Thomas Gandey and Danny McLewin, known from the popular disco-influenced electronic music collective Psychemagik, have once again teamed up as Ghost Vision for the Skakuhachi EP on Paramida’s label, Love on the Rocks. The name shakuhachi means “1.8 shaku,” referring to its size. It is a compound of two words:1. shaku is an archaic unit of length equal to 30.3 centimeters (0.994 English foot) and subdivided in ten subunits.
2. hachi means “eight”, here eight sun, or tenths of a shaku.Thus, “shaku-hachi” means “one shaku eight sun” (54.54 centimeters), the standard length of a shakuhachi (a bamboo flute). The bamboo flute first came to Japan from China during the 6th century. During the medieval period, shakuhachi were most notable for their role in the Fuke sect of Zen Buddhist monks, known as komus (“priests of nothingness,” or “emptiness monks”), who used the shakuhachi as a spiritual tool. Their songs (called “honkyoku”) were paced according to the players’ breathing and were considered meditation as much as music.[soundcloud url=”https://soundcloud.com/boltingbits/ghost-vision-shakuhachi-al-kassian-remix” /]And that brings us back to the music! The shakuhachi is all over this EP, and the combination of cosmic disco and eastern influences is incredibly appealing. Quite without thinking of the Eastern origins of the instrument which had given the recording certain sonic distinguishments, and of course, its title, Paramida also enlisted the help of two musicians named Alex — one from Tokyo, and one from Kyoto.
Alex from Kyoto, aka Al Kassian (soundcloud), once again delivers an absolutely killer remix ripe with heavy 80s influenced drums and intergalactic acid-tinged synth lines. Playing on the meditative history of the shakuhachi, his remix incorporates deep atmospheres, organic fx, and soothing vocal chops that subdue the driving percussion and truly make the song an expansive journey through sound. It was reported that upon first listening at Love On The Rocks headquarters, wild dancing broke out almost immediately and did not stop for 36 hours. We can see ourselves dancing forever to this too. Pre-order at Juno.
Ryan
