Lusitanian Ghosts’ third album, recorded and mixed on analogue tape at Clouds Hill in Hamburg and mastered at Soundgarden Tonstudio is released today, February 9th, in glorious Mono and Stereo vinyl LPs distributed in Germany via Broken Silence GmbH.
A digital Deluxe edition, featuring the single “Over Now”, complements the German release, featuring a total 24 tracks of music from the Portuguese-Swedish Chordophone Collective.
A new video for the single “September” has also just been released, shot between Lisbon, Serra da Estrela, Alentejo and Stockholm and edited by bassist Janne Olsson:
The third album by chordophone collective Lusitanian Ghosts was released in September 2023, heralded by the latest new single, “September”. The album will be performed live at Lisbon’s Teatro Taborda, 19:30 in the evening of October 14th. Tickets available via SeeTickets: https://www.seetickets.com/tour/lusitanian-ghosts
Recorded on 2″ 24-track tape at Clouds Hill by Sebastian Muxfeldt, assisted by Schulie Pieper, the albums were mixed in stereo and glorious mono mixes down to 1/4 inch master tapes which were then cart-wheeled straight into Soundgarden Tonstudio next door to be mastered by none other than Chris von Rautenkranz.
On Lusitanian Ghosts III, our chordophone collective was made up of:
Neil Leyton – vocals Mikael Lundin aka Micke Ghost – vocals and Viola Amarantina João Sousa – drums and Adufe Abel Beja – viola Terceira and backing vocals António “ToZé” Bexiga – Viola Campaniça Janne Olsson – bass and Viola Beirão
Produced by Neil Leyton and Mikael Lundin Recorded at Clouds Hill Studios, Hamburg Engineered & mixed by Sebastian Muxfeldt Assisted by Schulie Pieper Mastered by Chris von Rautenkranz at SoundGarden Hamburg
All songs written by Neil Leyton and Mikael Lundin except “Pure Evil” by Bexiga/Leyton/Lundin. Published by Lusitanian Music Publishing.
Cover painting ”Hamnen” (The Harbour) by Yngve Forsberg, painted in 1989. Photography by Katja Ruge. Design by João Morais aka O Gajo.
In a flurry of activity this week, Lusitanian Ghosts announce the release of their third single – in glorious Mono and Stereo versions – “Got Enough” out today, Friday July 21st, as well as a special Lusitanian Ghosts III album release concert at Teatro Taborda in Lisbon on October 24th.
FNAC is also running a special campaign: whoever pre-orders Lusitanian Ghosts III – in glorious Mono and Stereo versions – via the FNAC.pt webshop can register for a guest list spot for the October 14th show. Buy either vinyl LP – or both – and you get access to the October 14th show in the historic neighbourhood of Mouraria, Lisbon at Teatro Taborda:
Lusitanian Ghosts released the 2nd single off their upcoming third album this month of June. With lead vocals by Micke Ghost, here is the story of the song:
“We were having a photo shoot with Katja Ruge at Clouds Hill in Hamburg and she was telling us over and over again to look fierce. So there I was, lookin’ all fierce when this really cool, post punkish bass line appeared in my head. It just kept going so as soon as we had a little break I took Janne aside and asked him to play it on the Rickenbacker bass. When I heard it I started singing ”Shameless” to myself and quickly gathered Abe and ToZe to play some chords, Johnny to play some rhythm on his knees and Neil to sing some backup. The song kind of wrote itself and pretty soon we were all singing Shameless from the top of our lungs during the photoshoot. It couldn’t have been more than twenty minutes from when I heard the bass line until it was finished. We recorded it really quick pretty much live off the floor right after the photo shoot was over. Sometimes you get lucky. Shamelessly lucky! “
“The Long Train” is the first single from the upcoming “Lusitanian Ghosts III” album.
Recorded and mixed on analogue tape at Clouds Hill Studios, it features the violas Amarantina, Campaniça and Terceira in glorious mono and stereo versions, bringing a new vintage chordophone rock n roll sound from the Ghosts.
Neil Leyton describes, “The Long Train is a song celebrating freedom, celebrating life, celebrating the act of setting yourself free so that you may reach that transcendental level of commitment that only comes with true love.” Confusing? “Oh, and it’s also about storks!”
