Ghostland Observatory
Encyclopedia
Ghostland Observatory is an American
music duo based in Austin
, Texas
. Their music has been described as a combination of electro, rock
and funk by Allmusic, and "electro-dance
soul rock" by Gothamist
.
Front man Aaron Behrens provides vocals in addition to occasionally playing the guitar
. Thomas Ross Turner plays the drum
s or synthesizer
.
The band released their first full-length album
, delete.delete.i.eat.meat
, in 2005 on Turner's Trashy Moped Recordings. They also released their second CD, Paparazzi Lightning
, on the same label in January 2006. On October 16, 2007, they made their national television debut on NBC
's Late Night with Conan O'Brien
, performing the song "Sad Sad City". They appeared on Austin City Limits
in 2007, and released their first live DVD, Live from Austin, TX on November 13, 2007. In a video shot at the Vegoose
Music Festival, they announced their album Robotique Majestique
, later released on March 4, 2008. On December 26, 2007, Austin newspaper, the Austin American-Statesman
, announced Ghostland Observatory as their band of the year. They performed at the Austin City Limits Music Festival
, in Austin, TX in 2006, 2007, and 2009. During their 2009 Austin City Limits performance of "The Band Marches On", the "University of Texas"" marching band accompanied the duo on stage for a lights out performance. They have appeared at Coachella
in Indio, CA and Voodoo Experience
in New Orleans, LA. On August 13, 2011 they performed at Pacific Festival in Orange County, CA alongside Cut Copy and Steve Aoki.
October 26, 2010 saw the release Ghostland Observatory's fourth album, Codename: Rondo
, which was introduced with a show at the Cedar Park Center, in Texas, on October 28, 2010. At that time they took the laser show to another level, having 16 lasers and a sophisticated assemblage of mirrors scattered around the stage to produce visual effects in real time usually only seen in movies. Codename: Rondo seems to take a turn from their previous material. On Thursday March 17, 2011 they participated in a friendly battle against Snoop Dogg
live at the Red Bull
SoundClash on South Padre Island, Texas
.
Wall Street Journal: From Austin, Texas, the duo Ghostland Observatory revels in unpredictability. On their fourth full-length album, the spirited "Codename: Rondo," released in late October, they reduced their output on most tracks to funky synth beats and sounds, percussion and conversational vocals-raps—walking away from the fuller, textured music on their earlier discs. But a live album recorded at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in late 2009 and released earlier this year gives a sense of the frenetic music they can conjure in concert. Comparisons to Daft Punk are apt to a degree, but there's really no act like them.
Album Review LA Music Blog: Sometimes I wonder if, during all his research and experiments, Benjamin Franklin ever suspected that electricity would play such a vital role in music. Who knows, maybe Ol’ Ben strapped that key to his kite because he desperately wanted to cut loose to a wicked techno beat. Imagine if things would have advanced differently, Benjamin Franklin could have been DJ Kite Keys, spinning the best beats of the 18th century. Can you imagine the hundred dollar bill with Franklin wearing aviator sunglasses and oversized headphones? Can you see why I was never able to concentrate in History class? Electronic music is a really crowded market, which can make standing out a bit of a challenge. It seems the only way to keep the sound fresh is to meld it with other genres of music. At least, that seems to be what Ghostland Observatory founded their style on.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
music duo based in Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. Their music has been described as a combination of electro, rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
and funk by Allmusic, and "electro-dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
soul rock" by Gothamist
Gothamist
Gothamist LLC is the operator of eleven city-centric blogs worldwide that focus on news, events, food, culture, and other local coverage.-History:...
.
Front man Aaron Behrens provides vocals in addition to occasionally playing the guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
. Thomas Ross Turner plays the drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s or synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
.
The band released their first full-length album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, delete.delete.i.eat.meat
Delete.delete.i.eat.meat
delete.delete.i.eat.meat is an album by Ghostland Observatory released in 2005 under Trashy Moped Recordings.-Track listing:# "Candy Rider" - 2:41# "Shoot 'em Down" - 2:50# "Edge of Town" - 2:46# "Silver City" - 3:59# "Cause a Scene" - 3:45...
