Lovesliescrushing


Lovesliescrushing is an American musical duo from East Lansing, Michigan, United States, formed in 1991. The two primary members of the band are Scott Cortez, who variously contributes guitars, loops and effects, and Melissa Arpin-Duimstra, who is the duo's vocalist. They are known for their dense and surreal psychedelic music drawing from shoegaze and dream pop, with unorthodox instrumentation and little to no drums.
Several guest musicians have joined the group for live performances over the duration of its career, including Michael Anderson, Ana Breton, Alyssa Browne and Andrew Prinz.

History

Formation and early career

Cortez and Arpin-Duimstra formed Lovesliescrushing in 1991 in East Lansing and later moved to Tucson, Arizona. 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. Ned Raggett of AllMusic later described the album as "an amazing sonic bomb".
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".

Other projects

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 and Transient Stellar. The latter performed as Lovesliescrushing at Projektfest 1997, utilizing an early melding of jungle and shoegaze.

Return

Lovesliescrushing returned in 2002 with the Glissceule album, released by Sonic Syrup. 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, and Cortez dubbed the band's new sound "glitch bliss".
The acapella Chorus album appeared in 2007 on the Peru-based Automatic Entertainment label; a reworked version, CRWTH , 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 ; the latter was also issued separately as Aviatrix.
Lovesliescrushing released two albums in 2012, Shiny Tiny Stars and Glinter. They self-released the Ghost Colored Halo digital EP in 2013, reissued two years later on CD by Projekt.
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.
In May 2025, The Numero Group announced that loveliescrushing has joined the label's roster. In August, an expanded deluxe edition of bloweyelashwish would be released in October 2025.

Artistry and influences

Cortez is acclaimed for his technical creativity, use of studio effects and for recording all the lovesliescrushing albums on a TASCAM Portastudio. 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."
Cortez has cited influences such as My [Bloody Valentine (band)|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.

Discography

Studio albums

Bloweyelashwish Xuvetyn Global and Available split with Freezing Butterfly Glissceule Voirshn Chorus CRWTH Girl. Echo. Suns. Veils. Aviatrix Shiny Tiny Stars Glinter Extrañas Letanías split with Fiorella16

EPs

  • ''Ghost Colored Halo''

Singles

  • "Youreyesimmaculate" 7"
  • "Heart of Fire" digital

Compilation appearances

  • "Babysbreath " on Terra X - Vol. 1 Love and Hate
  • "Babysbreath" on Beneath the Icy Floe - Projekt Record's Sampler
  • "Teardrop/Dizzy" on Beneath the Icy Floe. V. 2
  • "These Fleeting Moments" on Of These Reminders
  • "Babysbreath" on Beneath the Icy Floe, V. 3
  • "Jingle Bells " on Excelsis
  • "Bones of Angels" on Beneath the Icy Floe V. 4 - A Projekt Sampler
  • "Blooded & Blossom-Blown" on Beneath the Icy Floe V.5
  • "Lips to Kiss" on Splashed with Many a Speck
  • "Valerian " on Projekt 100: The Early Years 1985-1995
  • "Nipra" on Losing Yesterday
  • "Pink Blind" on Epithalamia
  • "Sofvx" on Projekt 2003.1
  • "Your Eyes Immaculate" on Projekt 200
  • "The Way of the Sea " on ''Glass''