‘Let these bodies know / that they exist for one another,’ beckons Shane Ghostkeeper above an angularly shifting progression. ‘This is a reckoning of truth and perception / a smooth redemption’. Each phrase is echoed by a response from a ghostly choir, which blurs the line between the spirit world and the world of flesh and bone. These are the opening lines from Calgary based art-rock band Ghostkeeper‘s latest offering, Multidimensional Culture. Set to release on May 27th, this will be an album which contains no shortage of dimensions, both sonically, and spiritually.
Earlier this week, they shared the new single from the album, “The Trees” which Ghostkeeper says is about “escaping this colonial, political climate with its greed that abuses the Earth and its many religions that vie to conquer and chain the soul. It’s about yearning to return to that powerful spot: that piece of land where I have played in wonderment with the Creator as it engaged as Mother Earth and Grandmother Sun; that place in time when spirituality was simple, concise and magical…and I felt safe, inspired, and grateful.”
The duo (originally from the Paddle Prairie Metis Settlement in Alberta) met in their early twenties, and began artistically collaborating soon after. Sarah, already a visual artist and musician, was integral to determining the imagery for the project from early on. She utilized her talents to design their album artwork, t-shirts, and masks, while Shane, who had only recently embarked on his musical journey, began laying the ground work for what would become their shared musical voice. Once their vision for the project had presented itself, the duo’s trajectory and purpose became clear.
Their early recordings were released through Calgary-based record labels Saved By Vinyl and Flemish Eye (home to acclaimed artists Chad Vangaalen, Yves Jarvis, and Preoccupations). The band have long collaborated with Calgary heavy-hitter musicians Ryan Bourne and Eric Hamelin, who are integral in forging the melodic complexity of the bands’ sonically expansive catalog. Multidimensional Culture is at once unpredictable, and easily digestible.
The album blends the avant-garde instincts of Ghostkeeper’s previous releases with a new found peacefulness that has presented itself since the couple became parents. Thematically, Multidimensional Culture tackles many of life’s big questions, from the fragility of human existence, to the innocence of love. Even the pain of their ancestral discrimination is approached with a tenderness and understanding that only a narrator with true empathy and wisdom could provide. The sonic range of this record traverses a wide spectrum of influences, including African psychedelia, traditional Metis music, 70’s freak-folk traditions, and proto-punk guitar based bands like Television. All of these influences blend seamlessly into a sound that is unique, yet familiar.