Weekly Spotify Music Find: ACID GHOST

Bless Spotify music binges. And bless finding super rad artists like Acid Ghost. 

As some of you may know, I've been on this lo-fi, dream pop orgy for the past few weeks and have had such a great time discovering so many smaller, indie acts. As of late, my ears have had the great pleasure of listening to Acid Ghost, San Francisco's duo made up of Ace Barcelon and his pal, Mikey Mendoza. With 6 albums under their belt under a span of only a few years, there's so many gems for you to peruse through, be it head-bobbing indie pop, to super pensive and moody lo-fi, taking you back to being a kid in your parents' basement, obviously hating the world. 

Much like is the case with this sort of dream pop sound, the chill atmosphere of the music really makes you want to hop in a car and drive off somewhere, becoming totally immersed in whatever Acid Ghost are throwing at you. I've even had the pleasure of going nuts and telling everyone I know about this San Fran duo, which has lead to other cool collaborations. But more on that at the end of this post.

I had the absolute pleasure of chit-chatting to Ace from Acid Ghost yesterday, and we talked all about his sound, French New Wave films, and his own personal, go-to panty dropping beats. 

Guys, meet Ace. 

Your music has the ability to completely take you in, immerse you in a totally different world. One of my favourite songs, New York, just seems to be filled with this sort of heaviness or emotion. Would you say you use your music as a therapeutic outlet?

Yeah music is definitely an outlet for me, I think that's what music is about really, something that you can express your emotions with.

Where does your inspiration come from? I see mentions of Mac DeMarco strewn about (which is clearly evident in your sound as well), your new album seems to pay some homage to Warhol, and I even read on your bandcamp page you're into French New Wave films! That's all super rad.

I guess the whole Mac thing is poking fun at how mostly everything with indie is associated with Mac since how popular he is so I just joke around saying how my music is classified as Mac DeMarco, haha. As a huge Godard fan, I'm really curious What your favourite Godard movie is? Are there any other New Wave films we should be all taking note of?
Yes! I'm a huge Godard fan. Definitely Masculin Féminin! That's my fav New Wave film.

As for Andy Warhol, can you tell me a little bit about why you're so drawn to him? You named your most recent album [Warhol] after him. I was always drawn to how he presented his art. He wanted to make art that was accessible to everyone, and that's kind of what the idea was with Warhol. Lot's of poppy tunes that are accessible to ears. With all these inspirations you borrow from, be it from other musicians, films, fashion, artists..art is clearly something you are completely engulfed in...what would you say art means to you? Art definitely liberates my mind and allows me to be more individualized as cliché as that sounds.. but it's true.

Acid Ghost is the sort of music that makes you feel like a teenager again, off on your first date. Sweaty palms, nervous eyes, and feeling absolutely and completely alive. Did you have a go-to artist you serenaded the ladies with back in high school? Hmm. Definitely All Star by Smash Mouth. That's a panty dropper. Anybody you're currently listening to that we as readers would never guess? I absolutely love black metal and experimental music. A bit of old country and i adore Kanye West. he's my biggest inspiration. I know in the past you mentioned you don't see yourself wanting to sign to any label any time soon. That's super cool and definitely draws home the idea that Acid Ghost is first and foremost about the music. Any advice for other indie acts out there that are trying to continue the self-made route? Advice for the indie acts: just stick to your beliefs really and continue to remind yourself why you started making music in the first place. In a recent Facebook post, I noticed you mentioned you wanted to start diving into fashion. What avenues were you looking to take? What sort of future does that hold for Acid Ghost? In a few years I have this goal of making my own line of clothing. I want everyone that's in the art scene to wear my stuff, that'd be a dream. If you notice, there isn't a brand of clothing in the indie scene that people migrate to. Just band tees and thrifted denim clothes with buttons on them. I want to make a brand that everyone can shop at aside from thrifts and used clothing. It'll take me a while, but that's what i'm most passionate about right now. I made 6 albums with Acid Ghost in a span of a few years. I think my outlet is done for now with music. But whenever the time is right for cheesy breakup music, I'll release it under Acid Ghost with the help of my friend Mikey.

*all imagery courtesy of Acid Ghost

And in other really cool Acid Ghost news? I was beyond stoked to see the boys over at Timelapse Film using the song Life from Acid Ghost's Warhol album for their lifestyle piece on local Vancouver Creative Designer, Collar Kenny. Check it out, it's bomb as. 

Collar Kenny: The Unveiling from Timelapse Media House on Vimeo.

Weekly Spotify Music Find: CASTLEBEAT

Holidays to me are literally all about cooping yourself up at home and music-binging all day, discovering smaller artists and being genuinely stoked on hearing new tracks. Cue CASTLEBEAT.

Josh Hwang, under CASTLEBEAT, is a totally self-produced Californian based artist with such a stunning lo-fi, dream pop sound that it'll immediately make you want to pack up all your bags in an old school VW van and cruise down the West Coast. I fell in love with this cool cat's demo when I came across it on Spotify, followed by his self-titled album. Especially with all this snow going on in Vancouver right now, I can't help but immerse myself in this catchy but definitely chill vibe. A sort of vibe that makes you long for summer nights and endless road trips. The sort of vibe that transports you to an entirely different time and place.

I caught up with CASTLEBEAT for a quick lil' interview, and we talked about his rad DIY recording process, 90s-inspired nostalgia, running his own music label, and of course, Twin Peaks. 

I did a little bit of research on you and your music, and I'm curious to know, do your Californian roots inspire your beachy vibe? What else would you say has influenced you?

