A couple of years ago, we covered the latest ‘Exotic Quixotic’ album from one of the more ambitious musical projects using traditional folk instruments. A trans-Atlantic collective in nature, alternative neo-folk collective Lusitanian Ghosts are back with new material – their single‘The Long Train’ is a true delight, ought to please fans of The Waterboys, Xixa and Mumford & Sons.
A stellar offering in every way with impeccable production, this is the first calling-card, so to speak, of the Ghosts’ forthcoming ‘Lusitanian Ghosts III’ album, due out later this year via European Phonographic. As with the last record, they worked with SEBASTIAN MUXFELDT (Elbow, Peter Doherty, Teenage Fanclub) , who engineered and mixed this music at Clouds Hill Studios in Hamburg. This dynamic ballad is captivating and makes for a keen and pleasurable listening experience.
Lusitanian Ghosts is a Portuguese-Canadian-Swedish project that resurrects lost Portuguese chordophones and other European string instruments, promoting ancient sounds in the 21st century. Re-casting these heritage folk violas into rock n roll songs, the European artist collective writes from a socio-political perspective on building a better world, creating songs for the heart and mind, recording on analogue tape and releasing moving music on vinyl.
Founded by Neil Leyton and Micke Ghost, the collective is currently made up of João Sousa, Abel Beja (from Primitive Reason), ToZé Bexiga (from Raia) and Jan-Eric Olsson, performing on traditional Portuguese chordophone instruments, ancient regional guitars like the Amarantina, Beiroa, Campaniça, Braguesa, Toeira and Terceirense. These instruments, once on the verge of extinction, are the real “Lusitanian Ghosts” – Lusitania being an ancient Celtic tribe in what would become the central territory of Portugal.
“The Long Train is a song celebrating freedom, celebrating life, celebrating the act of setting yourself free so that you may reach that transcendental level of commitment that only comes with true love.” Confusing? “Oh, and it’s also about storks!” says Neil Leyton.
Micke Ghost adds, “‘The Long Train’ is a commentary on the state of the world today but with a bit of hope… like the New York Dolls took their electric guitars to the pawn shop. With a bit of plastic soul. .Written in Setubal, Portugal, this was recorded and mixed on analogue tape at Clouds Hill in Germany.”
Recorded and mixed on analogue tape, this song features the violas Amarantina, Campaniça and Terceira in glorious mono and stereo versions, bringing a new vintage chordophone rock n roll sound from the Ghosts. It was tracked on a Studer A820 2″ analogue tape machine, mixed down to 1/4 inch tape on the AEG Magnetophon 15 A, including both stereo and mono mixes.
From a deep love of rock n roll rooted in strong vocal traditions from Elvis Presley to David Bowie, Neil Leyton and Micke Ghost craft folk-rock songs that will appeal to fans of The Waterboys, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, and newer alt-folk-rock experimental crossings of rock n roll with other genres and traditions, like XIXA.
Lusitanian Ghosts’ sophomore album ‘Exotic Quixotic’ was released with a Deluxe Edition featuring bonus tracks, adaptations of the title track into Portuguese and Polish, feat. Joana Negrão (A Cantadeira) and Misia Furtak.
‘The Long Train’ LP is now available everywhere digitally ~ get it at https://ffm.to/pomne3o
CREDITS
António “ToZé” Bexiga – Viola Campaniça and piano
Janne Olsson – bass and Viola Beirão
João Sousa – drums and Adufe
Abel Beja – viola Terceira and backing vocals
Neil Leyton – vocals
Mikael Lundin aka Micke Ghost – vocals and Viola Amarantina
All songs by Neil Leyton and Mikael Lundin aka Micke Ghost
Published by Lusitanian Music Publishing
Produced by Neil Leyton and Mikael Lundin
Recorded at Clouds Hill Studios, Hamburg
Engineered & mixed by Sebastian Muxfeldt
Assisted by Schulie Pieper
Mastered by Chris von Rautenkranz at SoundGarden Hamburg
Cover art photography by Swedish photographer Stina Wigg
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