Hiatus – Ghost Notes

Cough, cough. Hello. Sorry about that. Once again I have had to chase the cat of technical issues out of the garden, but as ever I return, bursting with musical gifts. This week is one of my favourite musical treats of the year, symbiosis via the headphones, music that becomes you and whats more lucky punters, you get to have your finger on the pulse and tell people all about it, as it doesnt get released until the end of next month. To enable you to have one full month of ‘I am a cool muso type’ bragging rights, ladies and gentlemen I give you Ghost Notes by Hiatus

There is nothing about Ghost Notes which does not fit perfectly into your life and that opening gambit is my total concrete guarantee. When first our paths crossed by MySpace magic, I was instantly smitten with the songs, there was something charming about them that quickly solidified into love by the second listen. I tend to find a lot of albums that work this way have a pretty short shelf life, almost like a one night stand, but I was lucky enough to get a copy of Ghost Notes a couple of months ago and I would say that love is still in the air.

I think the instant attraction was due to there being a familiarity to the songs, not that they particularly sound like anything else, but that they are written in a way similar to music that I listened to just as I was coming out of the cocoon. UFO, Smokers Delight, Dial M for Monkey, that ilk of album. The moments that I realised that music did not have to be full on and in your face to be outstanding. Ghost Notes has that feel, something homemade, something crammed full of love and pride, something cherished.

When things really changed for me was when I was able to get the tunes on my mp3 player and get them out onto the street. Ghost Notes’ beauty has the ability to transport you, the joyful superpower of giving cinematic bent to the oft grey surroundings of inner city living. It brings reminiscences flooding to you of memories that are not yours, evokes imagery that you have never witnessed and brings beauty to the otherwise mundane. This, for me, is music’s real power and more or less this is what I try to seek out, but when it lands in your lap it is one of lifes great joys. As if my hypnotic wordsmithery were not enticing enough, what to do is click on the picture above to go to Hiatus’ website and download Third for free, stick it on your phones and go for a walk. See what it does to you, watch the world apply itself to your brain, it is quite an amazing thing.

Musically Ghost Notes is quite simple. Not to belittle it at all, but part of its allure is the space, the freedom to dream within it. Its simplicity is beguiling and the fact that you get the feel that it is a labour of love makes it massively inspiring. It is rich with samples plundered from his Grandmother’s house in Tehran, overlayed with soulful, delicate piano and undercut by some bass so lovely it has almost got me to go to my own attic to bring my own bass out of retirement.

I am so fond of every song that I find it hard to single out any particular one and for a first album I think it is relatively rare to make something so complete, so well rounded, rather than a couple of really good singles and some other good songs sort of flung together. One of my favourite things has always been the ability to spot a drum and bass tune within the first few bars and I am sure anyone who is fond of the genre will know what I am talking about. You just know that it is going to kick off. Black Dogs is probably the first tune of this genre to catch me off guard. Black Dogs starts in the same vein as the rest of the album, with its implied bitersweetness and then…it goes off, always keeping its heartfelt sensibilities about it. A D&B classic that rivals the greats and one that I am sure will be featuring in top sets around the scene.

I have so much love for this record that I cannot emphasise enough how much I think you should keep your eyes on Hiatus’ MySpace or website. In making something so honest, pure and full of love he has charmed his way into my ears and I can only hope that his future is massive and I would urge you to do whatever is in your powers to help make this so.

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