I honestly don’t try to have a beachy vibe. Maybe it’s something I do subconsciously since everyone around Southern Cali is big into the surf rock scene. But I’d say that garage rock in general has been a big influence on my music. The EP I’m working on right now will have a new sound though. 

Your music totally has this nostalgic feel that takes you back to perfect carefree summers. What sort of music did you listen to growing up?

I think I really started listening to music when I got my first iPod (iPod Nano I think). I didn’t know how to put music on it so I had a family friend transfer his music onto it. Basically all I had on that iPod was the Doors, Pink Floyd, and Oasis, which I was forced to listen to. I remember thinking that the Doors were really weird for the longest time, but then they later became one of my favorite bands. From then I started getting into garage rock and then shoegaze/postpunk, anything with a good melody honestly. but this is basically what I Iistened to growing up – old psychedelic pop music.

I want to know a little bit more about you recording everything in your bedroom. That's really rad and gives the whole album such a cool, raw sound. How was that process? Was there a reason you decided to skip the studio?

Basically just me recording in the garage/bedroom, trying to sound as good as possible with mediocre equipment. In most castlebeat recordings, I kinda whisper sang since I didn't want to wake people/be heard singing. Kinda like how Elliott Smith does vocals.
Other than just being a lot cheaper, I think it gives the music a different, more authentic feel. I know some people that pay a lot to get their stuff produced, mixed, and mastered, and then they just end up with a generic sound. I also like to be able to say that I recorded everything myself, then people will know that what they’re hearing is all me and not some producer or sound engineer, and they will hopefully excuse the minor imperfections. But I’m not totally opposed to studio recordings, maybe I’ll try it one day.

From what i understand, you run your own record label? what made you decide to go that route?

Yeah I started spirit goth last year because my old project, Jaded Juice Riders, had a subpar experience with a label we signed with. I just thought that I could do it myself, especially since I had my two projects that I could release. I also kinda like running a label; it’s become a hobby and a way to discover new music and help promising bands that are upcoming/unknown. I initially started with releasing my music and some friends’ music, now starting to release bands from different countries. I want to keep the label relatively small and diy though, no intention of scaling it up or anything like that.

I noticed your label put out a video for Falling Forward with the first episode of Twin Peaks (my all-time favourite show). It was so fitting and melancholy. Really brings you back to that early 90s vibe. I'm really curious, are you a Twin Peaks fan? 

Huge Twin Peaks fan, might be my favorite show too. I even got to visit the Double R Diner, The Great Northern, and the waterfall from the intro when I was in Washington for a family vacation. But yeah, I always wanted a Twin Peaks music video, I just had to make sure it was the right song.

Even with your album cover art, it also seems super 90s inspired. What other 90s gems in music or film would you recommend people check out?

I literally just went to my backyard and took a picture of some flowers that looked cool. I just like vintage things in general. I'd say to definitely listen to Elliott Smith's self-titled album. And maybe some films to check out are: "High Times at Ridgemont High" (one of my fav), "Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure", and ‘The Room’ by the great Tommy Wiseau (don't think it's 90s but has a 90s feel). Another thing, my fav car, BMW 1985 325e. There’s a picture of it on my instagram (joshzboy), which I’ve been trying to use more lately.

*imagery all from CASTLEBEAT

Sufjan Stevens ; Carrie & Lowell

It's a rare occasion that you listen to an album and it hits you and affects you on such a deep and intimate level. Sufjan Stevens' Carrie & Lowell left me in tears halfway through listening, and struck such an emotional chord that I wasn't really sure what to do. It was absolutely beautiful.

I've listened to Sufjan in the past and have definitely enjoyed his music, but never has it hit such a nerve before. To be completely honest, I haven't listened to an album like this in a very long time that elicited such a response. It's raw and it's so delicate, it stunned me right away and captivated me entirely. Something about it was so hauntingly fragile, and suddenly the whole room felt still, like it was filled with ghosts that had stories to tell. 

I needed to know immediately what it was about. Who were Carrie and Lowell? Why was it that this album, after all his previous ones, had such an impact on me?

I read Pitchfork's review immediately and found out a bit. Turns out, Carrie & Lowell is essentially his autobiography. The album is titled after Steven's mother and stepfather. "Carrie was bipolar and schizophrenic and suffered from drug addiction and substance abuse. She died of stomach cancer in 2012." His stepfather, Lowell, was married to Carrie for 5 years while Sufjan was a child, but clearly left a massive impact on his life. This is the album's main narrative, with some songs a back and forth conversation with his mother, post mortem. 

Listening to it with this in mind, with the sense of loneliness, loss, and despair, is truly impactful. On top of that you add the melancholy and melodic orchestras and delicate strings that make it truly a masterpiece. Looking at the photos on the album art, they suddenly have such an impactful meaning.

A stand out song to me was Fourth of July. A song that I played over and over, repeatedly. With a somber tone throughout, it's a conversation between his mother and him on her deathbed. With his voice in a near whisper and with an airy and delicate piano backing, he ends the song with a repeated lyric of "We're all gonna die." I didn't see it as something tinged with hopelessness, I saw it as a philosophical revelation of acceptance. To be at peace of the mystery of afterlife.  

The album seemed to evoke thoughts in my head that have been suppressed repeatedly. Any thoughts of loneliness or emptiness I've ever felt seem to come back in this grandiose wave and I guess I just didn't really know how to take it all. Although the album is about Sufjan's own personal life, it's extremely relatable and leaves you reflecting. Feelings of doubt, personal guilt, questions regarding life and the unknown, and our own self destructive tendencies. I think it's absolutely breathtaking when an album has the ability to have such an effect on someone. For that reason, I think it's one of the most impactful pieces of art I've heard in a very, very long time. 

And for that, thank you Mr. Stevens.