A Ghost Like Me
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A Ghost Like Me

Fletcher, North Carolina, United States | SELF

Fletcher, North Carolina, United States | SELF
Band Rock Alternative

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"A Ghost Like Me - The New Paradigm"

A few minor line-up changes & a lot of hard work sees instrumental space rock/prog-rockers AGLM completing their first full length album. I reviewed AGLM a year ago & was honest in my thoughts about the difficulty of instrumental rock albums. I also described their EP as a missing Hawkwind instrumental album with Bill Laswell in the producer's chair. I noted how AGLM tackled the difficulties of instrumental prog-rock by aiming for under-playing rather than focusing on heavy flashy guitar solos. At the time they were also in the midst of discovering new musical directions with a new line-up, since changed, so I was reviewing a band in change. It's interesting to now return to their side & see how the trek through the time tunnel was. The outcome is an unexpected musical walk through the soul of the world with cosmically inspired songs as "lucis ressurectio", "The Cleansing", "Japan", "Duality", "omnimadus divinus navitas", "Threshold", "Song For Gaia" & "Awakening". The New Paradigm is more than a catchy title as the paradigm in question is the state of the Earth on a spiritual level ... not just social which is the common focus of bands these days. Of course, being instrumental the details are left to the listener to ponder. Is there such a thing as space rock left, particularly space rock with a cosmic message? If so, what is space rock three decades on since prog-rock ceased to rule the airwaves? It's a welcome mix of groove rock, alt rock, funk, dub, jazz & electronica ... it's also the experience of a band that started as a recording project & moved to a live band. It's a tight funky affair that gets rid of wandering moments. AGLM have grown up since the last time we all met. They've honed in their sound & also pushed themselves musically into new directions & audio experiments. If my description of a socially conscious space rock band puts you off I can only blame myself for not having the vocabulary suitable to properly describe the AGLM experience. They still under-play but have also put more guts into their music. There's lots of guitar solos (for example "Bridging The Gap", "Hi Phi", "Japan") but they are more a part of the bigger musical collage than a fanfare of notes with a boring rhythm to play over. Also, don't expect to music to be a wierd esoteric mix. They may call themselves space rock & they are without a doubt modern prog-rock but this is grooving space rock, think Hawkwind not the moody wanderings of Yes or Pink Floyd. AGLM create a hypnotic atmosphere without sounding too technical or forcing the mood which is often what happens with prog-rock while the songs meander & change never getting boring or pointless, with the dub influences as backgrounds not the focus. While there's also bits of world rhythms in here (i.e. "Song For Gaia", "lucis ressurectio", "omnimodus divinus navitas") & an array of sounds tinkling away that will take lots of listens to fully discover. - Roman Midnight Music


"A Ghost Like Me"

Whether you call them psychedelic, spacey, experimental or strange, A Ghost Like Me only has one priority: To make music that awakens one’s consciousness.

Asheville’s instrumental rock band, A Ghost Like Me, is now offering trips that extend far beyond the ears; it is music that stimulates inside and out.

“The New Paradigm,” the band’s first full-length album, released in spring 2011, is more than a composition. It’s an experience.

Beginning as a recording project in an Oakland, Calif., studio in 2007, guitarist Brad Rogers’ experiment transformed into a full-blown live rock band when he came into contact with drummer Eric Ernst, bassist Key Andrew and keyboardist Dave Milan. The sound complete, A Ghost Like Me came into being, transported to western North Carolina, and put its ethereal reverberations to record.

The result, “The New Paradigm,” unites four like minds in a far-reaching musical expanse that is both familiar and original. A Ghost Like Me draws influence from some of the best experimental bands out there, while also infusing individual and communal creativity. Veterans like Pink Floyd and modernists, such as Tool, resound through their music, but the final input is all their own.

Although they are completely instrumental, A Ghost Like Me does little to alienate, with beginning and ending tracks that are easily attractive to many music fans, literally “Bridging the Gap.”

Devotees of differing rock genres will find the band appealing in some way, whether it’s the driving rhythms of the bass and percussion, the comely melodies of the keys or the animated guitar playing.
What’s between the bookends can be interpreted in a number of ways, especially because A Ghost Like Me is completely instrumental. One can take the music for what it is on the surface – a forceful exploration of sound – or use the music as a vehicle to go deeper into the recesses of the mind.

Listed inside the CD jacket of “The New Paradigm” are “interesting places” that probably served as inspiration for much of the album’s material. Investigating the websites, which explore topics like mindfulness, world peace, utopianism and sustainability, will give the listener a better idea of what A Ghost Like Me was when constructing its music. Not knowing their topics of interest does not detract from the album, but it certainly facilitates a more enlightened listen.

Even without lyrics, “The New Paradigm” is quite absorbing. The absence of lyricism allows A Ghost Like Me to put all of its energy and thought into orchestrating a powerful musical machine. There are several movements within each song, pushing the album through almost an hour of music with minimal repetition. Rogers does take advantage of the technological invention of guitar loops, which are not used out of laziness, but act as the base for a more intriguing guitar solo that is laid over top of it. “Japan” is one of Rogers’ best uses of layering the guitar.

