Posted on: February 16, 2011 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Paul Duncan is currently recording and performing under the moniker Warm Ghost. It finds him taking a step beyond traditional instrumentation and one toward that of electronics, synthesizers, drum machines and processed field recordings. Warm Ghost has now evolved into a band in collaboration with Oliver Chapoy, where the sound is an intricately arranged shimmering sonic world of twisting words and melodies inside dense environments where there are elements of 80’s new wave, cold wave and synth pop from Solid Space to OMD to Depeche Mode, late 70’s disco, synth programming sharing ground with Autechre and AFX, and experimental textures_ reminiscent of Fennesz. The payoff is beautifully executed, lush pop songs that beg for repeat listening.

Paul has also collaborated with numerous other artists including Oren Ambarchi (SunnO))), Type Records), Joe Stickney (Bear in Heaven), Chris Bear (Grizzly Bear), RobertoLange (Helado Negro), Fred Lonberg-Holm ( Jim O’Rourke, Boxhead Ensemble), David Daniell (Rhys Chatham’s Essentialist, San Agustin) and Doug McCombs (Tortoise, Brokeback) among others.

Warm Ghost released their debut EP, Claws Overhead, on the label Geographic North on May 11th, 2010. Now, with Partisan Records, Warm Ghost will be releasing the Uncut Diamond EP featuring three remastered tracks from their debut EP and three new tracks on a vinyl and digital only release. The band is now currently working on their full length release due out later this year.

Cold Wave synths. David Sylvian-esque vocals. 10 second delay. This is Warm Ghost. Made up of our long time friends Paul Duncan and Oliver Chapoy. They just released a pretty much perfect EP, Claws Overheard on our favorite micro-label out of Atlanta called Geographic North, and we’ve already played it out. Paul has been putting out solo records for the last 10 years, and we all agree, this is his best effort yet. Most of us have played either on Paul’s records or in his live band over the years, and I gotta say, I wish I was in this one too. These songs just blend just about everything I like about music. Low frequencies, smart chord changes, minor scale drones, heartfelt lyrics, and infectious hooks. There’s certainly been a surge of synth-driven pop bubbling to the surface over the last year (um, dunno if you’ve noticed from our record, we love synths) but I think it’s Paul’s vocals that truly separates them from their peers… Paul’s vocal range is wide and able, and adding this super romantic warmth to a colder musical palette. Warm Ghost has played a handful of shows here in NYC over the last couple of months, and all signs point to big things for these guys. Dig it.

– Adam Wills of Bear In Heaven

US Dates

3/26 – Johnny Brenda’s – Philadelphia PA

http://www.myspace.com/warmghost

http://www.partisanrecords.com/artists/warm-ghost/

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