"Fusing their familiar style with updated breakbeats, Love Spirals Downwards' sound coalesces into a massively layered textural workout. 'flux' organically caresses your soul while electronically massaging your mind. Inspired by ambient drum & bass, Love Spirals Downwards combines their trademark ether-bliss guitars and heavenly female vocals with a breakbeat rhythmic foundation. The result of 'flux' is Love Spirals Downwards' most advanced passage yet. Creating a style that is as much about mood as melody, Love Spirals Downwards continue their evolution beyond their ethereal dream-pop roots." - Projekt Records 1998 Press Release

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Love Spirals Downwards' groundbreaking fourth studio album, 'Flux,' has been reimagined and expanded in a deluxe edition, meticulously compiled by bandleader Ryan Lum. Originally released in 1998, 'Flux' surprised fans and critics alike with its unexpected exploration of drum 'n' bass and downtempo electronica genres. Over the past 25 years, the album has stood the test of time, remaining the band's most popular release on Spotify and Apple Music. The ethereal opening track, "City Moon," featuring vocalist Suzanne Perry continues to hold the top spot, with all nine original tracks gracing the band's Top 20 on both streaming platforms.

The inspiration for 'Flux' struck Lum after he encountered the ‘Logical Progression’ compilation on Good Looking Records. In an interview with Fix in 1998, Lum explained, "A few months after our third album, 'Ever,' I started hearing LTJ Bukem [and labelmates] PFM, Seba and Lo-Tek. It blew my mind in the sense that it was beautiful and ethereal and pretty as anything I've ever listened to — like the Cocteau Twins, and yet it was definitely electronic music. It's the perfect fusion of beauty and bliss and electronica. That was an inspiration." Lum further expanded on the subject in a 1999 interview with Outburn, stating, “I finally found a style that would work well with the music that we do… something where we could be spacey, ethereal, and beautiful as we have on our previous records.”

The production of 'Flux' marked a significant shift in Lum's creative process. In a 1998 Keyboard interview Lum revealed his passion for acquiring new gear, emphasizing its impact on the album-making process. Notably, 'Flux' became the first Love Spirals Downwards album created on a computer, departing from the 8-track analog machine of prior albums. Lum detailed his extensive setup, which included Steinberg ReCycle, a Roland TR-606 for beats, a Roland Juno-106 for bass lines and string pads, a Korg Prophecy for arpeggiated leads and washes, as well as a Sony MDMX-4 to sync vocals to his MIDI sequences. Lum also emphasized the role of the Lexicon PCM 70 reverb, stating, “It's a very thick, gorgeous reverb. The album wouldn’t have been as lush without that thing."

Despite Lum's initial expectations, 'Flux' took on a slightly poppier sound, venturing into uncharted territory and pushing the boundaries of Love Spirals Downwards' sonic palette even further than he’d done with ‘Ever’ and it’s blend of dubby ambient electronica and acoustic-tinged dream pop. In an honest confession to Fix, Lum revealed, "What I thought I'd make and what came out for 'Flux' are quite different. I didn't think 'Flux' was going to be quite as poppy as it is." Suzanne offered a contrasting perspective, noting, “I don't see it as that much different. It's still dark and it's still foreboding,” but added, "For me, making a more electronic-sounding record was lazier, there's a lot fewer lyrics and there's a lot more repetition. Sometimes I feel like I cheated."

Suzanne's sister, Kristen Perry, stepped in for two lyrically focused tracks, "Ring" and "Psyche.” Lum acknowledged the difference in their contributions, telling Fix, "I don't think Suzanne was as easily able to make parts for this kind of music as she was for the more acoustic-based music. Her sister, on the other hand, was making up parts left and right, so it kind of worked out." As it happened, “Psyche” turned out to be a minor hit for the band, even landing a spot on the 2001 season premiere of 'Dawson’s Creek’ on the WB Network.

To enhance the album's vocal landscape, Lum interwove samples of Suzanne’s voice into the songs ”Misunderstood" and "Nova” and revisted the wordless vocals of Jennifer Ryan Wilde recorded in 1993 for a reboot of the ambient track “Sunset Bell” from ‘Ardor.’ The deluxe edition also includes several outtakes featuring enigmatic vocal samples plus a captivating collection of previously unreleased instrumentals that highlight both Lum's signature chiming ethereal guitar and spacey synthesizers, showcasing his evolving sonic experiments.

The ‘Flux Deluxe Edition’ offers an expansive musical journey for fans to delve into. In addition to the nine original album cuts, listeners can indulge in remixes, a captivating live performance, previously unreleased material, and a fresh rendition of "I'll Always Love You," featuring Ryan's current bandmate, Anji Lum. With twice the music to explore and appreciate, the deluxe edition ensures an immersive and transcendent experience. Reflecting on the album with Outburn, Lum shared, "'Flux' is the first [album] where it's like, 'I finally did it right.' So I'm really happy with 'Flux'... I'm sure it will always be my favorite [Love Spirals Downwards] record."

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PRESS:

"A great, contemporary record. ‘Flux’ sounds like a more genuine version of what Mono was aiming for: a pop-electronic fusion with a gentle jungle undertow. It’s one of the best things I’ve heard in months, and you’d be wise to get your hands on a copy quick." Scott Becker, Option Magazine

"Picking up on the ear-catching, edgy segmented rhythms of the breakbeat wave on Flux, Love Spirals Downward updates their sound, leaving the creative core intact. It's all about texture in this multi-layered album of atmospheric vocals, brightly strummed acoustic guitar, and urgent electro-beats." Tom Schulte, All Music Guide

"Taking their obvious Cocteau Twins influences and adding some drum and bass rhythms into the mix, Love Spirals Downwards have released an album that’s incredibly listenable and quite beautiful.The beats almost always take second place to the lush vocals and guitars, adding spice only when needed. There’s a melancholy air to many of these songs, but the atmosphere is never oppressive or dark." Opus Zine

"Much less like a prelude to a dance remix, and more like an integral part of the music, electronic drums are used here in a tempo that's plenty fast, but subdued enough to not be the foreground of the songs. Rather, the foreground remains the interaction between effect-heavy guitar and other-worldly vocals. Songs stand out as clearly futuristic, perhaps paving the way for a new interaction of genres that hadn't previously been conceived. Slacking back and listening to "Sound of Waves" or "Ring" easily lets you believe you've been somehow privy to a CD warped back in time from ten years in the future. Rating: 9.3" Skaht Hansen, Pitchfork

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This album was originally released by Projekt Records on August 11, 1998