Tag: Ghost Beach

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Music Remixes

Ghost Beach – Been There Before (Shook Remix)

Changing, changing

Shook’s remix of “Been There Before” takes the original, strips it substantially of its lyrics and focuses on beat-tastic piano and disco bass. The bongos make me feel like i’m sitting by a beach-side cabana, the beat makes me want to shake my booty. The piano has a Chilly Gonzales-esque sound to it; the in-your-face-can’t-leave-your-mind kind of piano. Shook is notorious for his prevalent use of the bass, radically transforming pop and indie songs into nu-age disco.

Shook eliminates all words save one particular chunk. In this sole verse, there’s a heavy emphasis on changing. I like this topic. Life is change, change is life, yet we have such trouble accepting it! We take time to adjust to the new situation, and this is where the hardship sets in. As a military child being displaced every 2 years, by the time I left home I had the “uprooting” thing down. I grew to accept this feeling of discomfort- this “transitionary period” as I have since labeled it. It’s the period before your brain adapts to whatever situation you’ve put it through. Because of my inconsistent childhood, I’ve been a skeptic of the permanence of the present, and what I’ve grown to accept is the ephemerality of life. Whatever you feel now will pass in X amount of time. How quickly we adjust plays a large role in our happiness in such new situations.

Don’t fall into the trap of stagnation or you’ll get “Lost in a vision of where you are now,” as Ghost Beach puts it. Enjoy the moment, engross yourself in it, but don’t lament on it once it passes.

Ghost Beach – Been There Before (Shook Remix)

 

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Covers Music

Ghost Beach – Vultures (John Mayer Cover)

An African white-backed vulture finishes off a gemsbok in the Kr

I’m a little late to the Ghost Beach train, but after their little fan-tease yesterday I’ve hopped on and don’t want to get off. The duo announced that they had a little treat for us and this track is it. What a treat it is! I have a secret (well not so secret anymore) soft spot for John Mayer. His Continuum album was my everything for a hot 2 months when it came out in 2006. I saw him live when he passed through Syracuse a year later. When he swooned his insane (admit it…he’s real good) guitar skills into the opening chords I lost it in the audience. Fangirl moment aside, “Vultures” is a solid track to begin with and Ghost Beach’s 80’s synth-pop re-up is just as solid.

Mayer’s lyrical abilities are underrated. Sure his earlier stuff was poppy and cliche, but Continuum was really a coming out for him. The “Your Body Is A Wonderland” days were far gone and the blues were back in full bloom. Thank God, too. His roots in the genre suit him. This track changed my music taste in more ways now that I think about it. It introduced me to the blues which lead me down the road to soul, disco, and funk. I feel like I own Mayer a thank you, but I’m just going to appreciate the music.

The bluesy chords of the original remixed into a bouncy synth keyboard is a sign of the times. It all seems so appropriate for where we are sonically and culturally. The sound balances itself between being futuristic and retro. The transitions are seamless and fairly timeless. Am I listening to a Tears for Fears track or some toned down Daft Punk? Who cares, really? This is opulence for the ears and questioning it is erroneous. The music is here and the music is now.

How do I stop myself from being just a number?
How will I hold my head to keep from going under?”

The vocal production and lyric delivery is really what makes this track. The chopped and screwed bits melt with the synth background and keep the lightheartedness of the track alive. It’s blues, but it’s pop. It’s a track that’s meant to get you going, to get you up out of your chair and make a name for yourself. We’re always running from what we want, aren’t we? There’s a weird fear in getting what we want…like our expectations are too high. Whatever it is, this track argues against that. Where Mayer’s suits a more relaxed crowd, Ghost Beach’s pushes us up into the world and makes it seem okay to go for it. So why not? Let’s get what we want and fight the forces that try to get in our way.

Ghost Beach – Vultures (John Mayer Cover)

 

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Music

Ghost Beach – Miracle (Viceroy Remix)

I’m currently surviving what the weather is calling a “dangerous heat index,” and the city is encouraged to limit outdoor exposure. Seems like the older we get, the hotter every summer feels. This little miracle is a refreshing distraction from the onset of heat stroke.

Viceroy sprinkles a little tropical rhythm on Ghost Beach’s already groove-worthy Miracle. Bongos dance throughout while Ghost Beach’s Josh Ocean takes you to some paradise evoked from his last name. Meanwhile Viceroy lives up to his motto: Summertime, All The Time.

It’s a miracle
Even if its in my head
Like a miracle
Im in love again

Everybody get out
We can’t stand underwater
Can’t seem to touch the ground.”

Currently at 101, temperatures having been sneering back at the 90 degree marks all week. Time to crank this tune and get lifted while anticipating that achingly far off vacation.

Ghost Beach – Miracle (Viceroy Remix)

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Music

Ghost Beach – Miracle

I was up till about 5 AM last night on the phone talking to an old friend about how far we’ve come, making music, love, the future, regret, you name it. We recalled how in the last few years ours lives have seen more ups and downs than we wanted to remember. But then we realized that after all these years everything, all the experience has led to everything coming full circle…

I’ll tell you folks, no matter how much you love music or how passionate you are about it, you will be tested. I guess all love is tested but music? Man it’s a whole different beast. You’ll be pushed to the point of no return, you’ll think it’s time to quit, you’ll find your love feels jaded and wonder what the point is. Then before you know it you’ve given into the very thing you thought you would never do because your back is against the wall…

I never wanted to work for pieces of paper but I guess that’s all I got!”

But if you really love what you do you’ll eventually find a way. You realize that sometimes in order to win you have to be completely ready to lose and all the things you’ve been doing just aren’t right. Sometimes to live as an artist you just need to reevaluate everything, reinvent yourself, say goodbye to people and places, destroy and rebuild.

Wanna win in this world but it’s pushing me out,
I was born in this house and I’m burning it down!”

It takes courage to let things go and it doesn’t help that we’re creatures of habit but it’s so necessary. When you’re willing to lose everything to find harmony you figure out how to get rid of whatever is corrupting your love and suddenly…

Oh! it’s a miracle, even if it’s in my head
Like a miracle, I’m in love again!”

This song captures that feeling to perfection and it’s a sublime feeling. It’s like someone whose been in a really bad relationship and just feels like all hope for love is gone. Then they meet someone new who lights up their world and brings back those feelings and emotions they thought they would never have again. It’s not the same as the love you once knew, it’s better know because this time you know more about it and you appreciate it that much more. That’s one of life’s greatest pleasures and it’s a beautiful thing. Couldn’t think of a better track to get those weekend vibes in full effect, enjoy.

Ghost Beach – Miracle