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GHOSTS

Frequency Drift

Crossover Prog


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Frequency Drift Ghosts album cover
4.00 | 280 ratings | 10 reviews | 29% 5 stars

Excellent addition to any
prog rock music collection

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Studio Album, released in 2011

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Crows (2:02)
2. Dreams (11:53)
3. Sadness (4:10)
4. Tempest (10:02)
5. Ringshine (2:56)
6. Dance No More (9:57)
7. Mermaid (9:44)
8. Come (7:54)

Total time 58:38

Bonus track on 2016 remaster:
9. Mermaid (2016 Rerecording) (5:39)

Line-up / Musicians

- Antje Auer / vocals
- Sebastian Koch / guitar
- Christian Hack / guitar, flute
- Andreas Hack / keyboards, arranger & producer
- Jürgen Rennecke / bass, Chapman stick
- Martin Fox / drums

With:
- Nerissa Schwarz / electroharp
- Rainer Hartmann / guitar (2,4)
- Frank Schmitz / violin (2,7,8)
- Wolfgang Ostermann / drums (4,6)
- Nadja Jaye / vocals (9)
- Michael Bauer / guitar (9)
- Marco Geipel / bass (9)

Releases information

Artwork: Julia Herr with Christoph Schmidt (photo)

CD ProgRock Records ‎- PRR152 (2011, Germany)
CD Self-relased (2016, Germany) Remixed/Remastered by Andreas Hack with a bonus track

Thanks to windhawk for the addition
and to Quinino for the last updates
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FREQUENCY DRIFT Ghosts ratings distribution


4.00
(280 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(29%)
29%
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(39%)
39%
Good, but non-essential (21%)
21%
Collectors/fans only (9%)
9%
Poor. Only for completionists (2%)
2%

FREQUENCY DRIFT Ghosts reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by BrufordFreak
COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
5 stars Sets new standards of prog performance--with masterful use of keyboards, violins, electro harp, and the ever-so unusual double vocal stylings of singer/violinist Antje Auer. Let's listen.

1. "Crows" (2:02) opens the album with . . . crows, water, and electroharp and piano duet. Beautiful. (4.5/5)

2. "Dreams" (11:53) has TOTO guitar lick to help open. At 2:10 all music drops away in lieu of the angelic voicings of Antje Auer--at first in the upper, soprano registers, then, accompanying herself, in the firm alto ranges. (This extraordinary feat Antje will repeat throughout the album--to GREAT effect, I might add.) The rock band joins in and amps things up for a while until at 4:42 piano is joined by violin (also Antje?!! What a talented lady!) A spacey PINK FLOYD-like synth section opens things up before the electric guitar joins in with a mellow solo. At 6:30 things begin to build again with some awesome guitar work, building, building, until at 8:15 the bottom drops out again, leaving space for the build up of some amazing electric violin work. (I love the support drum work!) Full band enters again at the ten minute mark with more electric guitar soloing, then it quiets again at the 10:35 mark, whale-like violin noises fill the space with some bird and water sounds taking us to the end. (18/20)

3. "Sadness" (4:10) begins with a kind of blues-rock feel. Vocoder-treated vocal joins. At 0:49 Antje's untreated alto voice jumps into our ears. She has such a presence! This is a very straightforward rock song, quite similar to that of THE REASONING or Amor Vincit Omnia PURE REASON REVOLUTION. (8/10)

4. "Tempest" (10:02) begins with a spacey background flanged synth. HAROLD BUDD-treated piano joins in very quickly. Heavily effected voices flow in and through, until at 1:36 a powerful and highly engaging electric guitar, bass, and drum rhythm/riff establish themselves. At the four-minute mark Antje begins singing in her delicate soprano over sensitive electirc guitar picking. Near the five minute mark her power alto starts repeating "Fears the Tempest"and "Waves around" over the full band's powerful support. Great electric guitar work! Great Antje vocal! Towards the end of the seventh minute the song builds powerfully with Antje's "tempest" vocal--now on several layers. Then an astounding jazz electric guitar solo ensues--until the eight minute mark, when sound drops out, but the same spacey synth, keys, and floating voices float around for a minute before the band amps back up and a true prog (FRIPP/McLAUGHLIN-like) solo ensues--almost to end. Awesome song! (20/20)