, in 2005 on Turner's Trashy Moped Recordings. They also released their second CD, Paparazzi Lightning
Paparazzi Lightning
Paparazzi Lightning is an album by Ghostland Observatory released in January 2006 under Trashy Moped Recordings.-Track listing:# "Piano Man"# "Ghetto Magnet"# "Move With Your Lover"# "All You Rock & Rollers"# "Vibrate"# "Sad Sad City"...
, on the same label in January 2006. On October 16, 2007, they made their national television debut on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
, performing the song "Sad Sad City". They appeared on Austin City Limits
Austin City Limits
Austin City Limits is an American public television music program recorded live in Austin, Texas by Public Broadcasting Service Public television member station KLRU, and broadcast on many PBS stations around the United States...
in 2007, and released their first live DVD, Live from Austin, TX on November 13, 2007. In a video shot at the Vegoose
Vegoose
Vegoose was an annual Halloween music and arts festival that took place in 2005, 2006, and 2007 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Unlike the Bonnaroo Music Festival — put on by the same organizers, Superfly Productions and AC Entertainment — Vegoose does not offer on-site camping...
Music Festival, they announced their album Robotique Majestique
Robotique Majestique
Robotique Majestique is an album by Ghostland Observatory released on February 29, 2008 under Thomas Ross Turner's label, Trashy Moped Recordings.-Track listing:# "Opening Credits"# "Heavy Heart"# "No Place for Me"# "Freeheart Lover"...
, later released on March 4, 2008. On December 26, 2007, Austin newspaper, the Austin American-Statesman
Austin American-Statesman
The Austin American-Statesman is the major daily newspaper for Austin, the capital city of Texas. It is an award-winning publication owned by Cox Enterprises. The Newspaper places focus on issues affecting Austin and the Central Texas region....
, announced Ghostland Observatory as their band of the year. They performed at the Austin City Limits Music Festival
Austin City Limits Music Festival
The Austin City Limits Music Festival is an annual three-day American music festival that takes place in Austin, Texas at the city's central public park, Zilker Park...
, in Austin, TX in 2006, 2007, and 2009. During their 2009 Austin City Limits performance of "The Band Marches On", the "University of Texas"" marching band accompanied the duo on stage for a lights out performance. They have appeared at Coachella
Coachella
Coachella may refer to;*Coachella, California*Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival...
in Indio, CA and Voodoo Experience
Voodoo Experience
Voodoo Experience, also commonly referred to as Voodoo or Voodoo Fest, is a multi-day music and arts festival held in City Park, New Orleans, Louisiana. It was first held on Halloween weekend in 1999. It has since moved between the weekend before Halloween and Halloween weekend throughout the years...
in New Orleans, LA. On August 13, 2011 they performed at Pacific Festival in Orange County, CA alongside Cut Copy and Steve Aoki.
October 26, 2010 saw the release Ghostland Observatory's fourth album, Codename: Rondo
Codename: Rondo
Codename:Rondo was released by Ghostland Observatory on October 25, 2010. Red Green Catalog was the label.-Track listing:Track listing provided by The Wheskey Dregs.#Glitter#That's Right#Miracles#Codename Rondo#Give Me the Beat#Body Shop#Freeze...
, which was introduced with a show at the Cedar Park Center, in Texas, on October 28, 2010. At that time they took the laser show to another level, having 16 lasers and a sophisticated assemblage of mirrors scattered around the stage to produce visual effects in real time usually only seen in movies. Codename: Rondo seems to take a turn from their previous material. On Thursday March 17, 2011 they participated in a friendly battle against Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
live at the Red Bull
Red Bull
Red Bull is an energy drink sold by the Austrian Red Bull GmbH, created in 1987 by the Austrian entrepreneur Dietrich Mateschitz. In terms of market share, Red Bull is the most popular energy drink in the world, with 3 billion cans sold each year. Dietrich Mateschitz was inspired by an already...
SoundClash on South Padre Island, Texas
South Padre Island, Texas
South Padre Island is a town in Cameron County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Brownsville–Harlingen Metropolitan Statistical Area. It may be included as part of the Brownsville–Harlingen–Raymondville and the Matamoros–Brownsville metropolitan areas. The population was 2,816 at the...
.
Members
- Aaron Kyle Behrens – Born on January 11, 1982 in San Saba, TX. Behrens is the lead vocalist and guitarist. Behrens was previously involved with the band Dismount and Waking Helix (also consisting of Thomas Turner).
