Well it occurred to me that I have yet to elaborate on anything about Ghosts Of London, a 2007 creation of mine induced by spontaneous decisions to actually bring various ideas together into a collective rhythm or melody. All too often I found myself wondering "What would it be like to play the piano...?" So a little over a year ago I sat down to a piano and, with time, taught myself songs here and there until I decided to create my own. Although I in no way consider myself a human prodigy behind the keys, I feel inclined to believe a small milestone has been reached; a catchy rhythm that appears abruptly and quickly stored in digital memory can be heard (and appreciated, for that matter) around the globe. So while a one-man, instrumentalist band is still in its infancy stage, I feel like this threshold will suffice.
Indeed some songs may be better than others...some sound much more ambient, some more "sappy", some fairly gothic in nature, and, well, I'm out of adjectives to describe the array of ideas that can first come to mind when listening to my work. However, that is the goal. If one commits to one specific sound, the formula loses validity. Variety can lead to entropy, which is a vital property of the universe; therefore, my music is confined to no true, unique sound. In essence, these songs mean a great deal to me, but they are only a tip of the ice berg...many different songs are still up my sleeves, and while I keep you waiting to hear more of Ghosts Of London, I will let you explore more into the meanings of each of the songs thus far...
Wedding In Springtime: Truly one of the most dear songs to me, it is the eldest of all of my recorded compositions. A specific blend of acoustic piano with a touch of strings layered with a warm pad comprises the song; simplicity was paramount, which is what I wanted and what I strived for in the piece. I wrote this song in February for my brother's March wedding (hence the name); I was honored when they asked to have it played for the mothers'/grandmothers' entrance. It will forever be dedicated to my brother Dustin and his wife Lindsay, two great people in my eyes.
Shadows In The Hallway: A unique song of mine...For about a year I had two piano lines going over and over in my head; little did I know I could mix peanut butter and chocolate to get something remarkable. I brought the two piano pieces together to blend into this one special song (which can be heard as this song changes phases midway through, then mellows back into the premiere riff). I coined the name "Shadows In The Hallway" because I first created the song's original piece at my grandmother's house. Her house has an old feeling to it and an old-fashioned, dusty hallway I remember through the ages. I always remembered thinking the hallway at nighttime was rather spooky, so I decided to bring reference of this chilling song to her hallway and, there you go, the title.
Comets: A very catchy, upbeat, simple song that I am highly proud of...many of my friends regard this piece as "The Racecar Song" because they claim it reminds them of music played for the last race in a movie or the final game in a baseball film or something of that nature. This song is really meant to chill the mind with layers of atmospheric sounds; basically, a feeling of liberty and ability to fly skyhigh.
Island Midnight: The youngest of Ghosts Of London's repertoire (thus far) and yet another pride-fulfilling piece. I wanted to divert away from the traditional piano sound and create a level of extreme easy-listening with this song. On a trip to Virginia six years ago when I was 15, I went into a huge cavern (Luray Caverns) and inside there was an organ wired to the stalactites. I never got to hear (or unfortunately play) the organ, but I did imagine what such a sound would convey...a cooling, refreshing sound. This was the sound that was intended for this song.
Satellite Over Seattle: This song is one that parallels with "Comets" in that it is meant to be somewhat upbeat and captivating in the beginning, then highly ambient towards the end. This song encapsulates three various piano pieces that I had been playing for a few months, so I was reluctant to bring them together at first. However, all three came together to form more than I expected, so I kept it like it was. Really, this song's title is so-called because it is meant to produce a feeling of soaring high and embracing a wonderful skyline.
All of the songs are meant to ultimately ease the minds of any and all listening to them. Some are more classically sounded than others while some are more ambient-based. In essence, I hope you find these songs well and I hope you continue to listen. Now you know a little more about the songs and the foundation of the ideas of Ghosts Of London.
-Matt