Partially comprised of ex-members of Light Grenades, ghost_code is an entirely new venture in the musical world for Carl Fox and Donal Sinnott. ‘Spotlights’ is an EP that borders on downtempo industrial music, creating a very chilled out collection of songs.
The opening track bears the same title as the EP. Spotlights opens immediately with an ambient wash and thudding bass synth, followed by delay-laden guitar and driving trip-hop drums. The enticing vocal of Jasmin Gangnus joins the fray and creates a chilled out track that wouldn’t be amiss within a movie. The drums give an early Nine Inch Nails vibe off at times as they have a tendency to just be outright filthy and industrial. Lyrically it’s a dark song, with the insistence of cutting ties giving it an overall bleak feel.
Still Life in Rewind is a delicate piano led track and without a doubt it is the standout on the EP. Gangnus’ vocals blend with the piano in a haunting fashion, while the lurking bassline melds everything together in complete harmony. The progression in the chorus is nothing short of beautiful and manages to be evocative while doing so. The stripped back sound suits the lyrics perfectly as the message of wanting to pause in a certain period of your life is described.
Just when you’re convinced that the EP will continue with the same safe ebb and flow, Still Life in Reverse appears. It is almost identical to the track preceding it but as the title suggests, the piano is now in reverse. The melody was written so it would sound as good in reverse as played forward and the interesting maneuver pays off in this instance. The same vocals are used throughout but the song has a dancier, more upbeat feel. The reverse piano is moderately hypnotic as it carries the song along enticingly.
Wrapping up the EP is a cover of Jefferson Airplane’s Somebody to Love. Using a cover on an EP is generally an ill-advised idea, but it works here for a number of reasons. The main reason obviously enough is the fact that it has travelled through a trip-hop creating machine that has left it so far from the original that they may as well not be related. The big vocals of Grace Slick are not attempted here and instead slower, more laid back vocals are used. Deep synthetic bass and spaced out guitar lines replace the originals and compliment the layering perfectly.
‘Spotlights’ is an EP that is incredibly easy to listen to and leaves you wanting more. On the other end of the spectrum, it does seem a little bit plain at times but the quality of the content will definitely allow you to forgive that fact. ghost_code have successfully delivered an EP that shows off excellent producing, the incredible vocals of Jasmin Gangnus and just how laid back trip-hop should be made.