Psych-rock brethren, you've doubtless heard the news already, but for the rest of you rubberneckers: our beloved Ghost have humbly ceased their collective journey and given themselves up with integrity intact (30 years ain't a bad run, especially when it doesn't include an Around the Sun-type castastrophe, right R.E.M. fans?).  But we're all enlightened here- when talking about the end, we're really talking about a beginning.  And so it is that Ghost's longtime spirit-guide Masaki Batoh has summoned The Silence. Batoh has long led our ears on the most of intuitive trips: from the towering timelessness of Ghost's classic, world-spanning ROCK, through to the delicate pastoral folk pathways of Damon & Naomi, as well as his sojourn with cellist Helena Espvall. On his own, of course, Batoh broke on through to the other side, taking us to the altered states of his interactive Brain Pulse Music. By the heavens, if you've been fortunate to encounter Batoh in concert in any of his incarnations, you've learned something about the hammer of the gods. And now comes, The Silence's self titled debut album!

Batoh tells us, "The Silence is heavier than any sound pressure and the silence which thunders the ears can only be expressed by the silence in the subconscious mind of consciousness and unconsciousness." This means that The Silence is a more more aggressive presence that the anything-goes fluidity of Ghost, while still representing Batoh's kaleidoscopic vision realized by a new collective of hand-picked peace warriors (two of whom have emerged from ancient roots of Ghost's deep family tree - keyboard wizard Kazuo Ogino & drummer Futoshi Okano). Drag City proudly drops their inaugural long-player into our earthly dimensions come March 27th of 2015 - a virtual eon in today's hyper-paced society! The Silence demands your patience - and those who are alert will doubltless encounter a digital taste or two leading up to that date. 

If you find yourself in Tokyo on November 28th, perhaps you can be one of the fortunate hundred chosen to attend the very first live performance of The Silence.  Reserve your ticket in advance by sending your name and digits to: ghost@hb.tp1.jp.
For the rest of us, The Silence breaks out on March 24th, 2015!