Tag Archives: John Ghost

John Ghost share second single, ‘The Quantities’, off forthcoming record

08 September 2023

John Ghost have a new album on the way, Thin Air . Mirror Land, the follow-up to 2019’s Airships Are Organisms, which was one of our Album Picks of the Year. The extraordinary Ghent based instrumental sextet had already enticed us with ‘The Dimmed’ and today they are sharing the epic opening track ‘The Quantities’, further attesting to their musical prowess and inventiveness. The new single “is a sonic journey that’ll take you from the heart of the Middle East, with a spicy ‘Dune’ vibe, to a futuristic, mechanical wonderland that’s bursting with bombastic vibes”, as the press release describes. “In this sonic whirlwind, you’ll catch ethereal melodies dancing freely amidst the relentless, never-ending machine.”

Grab Thin Air . Mirror Land when it’s out on October 6th through Sdban Records and right now listen to ‘The Quantities’.

John Ghost tease new album with first single ‘The Dimmed’

23 June 2023

Photo: Joris Jeursen

John Ghost‘s Airships Are Organisms, released in 2019, made it our Album Picks of the Year then and remains a favourite album. So we’re thrilled to know the extraordinary Ghent based instrumental sextet are following it up with a new full-length album titled Thin Air . Mirror Land. John Ghost never cease to stroll the path of inventiveness and adventure, and the upcoming Thin Air . Mirror Land has “a slightly more sombre tone, focussing on a broader range of instruments and an emphasis on percussive elements”, as the press release describes. The album “is a musical urge for introspection in a chaotic reality, and a longing to reconnect with a natural environment.”

As with their previous record, the band enlisted Jørgen Træen (Jaga Jazzist, Kaizers Orchestra, Hubro, Sondre Lerche) to handle production duties.  Guitarist and composer Jo De Geest, who helms the outfit, cites a spectrum of influences such as Hans Zimmer, György Ligeti, Magma, The Residents, Disasterpeace, James Holden & The Animal Spirits, Do Make Say Think, William Basinski, and Jóhann Jóhannsson.  Both the album and the song titles are inspired by Edvard Munch’s painting “The Storm” (1893).

Thin Air . Mirror Land arrives on October 6th through Sdban Records but John Ghost are already teasing it with ‘The Dimmed’. If the single is is anything to go by, we just can’t for October to come.

John Ghost team up with Binkbeats for new single ‘Black Chamber (Escape to the Sun)’

17 October 2021

Following Airships Are Organisms, which was one of our Album Picks of 2019, John Ghost are back with new music. The extraordinary Ghent based instrumental sextet, led by guitarist and composer Jo De Geest, are set to release a new single titled ‘Black Chamber (Escape to the Sun)’ on November 5th through Sdban Ultra. The track sees John Ghost team up with Dutch producer, percussionist and multi-instrumentalist Frank Wienk aka Binkbeats, who has remixed tracks by Aphex Twin, Flying Lotus and Atoms For Peace. De Geest comments:

“In the studio, Binkbeats often works with audio design. He is particularly versatile with this and has very strong personal views on the sound design of a project. Our musical styles are a nice fit as well. As a group, we also wanted to stress the productional aspects and experiment with electronic components. This collaboration with Frank worked smoothly and gave us the opportunity to approach John Ghost’s music from different angles”

John Ghost have paired  ‘Black Chamber (Escape to the Sun)’ with a video filmed last March at an arts centre in Ghent. Watch it now.

Mixtape #110

02 January 2020

There is no better way to start the year than with a very special selection of tracks picked by John Ghost, the Ghent based instrumental sextet led by incredibly talented guitarist and composer Jo De Geest. They won us over with Airships Are Organisms, their second album which was one of our Album Picks of 2019. Drawing from a wealth of genres spanning from jazz and contemporary classical music to rock and electronica, they are an exhilarating and adventurous band you ought to know. So we're ecstatic to unveil the stunning mixtape Jo sent us, journeying through myriad genres and styles, with artists from the likes of Bill Evans, Squarepusher, Annie Pleasure and much more. Enjoy!

  1. Big Thief – From [4AD]
  2. DIIV – Between Tides [Captured Tracks]
  3. Bill Evans – Symbiosis: 1st Movement, Moderato. Various Tempi, Pt. 2 [MPS]
  4. H A S T – Mortal Kombat Champion Of The World [Solidude Records]
  5. James Holden & The Animal Spirits – The Animal Spirits [Border Community]
  6. Biosphere – Warmed By the Drift [Touch]
  7. Ruben Machtelinckx, Hilmar Jensson, Joachim Badenhorst, Nathan Wouters – Peterson [El Negocito Records]
  8. Rudresh Mahanthappa, Steve Lehaman – Foster Brothers [Clean Feed Records]
  9. Squarepusher – Tetra-Sync [Warp]
  10. Annie Pleasure – Nadia [Royale Records]
  11. Arvo Pärt, Paul Hillier, dan Kennedy, Theatre Of Voices, Christopher Bowers-Broadbent – De Profundis (Psalm 129) [Harmonia Mundi]