TEAM GHOST – Rituals
01. Away
02. Curtains
03. Somebody’s Watching
04. Dead Film Star
05. Things Are Sometimes Tragic
06. Broken Devices
07. All We Left Behind
08. Fireworks
09. Montreuil
10. Pleasure That Hurts
11. Team Ghost
12. We Won’t Fail
What happens if a former electronic music producer, former M83 member Nicolas Fromageau, starts a rock band? It’s a bit like if BRIAN ENO would use guitars or TANGERINE DREAM are reinterpreted in another context. But the album of TEAM GHOST is not about copying. Rituals starts like a post rock record, leads you further to straight rock anthems in the vein of 70s heroes and continues to surf on a wave of psychedelic influences combining electronica and guitar music in a retro attitude.
Combining those two worlds is nothing new, but TEAM GHOST have their very own approach to it. Whereas no rock band nowadays creates their sound without the support of synthesizer textures, TEAM GHOST creates this special 70s sound, which makes this record both modern and classic. In the center of all this, it’s still the song that counts. Ideal singles like Dead Film Star or Curtains are contrasted by beautifully glittering songs as Things Are Sometimes Tragic which also works well on a wave dance floor. No surprise that TEAM GHOST where invited to support electronic duo CRYSTAL CASTLES.
Nicolas Fromageau makes clear that he didn’t want to create a second M83. Although the roots are not to deny, especially in tracks like Broken Devices, there is definitely another edge to this band. Add some JOY DIVISION and a big part post rock and you know where this could lead.
Rituals is a record you need to approach with some time and an open mind. In the quite wide range of styles and contrasts of haunting and floating parts, there is always this red line, this hard to catch vibe that underlies all songs. It’s this sweet floating feeling which takes you away from the first second. This is also supported by a rather rough and natural sound bringing back the honesty of life performances. Not least because of the big name M83 always standing in the room, we will hear a lot of this band in the future. The old connections are definitely helpful, but here is the potential to create something big under a new flag and to prove that TEAM GHOST create new paths rather than using the old.
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