5. "Ringshine" (2:56) is a beautiful electroharp piece that is really a feed-in/intro for song #6. Could be Celtic, but it's not. Could be VOLLENWEIDER-like, but it's not. It's more calm before the Edgar Allan Poe. (5/5)

6. "Dance No More" (9:57) electrified acoustic guitars and Antje's angelic voicings floating above and behind open this song. The guitar work is joined and augmented by an electric guitar. Beautiful! The 1:50 power up is awesome and spine-tingling! Great drums and awesome electric guitar and keyboard parts! Antje's two voices join into this heavy-almost-metal song. Her harmonized vocals are SO POWERFUL!! Great music! 5:00 "Bullet the Blue Sky" guitar strum ushers in solo section--first guitars (two! ripping it up!) then suddenly, everything quietens and acoustic guitar is all that is left. Antje's floating voicings soar above. Drums soon join in. Then Chapman Stick. Then the band powers back up to full amplitude (drummer is going wild!) while Antje pcks up her doble vocal work. Another awesome guitar and Stick duet, followed by pure rock guitar magic (Gilmour-esque). Heaviness cuts out and leaves us with the spacey, delicate harp, guitar and voicings from the intro. (20/20)

7. "Mermaid" (9:44) begins with electric violins à la JEAN-LUC PONTY (circa Individual Choice). Harp and some percussion open things up for Antje's double voice--both singing/whispering in the upper, ENYA-like soprano ranges. This goes on for two minutes to great effect before thethree minute mark, Antje lets her voice drop into her alto voice--as if to warn us of what heaviness is yet to come. Throbbing bass, crashing cymbols, and an amazing, raging violin solo follow, until at 4:28 the heavy RIVERSIDE-like section enters to support a blistering guitar solo as the violin continues screeching seagull-like sounds in the background. At 5:36 again everything cuts out save for the harp. Antje's highest whisper enters, heavily echoed, then dropping into the heavy alto range before piano takes a turn, supported by delicate drums. Double-soprano Antje harmonizes the "Teach me to hear the mermaid song" lyric for a minute and a half before the violin screeches its reentry, this time with a very subdued, delicate solo (also heavily echoed). Accompanying piano is gorgeous. The two play out to song's emotional BRUCE COCKBURN "Hoop Dancer"-like end. (20/20)

8. "Come" (7:54) begins with a VAUGHN WILLIAMS "Lark Ascending"-like solo violin. Piano takes over as Antje sings, solo, first high semi-whispery, then dipping into her hearty, alto, all the while violins (acoustic and electric) float along, playing off of each other in the third and fourth minutes, only accompanied by a piano playing his bass chord and treble arpeggios. Beautiful. At 5:21 some electric guitar power chords, Indian percussion, and an electric guitar tapping solo breaks the mesmerizing beauty, building into an almost march-like, soundtrack crescendo. Then all quiets save for the violin and an ominously droning bass synth chord while Antje sings us to the song--and album's--end. (13.5/15)

Five stars; a masterpiece of progressive rock music. A rare, rare phenomenon: A nearly flawless album, start to finish! The more I listen to Ghosts the more I hear, the more I like, the more I am amazed by the freshness, creativity, compositional and instrumental skills of the players band members (and guests). Also, while I hear similarities which might be inferred as 'influences,' this band is nobody's clone, no neo-progger; this is fresh and original Symphonic Prog all the way. Easily the best vocal arrangements and performances I've heard in the past few years--with great lyrics and outstanding music to support, embellish, and carry the day. Every change and shift is engaging and clever, every solo emotion-filled and invigorating. Everytime I listen to this album I am drawn in completely, I end up playing/listening to it start to finish, and I have new favorites or new 'ah-ha's every listen through. The self-proclaimed students of White Willow, Pink Floyd, et al., these guys (and girl) have, with this album, IMO, surpassed their masters in every way possible. Kudos, Andreas, Antje, Martin, jürgen, Sebastien, and Christian! You have accomplished what I thought might never happen: added to--and perhaps even surpassed--the 'best' 'classics' of progressive rock music.

Review by Conor Fynes
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars 'Ghosts' - Frequency Drift (8/10)

It sounds like the album cover.

