The title of this album is not a reference to Philip Roth's final 'Zucherman' novel nor to the stage direction that features in three of Shakespeare's plays. Instead, Paul Haslinger takes his inspiration from the waiting room image in John Fowles’ open-ended postmodern novel The Magus which has been interpreted as a metaphor for a life unlived.
It's not a stretch to imagine that melancholy thoughts on the nature of mortality were going through Haslinger's head when he composed these instrumental pieces
Haslinger used to be a member of Tangerine Dream but this album could not be classified as Krautrock. He says “I’ve never been happy staying in one particular school of musical thought. He has built a successful career composing soundtrack music for as TV and movies but describes 'Exit Ghost' as "an ethereal excursion that permeates musical genres"
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The thirteen instrumental tracks are built around piano recordings made over the period of eight years, To these he has added delicate layers of string and electronica. The result is a cross between ambient and contemporary classical music.
Haslinger says the album represents a personal journey filled with hints, particles and suggestions. The mood may be sombre but the listener can easily be carried along by the richness of the melodies without being disturbed by morbid thoughts.
Exit Ghost on Bandcamp
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