Second Time Around

The return of holy sounds of Ghost, with the long-awaited reissue of their first three releases: Ghost (s/t), Second Time Around, and Temple Stone are back on vinyl, twenty-five years since they were last in print. These first three Ghost titles were originally released by P.S.F. on CD in 1990, 1992 and 1994, respectively, radiating enigma and energy in palpable waves with their original sound. After the acclaim that greeted Drag City’s 1996 US release of Lama Rabi Rabi, they quickly reissued all three on vinyl — and they quickly went out of print! The first two studio albums, each one an iteration of Ghost’s unique lysergic folk music, were followed by the monolithic “live in various places” happening of Temple Stone, which raised the trippiness levels considerably. But this was only the end of the beginning. In the twenty year sweep of Ghost history, these first three releases qualify as embryonic early Ghost — sort of like a German Os Mutantes (or perhaps a Brazilian Amon Düül). Clearly inspired by various forms of transcendental music throughout history, Ghost created a new syncretic psychedelia with these albums, mixing the texture and vibe of multinational forms of traditional music, with strummed antique stringed instruments and the haunting wail of a recorder on top of their heavy beats and guitars. The considerable depth of this approach was explored through 2014 over another five Ghost LPs, as well as the further explorations to the present day of leader Masaki Batoh, as a solo artist and with The Silence, Damon and Naomi, Helena Espvall and most recently, nehan.