Frequency Drift's atmospheric, arboreal sound is perfectly reflective of the foggy lake depicted on the cover of their third and latest album, 'Ghosts.' A German band founded a few years back with a cinematic inspiration fueling the fires beneath their heels, they have since earned a warm following of listeners, enchanting by the ethereal music they make. 'Ghosts' is the first experience I have had with Frequency Drift, and it has met my ears with great approval. I had heard some some great things about what this band were up to, and I would tend to agree; 'Ghosts' is a wonderfully cinematic piece of work. Fans of atmospheric rock and ambient music; seek no further.

The music of 'Ghosts' transports me to a tranquil world, nothing too unlike that of Celtic mythology. Frequency Drift keeps fairly mellowed out and peaceful in their music, with the performance being shared more or less equally by guitars, pianos, and violin. On top of that, we have a pair of vocalists, one male, the other female. The band has themselves a perfect template to make 'otherworldly' music, and they manage to accomplish that longed-for sense of fantasy through their instruments. The angelic voice of Antje Auer in particular suits the direction of the music perfectly, sometimes reminding me of Lisa Gerrard, of Dead Can Dance fame. Instrumentally, the violin work of Frank Schmitz stands out, rarely leaning towards a prescribed melody, but instead trimming the air with a lush higher-register tone that lines up with Auer's vocals.

The songwriting on the album tends to favour longer tracks, and for the direction of the music, I would say that this is the best thing that Frequency Drift could have done, given their approach and style. None of these are 'epics' by the traditional prog rock definition of the term. Instead, the compositions float like ambient pieces, loosely flowing but never feeling improvised. This can tend to feel a little aimless upon initial listens, but it warms up as the music becomes more familiar. Really, the only thing that stands out as being less-than- excellent on 'Ghosts' is actually the production. True enough, the sound is clear and far from lo-fi, but for such an atmospheric performance, the way this music has been recorded lacks the organic quality that I would crave for music like this. The violins are doused with a fitting layer of echo, but the rest of it feels a tad restrained. For this, I feel somewhat disappointed that I cannot hear the album with a production that compliments the otherworldly nature that the rest of this work conveys.

A fine work of sincere beauty, Frequency Drift's 'Ghosts' does well to transport the listener to the lake on its album cover. A few things don't sit perfectly with me, but it comes highly recommended.

