album and is once again collaborating with me on a sensual electro-lounge tune. I thought I’d share a video snippet of me working on the vocals here in the Chillcast studio. The song is tentatively titled, “Put Some Music On.” Release date is unknown at this time, but you can be sure you’ll hear it on The Chillcast just as soon as it is available!
While you’re waiting, be sure to pick up our summer-themed single from last year, “Summer Days,” if you haven’t already. That track plus Grooveblaster’s remix of my big Lovespirals‘ single, “This Truth,” and another original song called, “Whole Wide World,” are all available on the 2008 album Cities, Streets & Bebop Nights on iTunes.
Whew — it is HOT up in here! The only nice thing I can say about the heatwave we’re having in So Ca is that it has forced me to be very creative in how I beat the heat. If I hadn’t been so dazzled by the heat this week, I may have remembered that I usually do a 90 min DJ mix for Labor Day, alas… However this 60 min show should definitely hit the spot with its sultry mix of melancholy downtempo, exotic world beat, and soulful house tunes. Lots of great vocals this week, some real top notch stuff. Plus 4 free downloads – 5 counting the one included in my Chillcast Artist of the Week feature on Sleepthief!
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Its been 3 years since Justin Elwick’s debut album as Sleepthief, but it seems his time has been well spent. This 12 track collection of new songs offers a subtle range of moods and emotions, helped in part by the delicious variety of vocals contributed by a veritable who’s-who of ethereal vocal collaborators. I would have said “divas” but for the notable exception of male vocalist, Coury Palermo, a welcome addition to the album’s otherwise female lineup. Returning guest artists from previous album, The Dawnseeker, are Kirsty Hawkshaw, Kristy Thirsk, Jody Quine, Caroline Lavelle, and Roberta Carter Harrison. Additional divas this time include Zoe Johnston and Joanna Stevens, both of Delerium fame, and both excellent choices for this project. The music flows effortlessly between symphonic New Age styled pieces such as “Here I Confess,” “Skimming Stones,” and “Ariadne,” to more upbeat pop-edged fare, such as “A Cut From a Fight,” “Fire King,” and the album single, “World Gone Crazy.” Labyrinthine Heart is available digitally on iTunes and Amazon Mp3, but I highly recommend picking up the CD for the gorgeous album art and booklet which includes the lyrics to every romantic song with amazing visual accompaniment.
“Aganju”
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