#ghosted ii

[musicmakesyousmart]

Oren Ambarchi, Johan Berthling and Andreas Werliin - Ghosted II

Drag City

2024

[thacd]

Ghosted II - Oren Ambarchi / Johan Berthling / Andreas Werliin (2024)

[golvio]

Soothing instrumental/ambient soundtrack for stress cleaning: “Ghosted II” by Oren Ambarchi, Johan Berthling, and Andreas Werliin.

[dustedmagazine]

Oren Ambarchi / Johan Berthling / Andreas Werliin — Ghosted II (Drag City)

Although Oren Ambarchi, Johan Berthling and Andreas Werliin play guitar, bass and drums respectively, their music is far from that of the standard rock power trio. Instead, they cleave closer to the meditative, exploratory grooves of The Necks, laying down intricately detailed and gradually evolving parts, with each piece stretching to around the 10-minute mark. Each of the four tracks on Ghosted II, the follow-up to 2022’s excellent Ghosted, comes across as a single-minded and deeply focused exploration of a particular dynamic between the three players. As Dusted’s Jennifer Kelly highlighted in her review of Ghosted, “this music seems to move restlessly while also remaining fundamentally in place. Time and timelessness co-exist in its rigorous but joyful grooves.” 

Opener “En” has a skittering, almost Latin flavor to Werliin’s drumming, while Berthling’s bass holds down the pulse. Ambarchi’s guitar offers much of the textural interest, sounding like it’s being fed through a phalanx of effects, as well as a Leslie rotating speaker cabinet. “Tva,” the longest piece at 13 minutes, begins with chiming bass harmonics and more glassy organ-like tones from the guitar. Here, Werliin’s drumming takes on more of an Indian flavor, sounding almost like tabla at times. “Tre” is a more groove-based piece, punctuated by rimshots and triangle, with a real swing to Berthling’s bass playing. Again, Ambarchi delivers swirling organ-like tones, but progresses into pretty, pitch-shifted arpeggios that dance around in flurries, like snow in moonlight.

Closer “Fyra” is perhaps the most varied of the four pieces, with two defined guitar parts either laid down using a looper or multi-tracked after the fact. The questioning chords that ring out over the fast guitar patterns and clacking drums are especially beautiful, spiraling and ascending away from the sparse bass beds. As the drums ease off and washes of cymbal are introduced, the piece seems to warp and bend. Finally, the trio skilfully carries the track, and the record, towards a gentle dissolve into the clouds as the drums fade out entirely, leaving the dulcet bass and guitar tones to play off one another in the closing moments. Sublime.

Tim Clarke

[spilladabalia]

Oren Ambarchi / Johan Berthling / Andreas Werliin "Tre"