Simian Ghost
Audio
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1. Bicycle Theme
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2. As You See Fit
Simian Ghost started out as a recording project by singer, guitarist and drummer Sebastian Arnström. Aside from his work with the Swedish indie-band Aerial, he has performed in various art galleries in Sweden and around Europe, making noise and improvisational music. His debut album, Infinite Traffic Everywhere, was released in the winter of 2010. The record is minimalistic and elaborate, yet intuitive and direct.
"Aerial has always been keen on keeping our work abstract and open for interpretation, both musically and thematically" Sebastian explains, "and with Simian Ghost I wanted to do something that is more in the form of one way communication, as traditional pop music dictates. Also the tunes revolve more around the vocals rather than the other way around".
The album was received with great enthusiasm and got very good reviews. Simian Ghost started to get more attention and a live band was put together. Guitar wiz kid Mathias Zachrisson and Sebastian’s little brother, talented drummer Erik Klinga, joined the band. Together they started re-shaping the songs of Infinite Traffic Everywhere. ”I have worked with Erik and Mathias every now and then for years”, Sebastian says, ”and we have an awesome musical connection”.
Simian Ghost, now a trio, have toured Sweden and already shared stages with Mount Kimbie and Niki and the Dove to name a few. They are now in the process of writing and recording a second Simian Ghost full length album together as a band, and judging from the stuff we’ve heard so far, it’s going to be fantastic!Meanwhile, not even five months after the release of the Simian Ghost debut Infinite Traffic Everywhere, we give you the seven song follow up, entitled Lovelorn. Once again the record is written, recorded and produced by Sebastian Arnström. "The initial ambition was to make an EP, consisting exclusively of electronic material", Sebastian explains, "a collection of songs all conceived in my messy living room, very DIY, even more so than the last record I guess".
Once again he collaborates with the Swedish/Polish artist Weronika Bela, who made the artwork for Infinite Traffic Everywhere. "These are songs I made alongside my work with the Light Vibes debut, and the upcoming Simian Ghost full-length. It's the kind of stuff I do when I get home from work, or from rehearsal, personal stuff. The song Gently Submissive for example, has a very soft quality to it, mainly because I recorded it in the middle of the night, and I didn't want to wake up the neighbours. I really find that nice, when very tangible stuff like that creeps into the music. In the end, it all comes down to the fact that I need to keep myself occupied to avoid full on neurosis", he says and laughes.
Much like Infinite Traffic Everywhere, the work is very referential and varied in style, but still it has flow and continuity to it, making it a solid listening experience in its entirety.
"Infinite Traffic... was in many ways a comment on the music I've grown up with, and this a comment on music I've been exposed to more recently".
The sound varies from mid 80's electro-pop, to the dreamy reverb drenched soundscapes of the chill wave generation, the whole time focused on strong melodies and vocal experimentation. "I have been doing this stuff for quite some time", Sebastian continues, "it's like musical collages, songs that are remixes of themselves. It's a fun way to write music! And I think I even got some Beach Boys in there this time".
The record is released in the UK via Heist or Hit Records.
