Beyond The Ghost – Sundown (Album – Cryo Chamber)
Genre/Influences: Dark-Ambient, Cinematic.
Format: Digital, CD.
Background/Info: “Sundown” is the final chapter in the “Europe Series”-trilogy by French artist Pierre Laplace. It started with “The Last Resort” and a view of Berlin in 2060. The album “The Desolation Age” brought us to London in 2061 while “Sundown” is a dystopian view of Rome in 2062. Aside from this trilogy Beyond The Ghost released two early full lengths and a collaborative work together with Dead Melodies.
Content: Beyond The Ghost moves on exploring dark paths of ambient music. Pierre Laplace created an ominous sound universe mixing authentic sounds like cello and guitar together with vintage electronic treatments. The production features slow rhythms and also passages with ghost-like vocals.
+ + + : Beyond The Ghost accomplished with the “Europe series” a brilliant production. The first two chapters were already noticeable works but “Sundown” definitely appears to be the magnum opus. It’s an original composition mixing Dark-Ambient and Cinematic music together while driven by slow rhythms and intriguing vocals. I’m also addicted to the magic, analogue like, sound treatments while the guitar parts inject a freaky touch. The second part of the album reveals a succession of superb tracks.
– – – : I can’t say this album is hard to label but it definitely brings different influences together so in the end it’s a production for open-minded Dark-Ambient lovers.
Conclusion: Trilogies are always a challenge but Beyond The Ghost has accomplished a true tour de force.
Best songs: “Ghosts Marching Home”, “Obscuration”, “Chiiaroscuro”, “No Way Out Of This Maze”, “Sundown”, “The Darkest Night Ever”.
Rate: 9.
Artist: www.facebook.com/beyondtheghost
Label: www.cryochamberlabel.com / www.facebook.com/CryoChamber
About Beyond The Ghost
Beyond The Ghost is the dark ambient project of French musician Pierre Laplace, based in Lille. Before starting it he led the experimental rock band Vera Clouzot for ten years, self-released two acoustic solo albums as Kenyon, and formed one half of the atmospheric folk duo The Sandman’s Orchestra. He builds the Beyond The Ghost sound from soft and hardware synths, live instruments such as guitar, piano and percussion, and field recordings.
The project has released everything through Cryo Chamber, starting with “You Disappeared” in 2019 and “Eternal Drift” in 2020. The collaborative album “Crier’s Bane” with Dead Melodies also appeared in 2020. The “Europe Series” then ran across “The Last Resort” and “The Desolation Age” in 2021 and closed with “Sundown” in 2022. “Neon Twilight” followed in 2024.
“Sundown”, the album reviewed here, was released on 5 April 2022. Laplace wrote, produced, performed and mastered it, Capucine Meens sings on the record and Simon Heath made the artwork. Laplace spoke about the project a few months later in ‘Click Interview’ with Beyond The Ghost: ‘I Would Like To Have A Sound And Style That People Can Recognize’, and the album was listed in the Side-Line Top 25 albums of the year 2022.
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