Recorded at Clouds Hill Studios in Hamburg, tracked on a Studer A820 2″ analogue tape machine, mixed down to 1/4 inch tape on the AEG Magnetophon 15 A including both stereo and mono mixes, one can already picture what lies ahead in the Fall for the release of “Lusitanian Ghosts III”…
“The Long Train” features in its cover artwork a photo by Swedish photographer Stina Wigg. Engineered by Sebastian Muxfeldt, assisted by Schulie Pieper at Clouds Hill; mastered by Chris von Rautenkranz at SoundGarden Hamburg.
Lusitanian Ghosts at Clouds Hill, by Katja Ruge – January 2023
The Lusitanian Ghosts collective, 2023 – from L to R:
António “ToZé” Bexiga, Viola Campaniça, piano Janne Olsson, bass and Viola Beirão João Sousa, drums and Adufe Abel Beja, viola Terceira and backing vocals Neil Leyton, vocals Mikael Lundin aka Micke Ghost, vocals and Viola Amarantina
Celebrating the release of the vinyl LP and Digital Deluxe edition of “Exotic Quixotic”, Lusitanian Ghosts perform several in-stores at FNAC Sessions as well as two live concerts in Portugal this week:
This month will also see two new digital singles of the title track, “Exotic Quixotic”, sung in Portuguese by Joana Negrão (Seiva, Cantadeira) and in Polish by Misia Furtak!
Stay tuned for live show announcements in Portugal before the end of the year.
“Magnetic appeal… the band’s creative strength lying in its flexibility and ability to cast the net wider sonically. They are creating a broader cultural and sonic arsenal, while maintaining a buoyancy that takes the listener on a fantastic ride from start to finish” ~The Spill Magazine
“Lusitanian Ghosts impressively channel tools of the past to create a beautiful sonic vision for us listeners now. Innovative in their use of traditional instruments to make clearly modern pop-rock, this music is upbeat, quirky, feels familiar and is catchy as hell. The fact that this is entirely performed with traditional instruments is mind-boggling” ~ Big Takeover Magazine
“Highly melodic and sonically great with applaudable production, for music performed with classical instruments, this is a pertinent, contemporary collection of songs that is full dignity, the artists’ remaining true to their values and ethics” ~ Amplify Music Magazine
“Warms the heart and nourishes the soul… a crooning catharsis, a rush of adrenalin, that gleams and mediates whilst chasing utopian fantasies through the interval of stripped down acoustics and clapping beats” ~ The Manc Review
ALBUM CREDITS Neil Leyton: Lead vocals Mikael Lundin: viola Amarantina, backing vocals, bass, Mellotron, viola Campaniça. Lead vocals on ‘Exotic Quixotic’ and ‘Hometown’ João “Johnny” Sousa: drums and Adufe Vasco Ribeiro Casais: viola Braguesa Abel Beja: viola Terceira Jan-Eric Olsson: bass and viola Campaniça All songs by Neil Leyton and Mikael Lundin aka Micke Ghost Published by Lusitanian Music Publishing Recorded at Clouds Hill Studios, Hamburg Engineered and Mixed by Sebastian Muxfeldt Produced by Neil Leyton and Mikael Lundin Mastered at Soundgarden by Florian Siller Cover Illustration by Johan Lindberg Brusewitz #exotic quixotic #Lusitanian Ghosts
Lusitanian Ghosts will perform a live show in anticipation of the release of their “Exotic Quixotic” sophomore album Nov. 19th. The show is the third live concert this year following the collective’s return to the stages, first in Évora, Portugal, in August and then Future Echoes in Norrkoping, Sweden in September.
Lusitanian Ghosts’ second album, recorded at Clouds Hill in January 2020, is finally set for a digital release Nov. 19th, to be followed by the vinyl LP at a date yet to be announced.
The release will be preceded, this October 15th, by the latest single “Never Less Than Lonely”, which vocalist Neil Leyton recalls “was the first record written for the new album, we actually pondered playing it live back in 2019 before the pandemic hit.”
Lusitanian Ghosts will celebrate the release of “Exotic Quixotic” with a live-streamed concert from Forum Luisa Todi in Setubal “which is like our second home, Vasco (aka OMIRI) and Joana Negrão from Seiva live there, as do my half-brother and sister” explains Leyton. More details regarding the live-streamed concert will be announced soon.
Meanwhile you can pre-save the single and album, pre-following Lusitanian Ghosts on the following links on the platform of your choice:
