John Ghost (Ghent, Belgium) is the sextet led by guitarist/composer Jo De Geest. As a group, they draw influences from jazz, rock, and contemporary classical music. Minimalism, electronics, and an overall cinematic quality characterize their instrumental music. Seemingly simple motifs reveal themselves as intricately composed masterpieces, rich in rhythmic and melodic layers, bursting with otherworldly sounds and harmonies.

John Ghost is ingenious and accessible, always seeking a clever balance between the open and playful nature of jazz music and danceability. The ensemble is often described as a symbiosis of Steve Reich, Nils Frahm, and Jaga Jazzist. Like the latter, the group places great emphasis on a meticulously crafted and intense production process, unafraid of extremes and with a keen eye and ear for detail.

After the critically acclaimed “Airships Are Organisms” (4-star reviews in The Guardian and Financial Times, as well as airplay on BBC 6 and Worldwide FM) John Ghost is back with “Thin Air . Mirror Land”, out now on Sdban Ultra.

For this album, they continued their fruitful collaboration with legendary producer Jørgen Træen, known for his work with Jaga Jazzist, Electric Eye, Kaizers Orchestra, and numerous projects on the Hubro Record Label. The result is an album with a slightly more somber tone, focussing on a broader range of instruments and an emphasis on percussive elements.”Thin Air . Mirror Land” unfolds as an aesthetic refuge in stormy times. It is a musical urge for introspection in a chaotic reality, and a longing to reconnect with a natural environment.

During the creative process, Jo drew inspiration from the music of artists such as Hans Zimmer, György Ligeti, Magma, The Residents, Disasterpeace, James Holden & The Animal Spirits, Do Make Say Think, William Basinski, and Jóhann Jóhannsson. The album title “Thin Air . Mirror Land” and the song titles are driven by a fascination with the artwork of Edvard Munch. Jo found inspiration in Munch’s painting “The Storm” (1893) as a catalyst for the writing process, exploring a dystopian backdrop and the intriguing interplay between comfort and unrest. Heavily inspired by the music, Jaak De Digitale created the gloomy artwork for the album.

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PRESS

“Thin Air . Mirror Land is absolutely one of the musical highlights of 2023” – Written in Music

“The compositions on this album always have a deep groove” – De Volkskrant