New York-based Ghost Funk Orchestra (GFO) is the brainchild of supremely talented composer/multi-instrumentalist Seth Applebaum. The wildly creative group is back with a new album, A Trip To The Moon, released in late February. The full-band psychedelic soul grooviness includes 15 tracks and over 43 minutes of mind-bending, space-age cosmic jazz-funk. Hot damn!
GFO started as a one-man recording project for Seth that has since evolved into a powerhouse live band. It’s a sonic kaleidoscope that transcends genre but draws influences from soul, psych-rock, salsa, and more. This intoxicating blend has attracted widespread praise from NPR, Bandcamp, Brooklyn Vegan, and more.
Over the years, GFO has had the honor of sharing the stage with Os Mutantes, Grace Potter, The Nude Party, and others and played legendary festivals such as Montreal Jazz. Experimentation is key for Ghost Funk Orchestra, and its unpredictability has attracted folks worldwide to its records.
The new album, A Trip To The Moon, sees GFO dive even deeper into film music, exotica, and psychedelic surf rock. They aimed to create a layered and collaged listening experience with more freaky elements than you could pick out in a single listen. The guitars on the record are fuzzy and flooded with reverb, and the horns are arranged in big-band fashion. A Trip To The Moon has massive compositions that keep a garage rock attitude.
GFO says the new record’s influences range from Eddie Palmieri and Esquivel to The Lively Ones, Dusty Springfield, and War. The music is linked together with authentic recorded transmissions from the Apollo moon missions, so GFO takes a lunar trip in more ways than one.
The album’s concept is about a woman stranded on earth by her cosmonaut partner, left to ponder his whereabouts and whether or not he’ll make it back alive. The concept is similar to that of the great 2014 sci-fi film Interstellar, in which Matthew McConaughey’s character leaves his family behind to travel to space and search for a new planet humanity can settle on. (Side note: Interstellar, directed by Christopher Nolan, also had an excellent score/soundtrack by the great Hans Zimmer).
A Trip To The Moon is a potent dose of psychedelic soul, and it reminded me of the exhilarating sounds of the group Tower of Power. “To The Moon!” is a standout track with a big-band blast-off that pulsates cosmic life and vibrancy while mixing otherworldly psychedelic effects. The noir jazzy vocals on “Again” are excellent, guiding listeners through a spectrum of emotions as the song explodes through a portal to another dimension. “Eyes of Love” weaves intricate melodies seamlessly with hypnotic rhythms, creating an immersive soundscape that beckons us to soulful and celestial heights.
GFO’s A Trip To The Moon is a rare album that combines neo-psychedelia with funk in an impressive way. Fans of the funk stylings of Gypsy Mitchell or classics like Funkadelic and Curtis Mayfield should love this record. If you like A Trip To The Moon, check out GFO’s previous work, including their 2019 debut LP, A Song For Paul, which features the excellent funk-nasty groove of “Walk Like A Motherfucker.” Enjoy!
Check out A Trip To The Moon by Ghost Funk Orchestra on Bandcamp here.
Support Ghost Funk Orchestra by finding them on Bandcamp, their official website, or social media (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube).
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