Loops also allow for A Ghost Like Me to make big noise, even though it’s a small band. Between four guys and a few instruments, their production is lush and bursting. The bursting “Threshold,” at more than six minutes, cranks through several tiers of noise, arousing many senses.

A Ghost Like Me has a setup similar to Pink Floyd’s, with a guitarist, bassist, drummer and keyboardist. Despite lacking a vocalist, the band borders the level of greatness achieved by rock’s premier experimentalists.

A Ghost Like Me inspires creativity, facilitates meditation and relaxation and propels deep thought. Drop into “The New Paradigm,” close your eyes, open your mind and prepare to be shifted.
For more information and a listen, visit http://www.reverbnation.com/aghostlikeme . - Mountain Times


"Beware Ghosts Haunting the Lexington Avenue Brewery - Page 9"

"While to some the prospect of an instrumental ensemble might automatically mean prog rock or jam band, repeated listens to The New Paradigm, the band’s recently released full length album, reveals so much more..." **scroll to page 9** - Rapid River Magazine - James Cassara


"A Ghost Like Me brings “instrumental space rock” to BoBo Gallery"

Local “instrumental space rock band” A Ghost Like Me recently released its debut album, The New Paradigm. The group includes members of Crystal Kind, Stankface, Blue Stone and The Dark Shave. Fans of these bands probably have some idea of what to expect: Psychedelic themes, driving percussion, fanciful solos and songs that tend to run well over the six-minute mark. “Threshold” opens with a churning bassline and spacey burbles, a more menacing contribution to the Moonraker score, perhaps. “Japan” delivers funk, dynamic melodies and interesting play between guitars and synthesizers. “Song For Gaia,” a shorter track, shows a different side of A Ghost Like Me, leading with echoey flute and birdsong. “lucis ressurrectio” also uses flute, sounds of dripping water and distant bells — a dreamy soundscape, more temple or massage studio than rock club. But “Bridging The Gap,” The New Paradigm‘s lead song, illustrates A Ghost Like Me’s rock roots. There’s a jam feel, for sure, but also the metallic twang of southern rock, the smack of cymbal and the grinding guitar chords that, played live, are almost certain to be ear-splitting — though no less melodic for the volume. The New Paradigm is available for digital download, or catch the band live this weekend at BoBo Gallery. The show includes local experimental rock band Two Planes opening and electronic duo-turned-trio Graviton Project — with Zack Hayes of Doc Aquatic on drum kit — closing. 8 p.m., $3. - Mountain Xpress


"A Ghost Like Me brings “instrumental space rock” to BoBo Gallery"

Local “instrumental space rock band” A Ghost Like Me recently released its debut album, The New Paradigm. The group includes members of Crystal Kind, Stankface, Blue Stone and The Dark Shave. Fans of these bands probably have some idea of what to expect: Psychedelic themes, driving percussion, fanciful solos and songs that tend to run well over the six-minute mark. “Threshold” opens with a churning bassline and spacey burbles, a more menacing contribution to the Moonraker score, perhaps. “Japan” delivers funk, dynamic melodies and interesting play between guitars and synthesizers. “Song For Gaia,” a shorter track, shows a different side of A Ghost Like Me, leading with echoey flute and birdsong. “lucis ressurrectio” also uses flute, sounds of dripping water and distant bells — a dreamy soundscape, more temple or massage studio than rock club. But “Bridging The Gap,” The New Paradigm‘s lead song, illustrates A Ghost Like Me’s rock roots. There’s a jam feel, for sure, but also the metallic twang of southern rock, the smack of cymbal and the grinding guitar chords that, played live, are almost certain to be ear-splitting — though no less melodic for the volume. The New Paradigm is available for digital download, or catch the band live this weekend at BoBo Gallery. The show includes local experimental rock band Two Planes opening and electronic duo-turned-trio Graviton Project — with Zack Hayes of Doc Aquatic on drum kit — closing. 8 p.m., $3. - Mountain Xpress


"A Ghost Like Me - debut EP"

"On their debut EP AGLM have tried to show their creativity by aiming for underheard progressive space rock, crafted something akin to a missing Hawkwind instrumental album. Or, more aptly, with the swirling keyboards in the background it could be Hawkwind meets Bill Laswell (i.e. "Threshold"). Though, having written that the second track "The Cleansing" might find a better home as a bridge in a tune by John McLaughin's Shakti with his low-key hypnotic repetition. "Duality" & "Just Be" follow the same hypnotic trail with a strummed guitar quasi-dueting with a cello only to launch into invigorated distorted Hawkwind choruses." - Aaron Joy / Roman Midnight Music NYC - Roman Midnight Music


Discography

self titled EP - 2010
The New Paradigm - 2011

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Bio

"I am another you, you are another me. All is one and one is all". This is the philosophy that the Asheville NC based live electronica/space rock band A Ghost Like Me, exist by. Self-described as "Theme Music For The Human Experience", AGLM strives to bring you within yourself to elevate your soul, expand your consciousness and push the boundaries of your auditory senses. With a swirling of influences including: Ozric Tentacles, Gong, The Mars Volta, Shpongle, Lotus, Tortoise, A Perfect Circle, Pink Floyd, Mogwai, early STS9, etc., AGLM has developed their own unique brand of other-worldly space rock.

Band Members