Samuel Rohrer — Hungry Ghosts

Constantly moving, exploring, and eschewing genre definition, Samuel Rohrer's latest LP, Hungry Ghosts, is an experiment in free-form, percussion driven electronica. Coming on his own Arjunamusic label, this outing is nearly 100% live with no overdubs, and shows how spot on Rohrer is with his pre-thought song structures and improvisation. Generally living near the minimal end of the electronic spectrum, Hungry Ghosts gives the listener much time to drink in all that is on display and allows them to use the quieter pieces to connect the dots in their own fashion.

 

From the opening track, "Oxygen Beat," to the closing "Ceremonism," Hungry Ghosts puts on an electronic display not too far removed from the titular spectral forces. Focusing its energy to keep the flow light and somewhat ethereal, the eleven songs on this LP work together to create a loose, minimal vibe connected by interesting bits of percussion, be they physical or through oscillations. Showing restraint with these percussive outbursts is palpable and Rohrer adds a lot of tension to the album just by the patterns put forth. By keeping the theme lightly held together and somewhat distant, the space created (both between notes, drones, or percussive hits and between the music and the listener) puts the listener in charge of directing where the album goes within their own mind. Which connections are or aren't made, the story that unfolds, and what the artist was thinking all become part of the listener's appreciation of the album. In addition, when more full, layered tracks play, the juxtaposition really helps to make this space apparent. Like an activity book for a music fan, Hungry Ghosts uses minimal instructions and the freedom of space to allow the listener to make from the album what they want. 

 

Samuel Rohrer's Hungry Ghosts is an engaging piece of electronica, tough to define, and giving the listener plenty of room to interpret. Using lighter, more ethereal construction, Rohrer's latest album gives us a look at what exists beyond the veil and how their world connects with ours. Sometimes with percussive passion, often times just beyond reach, Hungry Ghosts is an intriguing bit of sparse and light electronic music. To hook up with copy drop in here