Ghost (Japan) - Hypnotic Underworld (2004)

Steve:

Japanese psych band Ghost (not the Swedish goth/metal band) took a 5-year break between Tune In, Turn On, Free Tibet (reviewed elsewhere in this blog) and the follow-up, Hypnotic Underworld. Over the break, Ghost's sound changed to become more like a full rock band than the chamber-folk of their prior material, thanks in part to the addition of a dedicated rhythm section. 

Despite this change, Ghost were still very committed to exploring the cosmos, as heard in their opening 4-part title track, which spends the first half of its 20+ minutes in a rhythm-less space exploration led by upright bass, soprano saxophone, and washes of cymbals (... is this some lost ECM record?). The piece gradually gains a firmer structure and adds urgency and tension, finally culminating in the fourth part, a mere 20 seconds of furious drumming over a single chord. Odd suite, this.

After this strange start, Hypnotic Underworld sticks to tracks of moderate length and adheres relatively close to psychedelic prog convention. The big surprise for me was "Hazy Paradise", a cover of an obscure (but awesome) B-side by a group I had recently become obsessed with, the Dutch band Earth & Fire. For some reason, Ghost's version omits the song's bridge, which is my favorite part. A wonderful cover otherwise, however.  

The remainder of the track list continues to respect the band's legacy for psychedelic acoustic folk of the Incredible String Band variety, while mixing in full-band rock energy, as on "Piper". Ghost also offer extended (but structured) instrumental pieces such as "Ganagmanag", 10 minutes of exploration that wouldn't sound out of place on a classic Gong album. Elsewhere, as on "Feed", the band's psych-folk past is suspended for a full prog rock attack. 

Hypnotic Underworld is the most full-bodied and varied Ghost release, and the one most likely to appeal to a classic prog fan. Sadly, the band would make only one more studio album before calling it quits - 2007's In Stormy Nights, which mines territory similar to Hypnotic Underworld.

Dan:

I'm getting to be an expert on Ghost after listening to only two of their albums. The extremes of Tune In, Turn On, Free Tibet are moderated on Hypnotic Underworld and consequently it's a more engaging experience. The opening "ECM-like" suite is a familiar style to me since I like the ECM label and own many of its earliest releases on vinyl. All of the other tracks, however, are great too - from the meditation of "Kiseichukan Nite" to the straight ahead "Piper," to the jazzy multi-part "Ganagmanag," to the soulful "Feed," and to the balladry and climax of "Dominoes." It's remarkable to me that such different styles can be executed convincingly by the same group on the same album.

One of the strongest features of Ghost in this incarnation is the vast array of instruments played. The two most multi-talented members of the band appear to be Taishi Takizawa and Kazuo Ogino, who between them command piano, Korg synthesizer, organ, lute, recorder, Celtic harp, Theremin, flute, saxophone, tin whistle, bouzouki, among unnamed others.