Short Reviews [Ghost Rhythms - 2020 - "Imaginary Mountains"]

A few years ago, I reviewed the last album by Ghost Rhythms, ‘Live At Yoshiwara’, where I said “for those who enjoy their music to be experimental yet still with control and patience then this is certainly worthy of investigation.” To be honest, I could have copied those words and said that was the review this time around as we have the same here. However, unlike their other releases, this was written in lockdown. Given that here was a band who had only previously recorded in studios, and were used to having weekly rehearsals, this was a major shift for them (as it was for many other musicians during this period). Given that they had no way of recording drums, the decision was made by band leaders Camille Petit (keyboards) and Xavier Gelard (EBow, drums) to concentrate on the more orchestral aspects of the band. Drums were eventually added later, and the resulting album is something which is experimental, containing large elements of fusion, combined with chamber music and orchestral which creates something which at times is melodic and familiar yet at others is pushing boundaries and defining modern music in a quite different format. The piano is often the key underlying melodic provider, at others the lead, but that could also be taken by the flute, guitar, or any of the other instruments they have available in the 11-piece band. There are times when it is soothing and quite dreamlike, others when it is brash and harsh, using dissonance as a weapon. When the music is simple and delicate, the listener knows not to be lulled into a false sense of security as soon the band will come back at full force. Ghost Rhythms are an intensely interesting, fascinating and exciting outfit who continue to move the musical form into different directions, and is all the better for it.