| lovesliescrushing | |
| Background: | group_or_band |
| Instruments: | Guitar, voice, loops, treatments |
| Origin: | East Lansing, Michigan, U.S. |
| Genre: | Shoegaze, dream pop, ambient, noise, drone, ethereal wave, lo-fi |
| Years Active: | 1991–present |
| Label: | Lullaby, Projekt Records, Sonic Syrup, Automatic Entertainment, Line, Handmade Birds, Thisquietarmy, wavertone |
| Associated Acts: | Astrobrite, Mahogany, Transient Stellar, Vir, Polykroma, Star |
| Current Members: | Scott Cortez Melissa Arpin-Duimstra |
Lovesliescrushing (stylized lovesliescrushing) is an American ambient and shoegaze band from East Lansing, Michigan, United States, formed in 1991.[1] The two primary members of the band are Melissa Arpin-Duimstra (vocals) and Scott Cortez (guitars, loops, treatments).[2]
Several guest musicians have joined the group for live performances, including Michael Anderson (Turn Pale, Drekka), Ana Breton (Dead Leaf Echo, Mahogany), Alyssa Browne and Andrew Prinz (Mahogany).
Cortez and Arpin-Duimstra formed Lovesliescrushing in 1991 in East Lansing and later moved to Tucson, Arizona.[3] In 1992, the duo issued the Bloweyelashwish cassette LP on their own Lullaby label, featuring different mixes of the songs from their debut album, similarly titled Bloweyelashwish
Lovesliescrushing signed a record deal with Projekt Records, who issued their debut album on CD and cassette in 1994, along with the "Youreyesimmaculate" single.[2] Ned Raggett of AllMusic later described the album as "an amazing sonic bomb".[4]
The more experimental follow-up, Xuvetyn, was released in 1996. AllMusic called it "even more of a mindblowing blast than Bloweyelashwish, 20 minutes longer and extending the spirit of that album's collision between brute feedback and serene sculpture in astounding directions".[5]
Between 1996 and 2002, Cortez left Projekt to front Astrobrite on the Sonic Syrup label.
In 1997, Cortez and Anderson formed two short lived projects, Vir (who released the "Strika" 7" in 2000 on Drone Records) and Transient Stellar. The latter performed as Lovesliescrushing at Projektfest 1997, utilizing an early melding of jungle and shoegaze.[6]
Lovesliescrushing returned in 2002 with the Glissceule album, released by Sonic Syrup.[2] AllMusic called it "a mesmerizing collection of beautiful noise, 17 tracks of pearly lightness, angelically naïve with drumless textures". It was followed later that year by Voirshn, a Projekt release consisting of tracks that were left off of "Glissceule". These albums relied on heavily processed guitar,[7] and Cortez dubbed the band's new sound "glitch bliss".[8]
The acapella Chorus album appeared in 2007 on the Peru-based Automatic Entertainment label; a reworked version, CRWTH (Chorus Redux), was issued by the Line label in 2010.
In 2010, Projekt issued the Girl. Echo. Suns. Veils. box set, which included a bonus second disc titled Avianium (Microphona Magnetica); the latter was also issued separately as Aviatrix.[2]
Lovesliescrushing released two albums in 2012, Shiny Tiny Stars (Handmade Birds) and Glinter (Thisquietarmy Records). They self-released the Ghost Colored Halo digital EP in 2013, reissued two years later on CD by Projekt.[9]
In 2020 they returned with a split album with Peruvian noise artist Fiorella16 titled "Extrañas Letanías" the album featured a more dreary atmosphere and was released with no promotion.[10]
Cortez is acclaimed for his technical creativity, use of studio effects and for recording all the lovesliescrushing albums on a TASCAM Portastudio.[2] In a 2010 interview, he said, "I use several loopers, EQ and reverb mostly to manipulate time and sound. I also have had a few custom instruments to explore new textures. But the most important gear are my ears and brain, without them, you have no imagination running the tools."[11]
Cortez has cited influences such as My Bloody Valentine, John Cage, Cocteau Twins, Brian Eno, Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew, György Ligeti, Harold Budd, Jon Hassell, Steve Reich, Terry Riley, Arvo Pärt, Henryk Górecki, Glenn Branca and film soundtracks.[12] [13]