Ghost breaks free
Boundaries are meant to be broken and limits are there to be pushed. Ghost isn't afraid to challenge all preconceptions of what being a producer means and refuses to be pigeonholed by a single category. Known for his hip-hop production and remix work for the likes of Nicole Willis he now ventures into unchartered territory.
Ghost made his debut in 2002 on Breakin Bread releasing a slew of singles while working on production for a number of emcees and labels such as Low Life. His debut album 'Seldom Seen Often Heard' was released in 2006 to commercial and critical acclaim receiving support from Zane Lowe, Gilles Peterson, Mr Scruff, Semtex, Excalibah and deejays across the globe. He recently teamed up with the incredible vocalist Devorah, the result of which was Lingua Franca's self titled EP, a heady mix of soul, jazz and funk. He's also played across the UK and Europe including stints at Glastonbury, Hip Hop Kemp, The Big Chill, Bestival and The Jazz Café.
Now he makes a leap into the unknown with his latest project the 'Freedom of Thought EP #1'. The overall feel still has that Boom Bap feel but the deeper, layered sound shows how much this producer extraordinaire has evolved. His lifelong fans will be happy while a new audience is sure to emerge. If you like Ninja Tune, DJ Shadow, Tempa, Hot Flush, DJ Yoda and Planet Mu you'll love Ghost.
This five tracker is merely a sample of what's to come on Ghost's 'Freedom of Thought' full length.
'Freedom of Thought EP #1' track by track in Ghost's own words:
'Way U Feel'
"I originally had the idea for this track about 5 years ago, 4 years later I decided to turn the idea into a tune. As the vocal hook says "you can't change me the way u feel" meaning I am who I am, and I'm gonna do what I'm gonna do! I found the guitar's and they just hit a nerve. I chopped them up, added some bass, drums, vocals and it summed up that moment in time."
'Return Journey'
"This is a follow up to 'Round Trip' which featured on 'Seldom Seen Often Heard'. Bit of an epic this one. The piano and strings I chopped up then just kept adding different dimensions to fill out the music and turn it into a song. It switches up at the end into a quicker tempo to drive it home."
'S'all Good' featuring Finale
"A smooth and uplifting rhythm featuring Detroit's Finale who also appeared on 'Seldom Seen Often Heard'. This is about knowing things are all good, a choppy drum pattern with some vocal samples and I played a couple of synths in to freshen it up."
'Feel Pain'
"This one has a cinematic feel about it, very dramatic. Big string section with big drums. The sample just smacked me in the head. I had to chop it to get the loop in time and the drums I chopped to fit into the sample. It has several different parts to the track and builds up and down."
'Elevate remix' featuring Jehst and DJ IQ (Originally taken off IQ's 2nd album)
"I had the acapella and rated the original. I created the drums and piano and the vocal worked so well I thought I should do a remix. I just kept building around the pianos with some synth strings, synth licks and a bunch of filters! I worked the music around the vocals and they compliment each other so well, possibly one of my favorite tracks off the album.