The album is characterized by a certain effortlessness, like old movie theaters or carousels.
It feels like an eternity since Jimmyjoe Snark III, at that time still using the moniker of The Weathermen , exploded onto the EBM and New Beat scene with the track “Poison“. Singer Frank Spinath, on the other hand, is known for his comparatively more recent projects Seabound and Edge of Dawn, both huge hits in among electro fans. Spinath managed to persuade Jimmyjoe to collaborate, and the result of their efforts is finally here. Together they constitute “Ghost & Writer”, whereas they do not really give away, who´s the Ghost and who´s the Writer.
From the promo video clips, it’s clear that the duo share a weakness for black-and-white films, whose aesthetic matches up perfectly with the stories of Ghost & Writer. In their own words: „our songs are like short films. Like the characters in a film noir, the protagonists in our songs are often fighting a losing battle because they romanticize too deeply that which they cannot have, and so they collapse. Or they are fleeing from that which they actually desire.
Musically the album is characterized by a certain effortlessness, like old movie theaters or carousels. It resonants with both a playfulness as well as with a deep romantic desire.“
Snark and Spinath give conventional songwriting the cold shoulder and turn instead to brazenly modern structures as well as beloved yet nearly forgotten retro-elements, or as they put it: „Mean little stories blown up to cinematic proportions. Stranded and battered electronic memorials of better days. And yet, so fresh it almost hurts.“
Seldom has the combination of old and new born such creative fruit as on Ghost & Writer’s debut LP ”Shipwrecks“. Breaking further new ground, the 8-track album also includes 8 re-workings of the songs by other artists – serving as its own remix album. Artists such as File Not Found, Edge Of Dawn, Diskonnekted, Iris and Acretongue have given the tracks their personal touch. In particular, the mix by electroclashers File Not Found looks likely to have good chances in the clubs.
The highly professional recording was mastered by none other than Front 242’s Daniel B., bringing out the fresh, new, and unconventional accents of an album sure to stand out in 2011’s otherwise rather sedentary electro landscape.
