Stephan Spreer set up Llovespell in 2002. Nearly twenty years later the project has released an impressive number of productions, mainly released by  Sonderübertragung! The past few years Llovespell signed to Polish label Wrotycz Records. Stephan Spreer and singer Mandie K this year released their new opus “That Summer There Was No Honey”. The album is a pure sonic voyage mixing different influences from Minimal-Electro to Trip-Pop to Experimental; space-like atmospheres carried by low, resonating bass lines with half-spoken-like vocals by Mandie K on top. I got in touch with Stephan Spreer.  

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Llovespell has been set up nearly twenty years ago now. What have been the main points of satisfaction thus far and how do you analyze the evolution of the band over the years?

Stephan: Basically, it is always special to me/to us if Llovespell manages to gain public attention. Every record perceived by someone and every concert attendees enjoying the music is a highlight to me. It does not matter where the concert takes place: Leipzig, Moscow… wherever… it just touches me if people really listen to Llovespell.

Q: I’ve always experienced Llovespell as a very eclectic music project; it’s hard to define your music as one specific genre while I more get the impression the sound is a mix of different influences. Do you recognize this eclecticism and tell us a bit more about your ‘sound’?

Stephan: Llovespell is not versatile on purpose. It is much more a flow of enjoying dealing with different influences. Our music does not need to meet expectations of a certain genre. I’ve always been interested in music and different styles and I enjoy experimenting with different genres. It’s challenging to create an ‘out of the box’ sound and not just a generic product. Even though all our records sound slightly different, it seems that a specific ‘Llovespell sound’ can be detected in every single record since my preference for producing a certain synthetic sound hasn’t changed much over the years. And by the way, I still use most of the equipment I used right at the beginning of Llovespell.

Q: Tell us a bit more about the writing and production of the new opus “That Summer There Was No Honey”? What inspired you to write these songs and how did the collaboration happened –especially during the pandemic?

Stephan: Working on “That Summer There Was No Honey” started in 2018. Most of the songs on the album were already finished when the pandemic hit. I could take advantage of little distraction at that time to complete the album during Corona crisis. The process of writing went throughout the years 2018 and 2019.  As most of the Llovespell songs, the album contains everyday observations and sensations; sounds, lightings and impressions of the city colored by my own feelings, which I consider worth sharing with someone.

Q: When do you know a song/album is finished? Do you’ve specific criteria and/or references in the production of your music?

Stephan: An album or song is finished if I feel pleased and comfortable with the outcome. I mostly bother about the timbres and the arrangement. This works because I completely trust Andreas Wahnmann to create a musical sensation by mastering my mix.

Q: The title of the album is pretty intriguing, but what does it reflect? And can you tell us a bit more about the lyrical content of the work?

Stephan: Basically, I really like the ambiguity of the title which the listener may interpret individually. To me it’s about something missing. In good times, and summer is a good time to me, the heart yearns for something special. Something special, which isn’t necessary or vital or even crucial, but nevertheless yearned for. For the very first time, the words are not written by us, but poems from Ingeborg Bachmann, Mascha Kaleko and Rainer Maria Rilke. It is a range of words, which created a certain soundscape in my head. The words underline the mood of the album perfectly for me.

Q: I noticed you already released another album entitled “A Constant Murmur” featuring a selection of remixes and collaborations with other artists. How did you get the idea to release this work and what did you try to accomplish? What are the further plans?

Stephan: “A Constant Murmur” is a collection of already released songs. Some of the remixes can be found on the B-side of the tape version of the album “Logic Lust” and some derive from albums of e.g. antlers mulm, fjernlys and Architrav. My favorite remix is a collaboration with Jack Or Jive from an already sold out tape sampler. To me the remixes are a great overview over the first 10 years of Llovespell.

Of course, the need for that album could be questioned, but I just enjoyed sampling the songs. The audience shared my joy to have all the collaborations of the band history united on one album. At the moment, we are (as usual) working on a new album and are already excited to get it out there. For now, we would love to perform “That Summer There Was No Honey” live on stage and we are currently looking for the right location.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Trippop, Experimental, Minimal-Electro.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Llovespell is nearly active for twenty years now and have released a considerable number of productions. Their newest work has been again released on Wrotycz Records and features nine new tracks composed by Stephan Spreer and sung by Mandie K.

Content: Llovespell moves on composing a very personal, serene and artistic work. Driven by minimal electronic treatments, the work also reveals space-like atmospheres and the familiar low, resonating bass lines. Some passages are carried by Trip-Hop inspired rhythms. The vocals are mainly produced a half spoken-like way, but some other parts have been transposed into a kind of fragmented vocal parts accentuating the Experimental approach on some songs.

+ + + : Llovespell remains a band with a very personal sound, which is hard to define, but rather resulting from the offspring between different influences and genres. There’s some reverie hanging over the songs, which is accentuated by space-like atmospheres, and great, crystalline-like bleeps and tones. It has something refreshing and revealing a subtle writing. I still like the deep bass lines, which are less dubby than at previous works, but perfectly matching with the slow cadence and global sphere hanging over the album. Last, but not least I also enjoyed the half spoken like vocals, which sometimes inject a sensual touch to the work. There are several cool songs featured at the album, but “Borrowed Time” definitely appears to be the master cut.

– – – : I regret the album only features 9 songs, but as I’m used to saying, I prefer a shorter, but great work instead of an endless tracklist with less originality and quality.

Conclusion: Llovespell is one of those bands deserving more recognition. This new opus is a brilliant production mixing originality of styles together with great and accomplished songs.

Best songs: “Borrowed Time”, “Stay”, “Child In Red”, “Recipe”.

Rate: (8½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/llovespell

Label: www.wrotycz.com / www.facebook.com/wrotycz.rec

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Electro-dub, lounge, experimental.

Background/Info: Llovespell (aka Stephan Spreer) set up Llovespell in 2002. Nearly all of his work got produced by  Sonderübertragung! The bands last productions (cf. “One” and “Two”) were released on Sea State (which became the successor of Sonderübertragung!) on cassettes. “Places” brings both cassettes together on CD format plus a few previously unreleased songs.

Content: The sound universe of Llovespell has something magic and clearly evasive. The electro-dub/down-tempo style is pretty chill-like and gets the listener into an instant feeling of reverie. A few voices have been sued as an extra effect to the sound. It’s totally space-like and still a little less experimental.

The album reveals 3 previously unreleased songs, which are in a similar vein as “One” and “Two”.

+ + + : I’m afraid I’m now always objective when it comes to ‘dub’-inspired work. I like the sensual side of dub music, which is caused by the low vibrations and down-tempo rhythms. Especially the first tracks from the album are driven by these two essential elements, but more globally, “Places” also is a high-tech production revealing styled songs and multiple great effects. It also is quite surprising to see Wrotycz releasing this work, but it also reveals the open-minded horizon of the Polish label more devoted to ethereal music.

– – – : Some cuts are pretty short and that’s sometimes a pity. It creates a somewhat unaccomplished sensation.

Conclusion: “Places” has a real strong power to get connected with the music and simply forget all your troubles. This is a great sonic therapy!

Best songs: “Scale Me”, “Detachment”, “The Line”, “Outside”, “Untitled 19”, “Night Shop”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.facebook.com/llovespell

Label: www.wrotycz.com / www.facebook.com/wrotycz.rec

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com