I believe in the power of music to inspire and to heal.
That's a bit of a cheesy thing to say, I know, but I believe it to be true.
When I set out on the weareallghosts journey, it wasn't to make money or to strike it big. No, it was to give something back to the DIY music community that has nourished me over the years ... to bring some happiness into an unhappy world ... to light the proverbial candle to shine out in the darkness. I think I have achieved that.
So today, regardless of all the voices that say I am just not good enough ... regardless of all the closed doors ... regardless of what others think ... I can lift my head up and say: I made this happen! I took an idea and brought it into being ... and I did it with the help and support of people I am proud to call my friends.
I couldn't have started weareallghosts without the support of Cousin Silas and I wouldn't have kept going for over 5 years if it wasn't for the encouragement of Kevin Lyons. I am proud, so very proud, to call them dear friends and look forward to our annual meet-ups in deepest, darkest Yorkshire.
It is, then, with the greatest of pleasure to offer out a further instalment in their ongoing partnership: "Beyond the Infinite (waag_rel107)" is their sixth release as a duo and by far one of their best. Their atmospheric ambient music is the perfect accompaniment to the best in science or weird fiction, pairing effortlessly with the likes of H.P. Lovecraft. Delicate, open, and unsettling; their music makes the Cyclopean architecture of such stories as "In the Mountains of Madness" come alive for me, especially the illustrated version by I. N. J. Culbard, which I read while having my first listen to the submission.
Yes, there are beats. "Lost Horizons" is a prime example of Silas and Lyons' measured approach to percussion ... but this is, to me, more about the atmospherics. "Grey Steel Skies" and the title track, "Beyond the Infinite", are truly exemplary of music that is so much more than music, it is feeling ... an eerie, unsettling, weird feeling that I just soak up like a sponge. If that's your kind of thing then this is your kind of thing!
As before, my thanks goes to Cousin Silas ... Warren Daly … Kevin Lyons ... Adrian Nicholls ... Drew Miller ... and the wonderful waag community ... for their generous support.
A 320kbps version of this release will be available, for free, over on Archive with a lossless version available here on Bandcamp for ‘pay what you want’.
I really hope you enjoy the latest release from Cousin Silas and Kevin Lyons as much as I have.
- Thomas
PS: grateful thanks to Andreas Schwietzke for the use of another of his illustrations, it is so fitting and perfectly in tune with the music.
