Ghostpoet Set Releases New LP Today

With influences from psychedelic rock band Gentle Giant to Beth Gibbons' bleak folk album with Rustin Man, to John Coltrane and Serge Gainsbourg, it's clear Ghostpoet, aka Obaro Ejimiwe, gravitates towards one-of-a-kind auteurs.

Thus his latest collaboration with London-based producer Lorca is a fitting one. Listen to Lorca's minimalistic yet intricate remix of "Cold Win" via Dummy. Paul Woolford, recording as Special Request, adds his turn on the track as well. Check it out at XLR8R. "Cold Win" appears on Ghostpoet's upcoming LP Some Say I So I Say Light, due today, September 24th via [PIAS] Recordings.

Some Say I So Say Light is the follow-up to Ghostpoet's 2010 Mercury Prize-nominated debut Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam. And while Ejimiwe possesses the uncanny skill of mixing sounds abstract and concrete, it's Ghostpoet's lyrical voice that is the compelling thread running through both albums.

At times, Ghostpoet's vocals seem to deliberately recede into the flickering shadows of the music, though this doesn't lessen their gravitas in the slightest. The lyrics that come through are as rooted in everyday life as ever, though: from unopened mail to takeaway meals, Ghostpoet is never less than completely identifiable. It's an album that positions him in the tradition of modern British auteurs as interested in pushing the boundaries sonically as expressing cathartic feelings, from Tricky to The Streets.

Some Say I So I Say Light is a studio-based work co-produced with the talented Richard Formby (Wild Beasts, Darkstar, Egyptian Hip-Hop). "He really opened my eyes to a different world," says Ghostpoet. "Most of the album was made using analogue equipment, which was alien to me before. I knew I needed something more than sticking my music into a computer and using presets to take it to the next level. Analogue equipment enabled me to physically touch stuff and change it as I saw fit - I was able to get the ideas out of my head and into audio pieces much easier."