- Thomas Ross Turner – Born on August 7, 1979 in Pecos, TX. Turner contributes to background vocals (usually in robotic form), drums, keyboard, and synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
.
Albums
- delete.delete.i.eat.meatDelete.delete.i.eat.meatdelete.delete.i.eat.meat is an album by Ghostland Observatory released in 2005 under Trashy Moped Recordings.-Track listing:# "Candy Rider" - 2:41# "Shoot 'em Down" - 2:50# "Edge of Town" - 2:46# "Silver City" - 3:59# "Cause a Scene" - 3:45...
(2005), Trashy Moped Recordings - Paparazzi LightningPaparazzi LightningPaparazzi Lightning is an album by Ghostland Observatory released in January 2006 under Trashy Moped Recordings.-Track listing:# "Piano Man"# "Ghetto Magnet"# "Move With Your Lover"# "All You Rock & Rollers"# "Vibrate"# "Sad Sad City"...
(2006), Trashy Moped Recordings - Robotique MajestiqueRobotique MajestiqueRobotique Majestique is an album by Ghostland Observatory released on February 29, 2008 under Thomas Ross Turner's label, Trashy Moped Recordings.-Track listing:# "Opening Credits"# "Heavy Heart"# "No Place for Me"# "Freeheart Lover"...
(2008), Trashy Moped Recordings - Codename: RondoCodename: RondoCodename:Rondo was released by Ghostland Observatory on October 25, 2010. Red Green Catalog was the label.-Track listing:Track listing provided by The Wheskey Dregs.#Glitter#That's Right#Miracles#Codename Rondo#Give Me the Beat#Body Shop#Freeze...
(2010), Trashy Moped Recordings
Press Coverage
Pitchfork Media: Ghostland Observatory are sometimes said to be "simple" or "fun" and thus necessary in the overly stuffy world of indie rock. This overlooks that most of the other acts that Ghostland immediately conjure (Daft Punk, Hot Chip, Scissor Sisters, even George Michael balladry on "Mama") have already proven more than capable of mainstream consumption without a first-gen ringtone version of itself existing. The problem isn't that Ghostland Observatory seem like unserious people, it's that the same flippant attitude infects their musicianship. Codename: Rondo sounds like two people doing the least amount of work possible before something can be considered a "song." If you're the type who enjoys watching 35 straight minutes of College Humor clips, Codename: Rondo might be up your alley. Everyone else will just hear 10 songs that fail as both pop and humor.Wall Street Journal: From Austin, Texas, the duo Ghostland Observatory revels in unpredictability. On their fourth full-length album, the spirited "Codename: Rondo," released in late October, they reduced their output on most tracks to funky synth beats and sounds, percussion and conversational vocals-raps—walking away from the fuller, textured music on their earlier discs. But a live album recorded at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in late 2009 and released earlier this year gives a sense of the frenetic music they can conjure in concert. Comparisons to Daft Punk are apt to a degree, but there's really no act like them.
Album Review LA Music Blog: Sometimes I wonder if, during all his research and experiments, Benjamin Franklin ever suspected that electricity would play such a vital role in music. Who knows, maybe Ol’ Ben strapped that key to his kite because he desperately wanted to cut loose to a wicked techno beat. Imagine if things would have advanced differently, Benjamin Franklin could have been DJ Kite Keys, spinning the best beats of the 18th century. Can you imagine the hundred dollar bill with Franklin wearing aviator sunglasses and oversized headphones? Can you see why I was never able to concentrate in History class? Electronic music is a really crowded market, which can make standing out a bit of a challenge. It seems the only way to keep the sound fresh is to meld it with other genres of music. At least, that seems to be what Ghostland Observatory founded their style on.
External links
- Trashy Moped Recordings
- "Heavy Heart" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPEG9tyRh2Q
- Ghostland Observatory on facebook
- Ghostland Observatory Fan Forum
Interviews
- 18 July 2008 - URB Mag interview with Aaron and Thomas
- 27 March 2008 - Brightestyoungthings.com interview
- 5 October 2006 - XL Cover Story
- 22 September 2006 - Covert Curiosity Interview
- 9 August 2006 - Seattle Weekly Interview
- 19 April 2005 - Austinist Interview
- 7 December 2010 - Consequence of Sound (Harry Painter) interview with Thomas Ross Turner
- 31 March 2011 - AMP Launch Interview with Ghostland Observatory