GHOST LAWS
LIVE AT THE UGLY MUGG
YPSILANTI, MI
9/17/05
Forest Juziuk stands in the middle of a crowded
late night cafe. He is alone on the stage,
surrounded by an array of analog electronic
devices. His orchestra of spirits is about to be
assembled before our eyes...
LIVE AT THE UGLY MUGG
YPSILANTI, MI
9/17/05
Forest Juziuk stands in the middle of a crowded
late night cafe. He is alone on the stage,
surrounded by an array of analog electronic
devices. His orchestra of spirits is about to be
assembled before our eyes...
Ghost Laws begins pulling voices out of the air. He spits out a compelling
looped rhythm of voiced glottal stops, sweeping broom, and vocal clicks. Even
the skeptical begin to move to the freshly created beat. A reverby electric
guitar begins violining over the polyrhythm. A click of his foot pedal and he’s
laying down a hypnotic bass line. This is a stunning, complex groove; a
marriage of Afro-funk and Kraftwerk. Soon echo guitar hooks and scratchy
counter rhythms settle into the catchy drone. Then he goes for the kill, pulling
off the guitar Forest snaps up his wind piano. The melodica in one hand, a
mic in the other, a new spooky melody is culled out of the spirit world. The
song ends with an unexpected bubbling rhythm crashing into the wall of
sound. Throughout the song each part remains clear and audible even as the
fifth, sixth, and seventh loop is added.
As fascinating as Ghost Laws’ process is, these catchy and captivating songs
stand up by themselves, regardless of how they were produced. When Forest
sings “Roof Tippin’,” he sounds and writes like a young Jim Carroll. Forest
chants, “climbing 'cross rooftops in December, I couldn’t give a flying fuck
about the weather, whether I slip or if I fall, I couldn’t give a flying fuck at all…”
He goes on to tell us that eventually he fell off that roof. Forest isn’t afraid to
fall, and that is what makes a Ghost Laws show such a provocative
experience.
Ghost Laws is recording a debut release this fall. There are a few song
samples on the Ghost Laws myspace site: http://www.myspace.com/ghostlaws
Craig Campbell
Drastic Plastic Press
looped rhythm of voiced glottal stops, sweeping broom, and vocal clicks. Even
the skeptical begin to move to the freshly created beat. A reverby electric
guitar begins violining over the polyrhythm. A click of his foot pedal and he’s
laying down a hypnotic bass line. This is a stunning, complex groove; a
marriage of Afro-funk and Kraftwerk. Soon echo guitar hooks and scratchy
counter rhythms settle into the catchy drone. Then he goes for the kill, pulling
off the guitar Forest snaps up his wind piano. The melodica in one hand, a
mic in the other, a new spooky melody is culled out of the spirit world. The
song ends with an unexpected bubbling rhythm crashing into the wall of
sound. Throughout the song each part remains clear and audible even as the
fifth, sixth, and seventh loop is added.
As fascinating as Ghost Laws’ process is, these catchy and captivating songs
stand up by themselves, regardless of how they were produced. When Forest
sings “Roof Tippin’,” he sounds and writes like a young Jim Carroll. Forest
chants, “climbing 'cross rooftops in December, I couldn’t give a flying fuck
about the weather, whether I slip or if I fall, I couldn’t give a flying fuck at all…”
He goes on to tell us that eventually he fell off that roof. Forest isn’t afraid to
fall, and that is what makes a Ghost Laws show such a provocative
experience.
Ghost Laws is recording a debut release this fall. There are a few song
samples on the Ghost Laws myspace site: http://www.myspace.com/ghostlaws
Craig Campbell
Drastic Plastic Press