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"Like Radiohead on lean, the remainder of the song goes on to pulse through dramatic falsetto vocals and instrumental climaxes. Bono pulls from a diverse set of influences in order to construct a darkly spiritual aura in this post-rock inspired composition."
-Stereogum
Unarm is the second thunderous opus in the band's dark-romantic conceptual series of releases. It focuses on the transformation of dark/negative energy into a positive/life-giving energy by referencing and reflecting on the Tibetan Buddhist practice of Tonglen, in which the practitioner envisions taking on a thick black cloud of smoke consisting of the pain and suffering of a concentrated other, and exhaling a stream of golden light that saturates the body and mind of the recipient with peace, wisdom and resolution.
The first track entitled, "Your Secret Ocean" is a dense web of swelling modular synths and otherworldly electronic noises over waves of electric bass that places the listener in a strange, unresolved landscape, navigating an inexplicable swim through a conflicted and confused human consciousness.
The ambient shoegaze world of the title track "Unarm" showcases Bono's complex and varied dream-like production. Bono's operatic post-rock songwriting utilizes dense walls of guitars, ambient synths, and washed out vocals along with the diverse talents of two drummers. Jason Molina (Dead Heart Bloom, Longwave) provides the downtempo rock groove for the first half and Thomas Pridgen (The Mars Volta, Flying Lotus) enters 6 minutes into the 8.5 minute track to lay down driving, colossal beats that carry through to the heavy climactic ending.
With the Unarm EP, Ghost Against Ghost continues to showcase their unique combination of monolithic, dynamic post-rock, but here expanding further into melodic experimentalism along the lines of Peter Gabriel's and Brian Eno's early solo work, building to heavy climaxes reminiscent of Spiritualized and Muse.
LYRICS:
Come on,
Unarm yourself.
And break through your frozen doors.
Come on,
Unarm yourself,
and let your consciousness unfurl.
You’re running through,
A hell of halls,
Where every bliss hides a deep abyss.
Looking deep a lantern may come to shine.
The way out emits from the center of your mind.
Please unarm, we’re suffering.
The night has spoken.
The dark exists to liberate you.
And come on and transform,
Breathing in the black sins,
While breathing out the golden wind.
A symptom of sad, layered laws,
A heart closed, dull, dead.
Within your gaze the red revealed.
But in the black I still feel a halo,
Relax and let your Soul return.
And sail through the lonely,
And unarm to pass through the gate,
Now celebrate the Holy,
Surrender to this self-less state.
1) Your Secret Ocean [8:39]
2) Unarm [8:28]
written, arranged, and produced by Christopher Bono
Mixed by Christopher Bono
Mastered by Greg Calbi
Recorded at Our Silent Canvas’ Apollo 37 Studios
Christopher Bono- Vocals, Synths, Bass, Guitars, Piano, Programming
Thomas Pridgen- Drums
Jason Molina- Drums
Anthony Molina- Engineer
Jeremy Kinney- Engineer, Editing