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.

For their second full-length album, “Airships are Organisms,” they enlisted the expertise of producer Jørgen Træen, known for his work with Jaga Jazzist, Electric Eye, Kaizers Orchestra, and numerous projects on the Hubro Record Label. The collaboration received international acclaim, including 4-star reviews in The Guardian and Financial Times, as well as airplay on Radio 1, BBC 6 MUSIC, and Worldwide FM. With their new album – set to release Oct 2023 -, John Ghost takes it to the next level, delivering a monumental album for fans who thoroughly enjoyed their previous release.

“An album of Reichian percussive patterns and solos from a bygone age of jazz-rock fusion” / “A time traveller from planet prog.”

Financial Times ****

“Airships Are Organisms is a curious blend of minimalism, motorik post-rock and the electric jazz of Herbie Hancock’s Mwandishi Sextet. The blend is most satisfying on the downtempo tracks: the funereal Deconstructing Hymns, Drones for a Sunken Mothership and the coma-paced jazz-rock of The Fallen Colony.” 

The Guardian ****