by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
Brooklyn’s Ghost Funk Orchestra have had a phenomenal year in 2019, one that positions them for great years to come, built off the strength of A Song For Paul. The band’s latest album is sort of a reintroduction to the ambitious project, led by composer and mastermind Seth Applebaum. Released by soul revivalists Colemine Records and their imprint Karma Chief Records, this album took the project out from the lo-fi shadows and into the shimmering spotlight, their hybrid of soul, retro R&B, psych rock, and experimental indie rock reaching a wider audience with a genuine sincerity. It’s a remarkable record that feels lost in time, beamed in for decades past while sounding perfectly at home in these strange times.
After a string of exceptional shows ranging from support for A Giant Dog to the Emerging Music Festival in New York City’s Bryant Park, the collective co-headlined Brooklyn’s National Sawdust, a carefully curated and ultra-artistic space that looks as dazzling as Ghost Funk Orchestra sound. The band made the most of the occasion, playing their first show as a fourteen piece band, complete with an extended string section for the evening. Now the band are sharing professionally shot footage from the show (which I was lucky enough to attend in person) and we’ve got the premiere of “Queen Bee,” a new song they’ve been working on. With a quick immersion into their home-grown soul via the rhythm section and horns, Ghost Funk Orchestra make great use of their string section as the dip into psychedelic swirls before shifting firmly into R&B territory. It’s immaculately composed and performed, with each sweeping section building upon the next.