Ghost Funk Orchestra: An Ode To Escapism

Groove / Funk / Neo Soul / Soul
premiera polska: 2022-05-26
kontynent: Ameryka Północna
kraj: USA
opakowanie: Gatefoldowe etui
opis:
multikulti.com * * * * 1/2:
Seth Applebaum, pomysłodawca, założyciel i lider Ghost Funk Orchestra napędzany jest wielostrumieniowym silnikiem, zaczęło się od jednoosobowego projektu nagraniowego w 2014 by z czasem przekształcić się w kilkunastoosobowy kolektyw. Ghost Funk Orchestra jedzie na bogatej mieszance jazzu, funka, soulu, rocka, muzyki latynoskiej i psychodelii.
To dźwiękowy kalejdoskop, który wymyka się gatunkowym podziałom. Nowojorski Post-Trash określił ich brzmienie, jako "psychodeliczną odyseję tradycyjnych dźwięków dostarczanych w nietradycyjny sposób". Seth Applebaum jest również środowiskowym aktywistą, podczas pandemii COVID-11 powołał na pocz. 2000 roku w Nowym Jorku do życia Ghost Funk Quarantine Orchestra, multimedialny projekt integrujący zamknięte w kwarantannie środowisko.

"An Ode To Escapism" to ich szósty album, poprzedni "A Song For Paul" wydała w 2019 Colemine Records. Najnowszy trafił do katalogu Karma Chief Records, gdzie płyty wydają Black Pumas, Neal Francis, Rudy De Anda i Kendra Morris.

Lektura nowej płyty ma w sobie błysk przygody, to nieustające wyzwanie, album niczym prawdziwy tygiel różnorodności nieustająco zaskakuje, jest dotknięciem czegoś nieznanego, nowego, frapującego, ale zarazem doskonale znanego. W ten sposób rodzi się osobny zespół zespołu, określany przez amerykańskich recenzentów mianem "heavy soul" lub "dark funk".
Seth Applebaum zachęca do lektury płyty przy zamkniętych oczach. Ta uduchowiona psychodeliczna podróż, która dźwiękowo rozpoczyna się w miejscu, w którym zakończyła się "A Song For Paul", przynosi głęboki dronowy trans, bardziej skomplikowane aranżacje i synkretyczne harmonie wokalne przekraczające ramy czasowe. To album, którego należy słuchać w ciemności.
autor: Marek Wieruszewski
Copyright © 1996-2022 Multikulti Project. All rights reserved

Editor's info:
Where will you hide when the world around you is closing in? On their latest LP, GFO invites you to close your eyes and take a dive into your subconscious. Strings and horns float around from ear to ear while their three sirens explore themes of isolation, fear of the unknown, and the fabrication of self-image. It’s a soulful psychedelic journey that picks up sonically where “A Song For Paul” left off. The drums are heavier, the arrangements are more intricate, and the vocal harmonies soar over a bed of odd time signature grooves. This is an album that’s meant to be listened to in the dark. So won’t you join them? You’re not scared…..are you?

thefirenote.com * * * * 1/2:
Sometimes you come across an album that feels like it’s tailor-made for you. Maybe the songs perfectly fit what’s going on in your life at the time. Maybe they hit just the right mix of genres and styles, to the point that it feels like it was created by an algorithm based on your record collection. Maybe the songs are just really good. Or maybe it’s all of the above. For me in 2019 that album was Ghost Funk Orchestra’s A Song For Paul, a record that felt like Seth Applebaum and his cast of collaborators had been browsing through my shelves and built an album around what they found: psychedelic rock, soul, funk, jazz, even a little prog. It was a stunning debut that topped my year-end list and made me excited to see what came next.

The answer is GFO’s latest set of songs, An Ode To Escapism. Following a record as good as A Song For Paul would be a tall order for any band, but GFO not only match that album’s high standard, they might push the bar even higher. An Ode To Escapism takes all of the previous album’s strengths and builds on them, creating a listening experience that’s simultaneously more diverse and more cohesive, all while retaining their signature sound.

The album begins with some jazzy guitar, electric piano, and a voiceover from vocalist Alba Ponce De Leon encouraging the listener to turn off the lights, unplug their telephone, close their eyes, and let their mind wander. It’s the kind of thing you’d expect to hear on a vintage self-help or guided meditation record, and it sets the tone for the next 40 minutes. Songs segue seamlessly from one to the next, with the occasional voiceover tying things together. Tracks like the instrumental “Overture” reflect the orchestra in the band’s name, with dense layers of strings and horns backing up the soul-infused arrangement. Things start branching out from there: “Little Bird,” a moody slice of psychedelic funk, is heavy on the electric piano over its 5/4 beat, while instrumental “Stoop Talk” brings in some Afrobeat touches.

Side one peaks with the ominous “Fuzzy Logic,” an absolute monster of a track with cavernous drums, reverbed guitars, and a coda with brass and flute solos battling for the last word, all topped off by a killer vocal performance from Romi Hanoch. Side two is no slouch either, with tracks like “Drop Me A Line,” “Queen Bee” and “King of Misdirection” (the latter featuring singer Kam Franklin) showing that Seth Applebaum is a great songwriter in addition to being a gifted arranger and producer. The lyrics are cohesive throughout the album too, each track touching on the theme of escaping the monotony and anxiety of day-to-day existence (for better or for worse). This isn’t a concept album per se, but the common themes and uninterrupted flow of the songs work together to created a unified whole.

All of this close analysis might obscure one important fact, though: this album is a mesmerizing listen from beginning to end. Like the best albums, it grabs you immediately but rewards closer listens too. If an escape into psych-drenched soul-jazz-funk sounds like your idea of a good time, Ghost Funk Orchestra has an ode they’d like you to hear.
by Simon Workman

muzycy:
Composed, arranged, and produced by Seth Applebaum

Lo Gwynn, Romi Hanoch, Megan Mancini: vocals

Horns section:
Brian Plautz (flute)
Billy Aukstik (muted trumpet)
Rich sSibert (trumpet & baritone)
James Kelly (trombone)
Stephen Chen (baritone sax & b-flat clarinet)
David Valbuena (bass clarinet)

Strings section:
Ally Jenkins (violin
Gokce Erem (violin 2)
Tia Allen (viola)
Andrew Borkowski (cello 1)
Sam Guiggins (cello 2)

Voiceover
Alba Ponce de Leon

Guests:
Julian Applebaum (guitar on track 9, bass on track 17)
Kam Franklin (vocals on track 16)
Sean Pastorok (additional cello on track 5)

Matt Gibbs, Jennifer Kennedy, Chris & Gina Marksbury, Pete Mazza: voices on ‘little bird’

utwory:
1. Introduction 00:59
2. Overture 01:36
3. Little Bird 04:15
4. Stoop Talk 02:08
5. Step Back (Wild Child) 02:15
6. Fuzzy Logic 03:07
7. Pause I 00:29
8. Quiet Soul 04:10
9. Mourning 00:38
10. Drop Me A Line 03:28
11. Pause II 00:25
12. Queen Bee 02:45
13. Korban Olah 02:00
14. Toujours 02:17
15. Pause III 01:02
16. King Of Misdirection 03:23
17. Cost Of Living 04:09

wydano: November 13, 2020
nagrano: recorded at GHOSTLOAD SOUND & STUDIO G

more info: www.coleminerecords.com