Ghost Funk Orchestra – ‘A Trip To The Moon’ album review: an opulent lunar soirée
THE SKINNY: Hinged on the diverse talent that is Seth Applebaum, Ghost Funk Orchestra has steadily climbed in global popularity and sonic grandeur over the past decade. The project’s vision is hard to pin to any one pigeonhole, but they refer to their nuanced style as psychedelic soul. With flecks of jazz, funk, soul, and rock, this intensely gifted troupe presents its fifth full-length studio album, A Trip To The Moon.
Applebaum had been toying with new compositions when the lunar theme manifested itself. The pivotal moment came when he discovered that the Internet Archive had made audio footage of historical Apollo-Mission Control transmissions accessible in the public domain. Taking a leaf from the book of Public Service Broadcasting, Applebaum deftly incorporated snippets of cosmic dialogue to impose a space-bound identity upon his fruity and soulful orchestration.
Throughout the album’s 15 tracks, Megan Mancini and Romi Hanoch trade seamless vocal roles, giving the concept much-needed shape and direction. A Trip To The Moon hears the band on a new level of chemistry, following many moons on the road in support of 2022’s successful studio album, A New Kind of Love.
In contrast with A New Kind of Love, A Trip To The Moon benefits from less clarity in the production. With the focus shifting from pinpoint elegance, each orchestra member is given a moment to shine in an album that celebrates unfettered expression. At times, it’s suave and sexy; at others, bold and abstract.
Ghost Funk Orchestra create music somewhat distant from my usual domain. However, as a product of psychedelic funk, it keeps the lay-listener engaged with foot-tapping rhythms. Additionally, jazz-infused works as such can be prone to repetitiveness. Seemingly aware of this, Applebaum folds in a discerning variety of textures across this collection of 15 transient, punchy tracks.
For Fans Of: ironic twerking, Neil Armstrong, Howard Moon, and blazers with elbow patches.
A concluding comment from Alan Partridge: “A slice – nay, a whole 12″ pizza – of delectable groove from the band Funkadelic could have been.”
A Trip To The Moon track by track:
Release Date: February 23rd | Producer: Seth Applebaum | Label: Karma Chief Records
‘Opening’: An innocuous introduction. With just 61 seconds to toy with, Ghost Funk Orchestra mobilises the all-important bass guitar, overdubs some intriguing sound effects, and finally introduces the orchestra with a stylish crescendo imbued by melodic piano. [3.5/5]
‘Eyes of Love’: This is a highlight. An intriguing variety of instruments are folded into such a short space of time without the track becoming overcrowded or cacophonous. Flutes, dynamic basslines and elusive lyrics bring proceedings to life. [4.5/5]
‘Where To?’: The titular question receives clarity as a NASA transmission counts down a historical Apollo rocket launch. The destination is, of course, the moon and a prominent drum beat ensures a pleasant and exciting start to the journey. [3.5/5]
‘To The Moon!’: This is the first sedate number on the album. Perhaps in our moon-bound spacecraft, we’ve just left Earth’s atmosphere, and with the loss of gravity, the intensity of lift-off has abated. Unfasten your seatbelts, and feel free to float around the cabin. [3.5/5]
‘Achluo’: We’re well on the way now. This celestial track sparkles with synthesisers and woodwind. The orchestral intensity is curtailed by a punctuating section of subdued instrumentation in the centre, with a psychedelic flourish towards the close.
‘Nova’: The aptly titled ‘Nova’ leads with a bold and affecting lead guitar line reminiscent of recalls 1960s garage rock with its raw distortion. This guitar-lovers’ highlight is complemented by ever-masterful lead vocals that plead, “Why can’t I fill these empty spaces?” [4.5/5]
‘Helios’: Respite from the tempo, this song takes a while to get going, owing to a one-minute, transmissive introduction. When, at last, we launch, a dynamic beat introduces seductive, James Bond-esque brass intrusions. One to soundtrack the latter hours of a refined dinner party. [3.5/5]
‘Into The Abyss’: At the halfway mark in the album, we enter the abyss. But don’t worry, it’s not as bad as it’s cracked up to be. This 44-second intermission is an agreeable seasoning to the record’s plate and will win the hearts of acoustic arpeggio fans out there. [3.5/5]
‘Again’: Sticking with the softly picked acoustic from the previous track, ‘Again’ starts off in a stripped-back guise, allowing the vocal to prevail. Later, the song shows its true colours as the orchestra returns, guns blazing. This one has a distinctive tone of nostalgia, recalling 1950s jazz pop anthems. [3/5]
‘A Solar Wind’: Solar wind is probably not a good thing when one’s darting around the solar system in a tin can. Though far from dejected, the tone of this instrumental track is rather chilled before a guitar-driven rise in intensity at the close, perhaps due to the dicey winds. [3.5/5]
‘Space Walk’: If any of these songs were going to soundtrack a classy 1970s porn tape, it’s this one. Like the strut of a feline, ‘Space Walk’ saunters through the ether with vibrato and plenty of swing in the rhythm. [3.5/5]
‘Casadastra’: Bold and opulent, ‘Casadastra’ drives with an air of cabaret in the grand orchestral sections. In spells of silence, the astronauts reflect on their trip to the moon, claiming at the end that they never “really saw the moon. It was a crescent moon, and most of it was dark.” [3.5/5]
‘A Rare View’: This song stands out as the album’s silent assassin. For the most part, it’s tranquil and transportive, with woodwind, strings and xylophone spiralling in a kaleidoscopic dreamscape. As we’ve come to expect from Ghost Funk Orchestra, however, the slack is picked up with a thumping beat towards the song’s conclusion. [4/5]
‘Totality’: Glamorous and decadent, this danceable track gives us a final, hefty dose of funk guitar with a distinctly Latin flavour. “I wrote this song for you that you may never hear / There’s nothing else to do but sing it to the atmosphere,” the lyrics read, suggesting nerves on re-entry to Earth’s atmosphere. [3.5/5]
‘Infinite Dark’: This one sets out with hostile intensity, threatening to leave the listener on a dark note. However, it soon levels out as an instrumental outro characteristic of the album and characteristic of this highly talented group of musicians. I tip my hat to Applebaum as a man of far-reaching talent. [3/5]
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