New Release – Rage Against The Dying Of The Light (album) by GHOST
GHOST is a self taught producer, composer and musician based in Manchester (UK).
“I write a lot of music across all kinds of genres. I’ve been producing and recording music for around 20 years and have been playing instruments, particularly the piano, since I was a boy. My inspirations come from far and wide and include incredible musical talents such as Angelo Badalamenti, Russel Shaw, Basil Poledouris and Trent Reznor.”
GHOST released seven albums in the past two years. He has a new album ‘The Dying Of The Light’ coming out 16th January.
What inspired you to write the album?
“Our own inevitable death and the beauty of the human spirit which should fight against it despite knowing there is no escape – though all that came later.”
“For this album, instead of writing something which suits a mood or theme I began composing with no particular aim or goal in mind. I spent a long time experimenting different sounds, instruments, modes, keys and melodies and as the music began to form I realised, 5 or 6 tracks in, that they, as a collection of tracks, told a story of melancholy, sadness, beauty and hope all tinged with a calm errie coldness. The end result sounds like a hybrid of many of my previous albums – organic wood instruments, fizzing textures, sweeping synths always with a focus on melody. I consider this album a spiritual successor to ‘Helixian‘ which was released in the autumn last year.”
What tv or movie series should feature music from this album?
“I think something which is dystopian or tragic would be suited to this music – perhaps ‘The Walking Dead’ – or a Sci-fi show such as the excellent ‘For All Mankind’ which mixes an alternate pro-nuclear scientific future with robust drama and brilliant characters. When listening back to my own music it always feels like I’m going on a journey somewhere through space – it’s why so many albums have space/science themes.”
What can you tell us about the artwork?
“Originally I planned to create a cover sleeve with the aid of an AI and after some experimentation and Photoshop work I managed to produce something I liked – a ghostly pier leading out into the sea from behind with a murky setting sun hovering above eeriely. It captured the developing sound of the album well and for a while I kept it whilst I was still mixing the album. However when it came to preparing the final artwork for release I soon realised that the resolution of the image wasn’t suitable, and was impossible to improve upon, so decided to reproduce the artwork using my own photographs – changing the colour from a cooler largely purple pallete to a warmer one which better represents a sunset on the ocean and the title of the album.”
