Ghost Funk Orchestra is a group you can’t quite put a label on — and why would you? The 10-piece collective has been making waves brewing their own blend of cinematic, psychedelic soul with touches of jazz and notes of nostalgic tape-bound beats for a couple of years now. The group just released their third LP — A New Kind of Love (Colemine Records) — that is all of the above and so much more.
Seth Applebaum, the guitarist, composer, arranger, and mastermind behind Ghost Funk Orchestra is fully aware of its multi-genre bent. “It's just this big blob of influence that I'm trying to whittle down and make sense of — and write songs that are touching on all these things, all these interests that I've gained over time.” says Applebaum, a New Jersey native who developed a love and appreciation for all types of music while listening to WBGO at a young age. “I feel very fortunate that I grew up in New Jersey and I had access to (WBGO). It really fed me so much of the music that became part of my identity.” Applebaum’s musical identity is apparent in A New Kind of Love, which features tracks that hark to ‘60s vocal groups (“Your Man’s No Good”); small-group Latin jazz (“A Song for Pearl”); and all-out jams reminiscent of Snarky Puppy sessions (“Rooted”).
Listen to "Rooted" here:
Check out my conversation with Applebaum to hear more about Ghost Funk Orchestra, their latest record and more.