Review by tszirmay
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
5 stars Was für eine grosse überraschung! This is a most unexpected surprise, as I went on a whim whilst reading some previous reviews and get rewarded by some unreal sounds and textures! The brief but lovely "Crowns" opens up the magical sonic portal to a new fresh dimension, taking little to beguile immediately with some sublime melodies. This gets a massive steamroller going, the deadly "Dreams" clocking in at nearly 12 minutes and taking us boldly into a luxuriant world of moods and spirit, where vocalist Antje Auer performs a 2 track tour de force. A colossal dash of mercurial violin adds to the exaltation. Keysman Andreas Hack is a skilled weaver of tones, at times pastoral and others, symphonic and his' bruder' Christian Hack wields a majestic guitar, together with second fretman Sebastian Koch, gently visceral when called upon which is often. The bass and drums complement nicely, a manic flute blazing away in the background. A shocking piece of work this is, spectacular in its proginess and quite original to boot. Thing a mellower Solstice. The lead guit solo is organic and lethal in its ardent beauty. As Mr Spock would say = "Fascinating!" The shorter and hyper-melancholic "Sadness" is decidedly rockier, a breeze bass led rumble loaded with mood and at first vocoded voice, bulldog and tangerine soundscapes collide but when Antje kicks the mike stand, she relishes in the opportunity to wail away. Ach, mein Gott, this is a pure delight, surely when the volume is ratcheted up on your audio system. "Tempest" is another epic in the decimal count, ticking in at over 10 minutes, Hack's highly deliberate and fragile piano musings lay the foundation of an astral voyage of amazing sounds and astonishing vision. The dual guitars weave a silken path that defies applause, golden filaments of crashing chords, on the edge of soporific, proof that nothing is more beautiful in music than pure simplicity. While never overtly complex, their genius lies in their fresh approach and ensuing originality , I couldn't help reflecting over and over , that I have never heard anything like this, and by golly, I have listened to a lot in the past 43 years , I assure you ! And not just prog (winkies!). The siren-like vocals are to tremble in appreciation at, a perfect rocket to impel the crew to greater creative heights (check out the cute guitar fills towards the end?and the killer-lead raunchfest later .Wow!). "Ringshine" is a wee one again, acoustic guitar painting the piano ivories, in loving embrace, a crystalline reflection of a moment in time. Back to three longer final cuts with "Dance No More" (funny title that!) up first to bat. This is a do or die instant in the posterity of this album and where it will legate in the pantheon of Prog accomplishment and I am relieved to inform that the notch has been kicked up to a heavenly level. The axework is scintillating once again and when they lay down the bridge for Antje's haunting voice, this music just sparkles with vibrant delicacy. The mid-section gets very reserved and almost angelic as if inspired by unseen spirits guiding the way towards a solo fusillade by the 2 fluid stringmen. Devastating, I say!. The stellar "Mermaid" perpetuates the sonic balm even beyond the traditional folk-prog dimensions by composing a sheer masterpiece of filigree and shadow (thank you This Mortal Coil) , a jewel that defies description so shimmering is its glow. Sealed with a blistering guitar barrage that I have never encountered before, sizzling, fizzling, oblique and explosive , thoroughly nasty ! This is followed by a gorgeous soft section of utter splendor, the violin caressing the serene voice, pleading and crying forlornly. Audacious and dreamy, like a floating nirvana. Finally, the shining "Come" ends the parade of cascading stars with another Antje rant, a somber reflection of pain and bewilderment, embraced by a poignant violin screeching, wounded. The guitars just add the coup de grace??.. Bravo, bravo, bravo! Though far from Teutonic, the musicians have displayed a unique talent that deserves recognition and future encouragement. The finest German release in a very, very long time. It was worth the wait ,this recording is a breeze to listen to, never boring, always compelling 5 droning dunes
Review by Mellotron Storm
PROG REVIEWER
3 stars The praise for this album is almost universal and hearing words like "atmospheric", "cinematic" and "dark" used to describe this album moved me to pick it up. This is the third studio album from this German band and most feel it's their best yet. I'm not sure what to say because from the first listen this didn't do much for me. And after many listens it still hasn't clicked for whatever reason. The female vocalist is a good singer but her voice doesn't always seem to fit with this style. Maybe this is just me trying to figure out why i'm not enjoying this like I thought I would. I really can't put my finger on one particular thing.

"Crows" opens with the sound of crows as gentle piano takes over with acoustic guitar.The crows are back late. "Dreams" opens with the drums, guitar and piano standing out. I like this. Vocals after 2 1/2 minutes as it settles. I'm not really liking this section. Great sound though around 7 minutes with the violin leading. Flute takes over then guitar. A calm with water sounds ends it. "Sadness" has a definite PINK FLOYD flavour as the vocals join in. It picks up. Some atmosphere before 3 minutes as it settles but it's brief.

"Tempest" sounds so good when the guitar comes in. Vocals later at 4 minutes and they turn more passionate a minute later. Excellent guitar solo 9 minutes in then a haunting atmosphere ends it. "Ringshine" is a nice interlude with acoustic guitar. "Dance No More" kicks in before 2 minutes with some good drumming. Vocals before 3 minutes then a calm after 6 minutes. It's fuller with vocals a minute later. Some nice guitar after 8 minutes. "Mermaid" opens with atmosphere as reserved vocals join in. Some abrasive sounds after 3 1/2 minutes when the vocals stop. It's heavier a minute later as the guitar rips it up. It then settles back after 6 minutes. "Come" ends it with mournful violin then reserved vocals and piano. We do get a heavy section around 5 1/2 minutes.

So a good album to be sure but that's all it is in my books.

Review by Gatot
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
4 stars The flow that kills!

As we all know that many prog albums that refer themselves to book as their landscape to develop the storyline of the concept album. But then I find Frequency Drift positions themselves as cinematic prog band from Germany. I am not quite sure I understand this kind of prog subgenre, but looking at the CD artwork that has many graphic art and no photos of the band members it then confirms my understanding that this band use movies as their musical landscape. I am not a movie lover but I enjoy this album without any reference to any kind of movie.

