by Conor Rooney (@sold_for_scrap)
What you should know about Brooklyn's Ghost Funk Orchestra is that - at the time of their first release - they didn't really exist (at least not in any traditional unit that you might envision making this kind of music). Beginning strictly as solo project, Seth Applebaum (one-third of The Mad Doctors and one of the many driving forces behind King Pizza Records) created the Ghost Funk Orchestra moniker to allow himself a clear avenue into the world of latin music. Recorded entirely by himself, Seth's first record as Ghost Funk Orchestra was a stunningly refreshing take on the genre. Combining jazz and salsa with darker elements, last year's Night Walker EP felt like a characteristically metropolitan record. Follow this up with an equally dense second record before the end of the year and you’ll have ears to the ground. Today we’re excited to be able to share with you "Fluorescent," the first single off the latest Ghost Funk Orchestra record, Something Evil, out independently on July 7th.
"Comparison. They're neon- I'm florescent. They got the fools to tell 'em where to get famous at.” The track opens along a salsa breakbeat with simmering guitar arrangements floating alongside. With Razor Honey on vocals, she adopts a near conversational tone with the listener, utilizing clever wordplay but more interestingly experimenting with the tension between syllables thus keeping the listener on their toes, hanging on the edge of her melody. Mike Noordzy (contra alto clarinet) constructs ominous undertones in the foreground, developing a sense of melancholy and uncertainty as lyrics like "I don't know, maybe I just don't make the cut. Maybe I'm a loser, maybe I'm a slut” are repeated. "Fluorescent" breaks into an off-kilter free-jazz saxophone solo before cutting out entirely, defining any sense of anxiety. Musically, Ghost Funk Orchestra remain committed to that New York City flavor of jazz infused salsa - but with a modern flare.
Seth has recently filled out the Ghost Funk Orchestra ranks, inviting an impressively talented array of musicians from around Brooklyn to breathe life into these songs. Their first performance is on July 7th at The Gutter with Toyzanne & Nova Luz Band, followed by two more dates this summer (all listed below) .
Ghost Funk Orchestra's Something Evil is out July 7th.
Upcoming Shows:
7/07 - Brooklyn, NY @ The Gutter w/ Toyzanne & Nova Luz Band
7/21 - Brooklyn, NY @ Our Wicked Lady (rooftop) w/ Evolfo
8/31 - Brooklyn, NY @ Baby's All Right w/ The Nude Party & Las Rosas