Ghostkeeper
Calgary, Alberta, Canada | Established. Jan 01, 2016
Music
Press
This band has no press
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
The music of Ghostkeeper is a continually-evolving organism; the defining aspect of all their music to date, coursing through each of their evolutionary stages, is that the band truly sounds like no one else. Sure, the astute listener might catch whiffs of things here and there, grounding the otherwise largely-unprecedented music, but they mostly sound like themselves.
The current iteration of the band – which unites core members Shane Ghostkeeper and Sarah Houle with drummer Eric Hamelin (Chad VanGaalen, Nomoreshapes) and multi-instrumentalist Ryan Bourne (Sleepkit, Devonian Gardens, Chad VanGaalen) – has carved out Ghostkeeper’s most unique soundworld to date. Their songs cannily incorporate elements of '60s girl-group melodies, dashes of country royalty Lynn, Wynette, and Cline, and a distinctive, occasionally angular melodic sense drawn equally from ‘90s indie rock, African pop, and traditional Aboriginal pow wow music. And the results are as catchy as they are singular.
The members of Ghostkeeper share a keen interest the continual expansion of the textures, sound sources, and timbres that are available to them, finding inspiration in the highly sculpted sonics of Broadcast and Micachu, the avant-garde inventions of Iannis Xenakis, and the brilliant productions of J Dilla and JJ Doom. To bring their idiosyncratic recordings to life, the band uses a plethora of synths, samplers, amplified percussion, and homespun electronic devices. The increasingly exploratory nature of their recording process across their last three studio-based albums has culminated in their decision to record their latest material at their home studio, with the assistance of longtime studio and live engineer Brad Hawkins (Astral Swans). These private, self-directed sessions function as an ideal incubator for the germination of their material, allowing ample time for experimentation and fine-toothed combing of parts.
The Sheer Buffalo 7” is tantalizing precursor to their forthcoming full-length, due out next spring, following three critically acclaimed albums for labels such as Flemish Eye and Saved By Vinyl. Sheer Buffalo marks the beginning of the story of Sheer Blouse and Buffalo Knox, a compelling narrative that adds an additional layer to the makeup of the band: vocalists Ghostkeeper and Houle take on the role of these two characters, and these themes shape the lyrical content of their latest batch of songs.
The story of Sheer Blouse and Buffalo Knox occurs in the wake of invasive oil sands developments - the product of corrupt government dealings - on the Paddle Prairie Metis Settlement in Northern Alberta. Alongside like-minded members of the settlement, Sheer Blouse and Buffalo Knox embark on a life-changing rebellion against the oil sands operations, centred around a commitment ‘back to the land’ living involving traditional agricultural, hunting/gathering, and spiritual ceremonies taught by elders in the community. The couple are lovers and parents; Sheer Blouse is a young medicine woman whose commitment to her role in the community is evidenced by her frequent and potentially dangerous associations with the world of the notoriously duplicitous Little People, into which she passes to acquire precious knowledge and powers. Yet she finds herself suspended in time, isolated in own intense anticipation of her partner’s return, never knowing quite when that might be. Buffalo Knocks strikes out on his own, painfully tearing himself away from his family to serve this greater good. He is a peaceful yet fierce warrior, inspired by the American Indian Movement, and is responsible for inspiring and motivating the rebellion through music and leadership.
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