The album starts atmospherically good with an opener Crows (2:02) that beautifully serves the coming of the next track Dreams (11:53). Oh man, I love this second track as it flows naturally from the opener and brings me peacefully through a series of different music moods from intro into end of the music. There is component of Pink Floyd with great insertion of violin to augment excellent vocal line. The guitar work is also stunning. I think the most enjoyment of this second track is its flow which is really great combining changes of mood, demonstrating great vocal, violin, flute work as well as guitar solo. It's really a track with memorable melody enriched with excellent musical passages. It's hard for you for not loving this second track, really! The violin work man .......it's killing me! Especially with its follow-up of guitar solo! Try this one and I guarantee you will love it! Sadness (4:10) starts something Pink Floyd really - but of course with different energy. Again, I love the flow really! From the track starts I feel blown away throughout the song as the composition offers excellent articulation of every musical segment through excellent female voice backed with guitar and long sustain synthesizer at background. The next track Tempest (10:02) starts atmospheric using keyboard effects followed with nice piano fills. The music moves slowly followed with very nice guitar solo. Yes, you might refer to Pink Floyd even though it's different. Again I enjoy every bit of musical segment while listening to this album. It creates great listening atmosphere if you play it loud while sipping a cup of coffee! Oh man ......what a life! It's terrific!!!

Ringshine (2:56) serves like a short break through a musical silence exploring some musical instruments without drums. It plays its role nicely to bring the music into next long track Dance No More (9:57) which is another interesting track. If you love something psychedelic, you will find this song is great. It has great flow, excellent composition especially with its ability to bring wonderful listening experience through different kinds of moods. Again, I love the combination of excellent vocal and guitar - keyboard combined effort. I love the stunning guitar work! The rest two tracks Mermaid (9:44) and Come (7:54) are all excellent and I enjoy the violin work combined with piano fills at background. The concluding track Come really kills me through its flow and instrument solos at the end part of the song. Excellent!

Overall, I would rate this album as four stars PLUS because it has excellent composition and very good performance of the players. The dominant factor is the flow that is really great! You must have this album. Keep on proggin' ...!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

Review by Windhawk
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
4 stars German band FREQUENCY DRIFT was formed back in 2006, and just two years later they made their debut with "Personal Effects-I". Since then three more albums have followed, the latest of these released in the summer of 2012. "Ghosts..." is their third CD, and was issued by Progrock Records in the summer of 2011.

Frequency Drift is a band that is fond of and skilled at creating enticing moods and atmospheres, and on "Ghost" we're provided with an hour of music that associates well with the album name. Haunting, fragile and folk oriented themes and dark, majestic metal oriented ones represent the extremes, with a fair few ambient inserts of a musical and non-musical nature along the way. Cinematic progressive music is the band's own description from a few years back, and one that is still an apt summary of their material.

Review by Warthur
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars Frequency Drift's Ghosts shows them honing and polishing the style which would come up trumps on ...Laid to Rest, and is an enjoyable listen in its own right. Once again, folky influences come weave in and out, though perhaps with a little less Arabic influence than on sequel album ...Laid to Rest, and once again there's a soundtrack quality to proceedings which lend things precisely the sort of cinematic air the band claim to be going for. Antje Auer's vocals and violin are once again a major draw, helping elevate the album to a high standard. Of the two, I think I mildly prefer the sequel, though the two form a nice complementary pair and if you like the followup you won't be too badly disappointed with this one.

Latest members reviews

5 stars ProgArchives trips over itself to keep us from flippantly giving an album a 5 star rating. Often, I've heeded their warning and backed off. Not this time! Without hesitation I plowed on through, and with Spinal Tap aplomb wished there was a 6-star button available. Frequency Drift's 2011 "Ghos ... (read more)

Report this review (#602014) | Posted by EnderEd | Monday, January 2, 2012 | Review Permanlink

5 stars Totally agree with all of the positive reviews on this album. I particularly enjoy the variety of aural treats on offer. Atmospheric, melodic soundscapes form the backdrop with violin, flute and electric harp thrown in to delightful effect. Not only this there are some dramatic changes of pace ... (read more)

Report this review (#586323) | Posted by Pete Flodden | Sunday, December 11, 2011 | Review Permanlink

5 stars Frequency Drift were formed in Germany in 2006 and their music has a cinematic approach which is inspired by movies. In effect their albums are something like soundtracks to films that don't exist !! The music they create is a blend of superb and atmospheric prog rock with girl vocals. Their m ... (read more)

Report this review (#531292) | Posted by Distant Planet | Saturday, September 24, 2011 | Review Permanlink

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