Half Open from Half Open by Ghost Culture

Following a spellbinding and curiosity spiking debut release in the shape of Ghost Culture's ‘Mouth’ EP, which drew accolades from the Guardian, Mixmag, Dummy, Annie Mac, Soulwax, Ewan Pearson, Skream, Deetron and more, Phantasy's man of mystery Ghost Culture was back with ‘Giudecca’ / ‘Half Open’. It was pressed on limited edition 'invisible' 12" which has now long sold out.

‘Giudecca’ takes its name from an island in the Venetian Lagoon that is close to Ghost Culture's heart, a place that was once home to imposing palaces and known as Venice’s “garden of delights” in the 18th century. The eponymous opening track was born out of a desire to evoke memories of a past journey and to try to capture and hold on to the euphoria that can come when you are in new and uncharted territory, in a place far from home.

The track sonically envelops from the get go, tribal percussion heralding vocals that hint at early Depeche Mode with some of the tender introspection of Arthur Russell and echoes of Japan and Tubeway Army while forming something altogether new and exhilarating. Ghost Culture’s own pristine production deftly melds crystalline synths with shades of darkness and light that call forth the sense of otherwordly exploration that inspired this release. 'Half Open', meanwhile, is a pulsating mid-tempo instrumental that shifts and evolves over the course of 6 thrilling minutes. A dub version of 'Giudecca' completes the set.

Little is know about the enigmatic artist but that’s all set to change in 2014 with live shows on the horizon and a wealth of new material still to come. Erol Alkan's burgeoning Phantasy label has gone from strength to strength in its relatively short lifetime, having recently put out the debut album from Daniel Avery to international acclaim, and there's every chance that Ghost Culture is on the path to similar success.

Celebrating ten years since its release, Ghost Culture’s debut, self-titled LP is now available digitally from Phantasy’s own Bandcamp for the first time

Record label: Phantasy Sound