Iglooghost - Clear Tamei

Iglooghost is the stage name of British Electronic artist Seamus Malliagh.  Now, Iglooghost, since Seamus started using this name, has been dishing out a series of mind-numbing, futuristic Electronic music.  I first heard Ghost's music on his 2015 EP "Chinese Nü Yr".  This was a short but eclectic and wild EP.  There were bangers, but also just as many Electronic tracks that the more you sat with, it got more and more wild by the minute.  There were some great features like the criminally underrated Mr. Yote, and while this EP was short, I had a blast listening to it.  Ghost returned in 2017 with his first full-length album, "Neō Wax Bloom".  And for the most part, this is exactly where I wanted to hear him.  This was a very colorful and vast Electronic album.  But it was just so progressive and showed Seamus really starting to test the waters of other instrumentals, and really letting his ideas come to life.  Also, I was sort of worried that his ideas wouldn't fill up an album without getting a little boring.  But clearly, I was wrong, because this album was a blast.  Seamus is back with Iglooghost project and with not one but two EP's!  And from the sound of it, he's more creative than ever! Let's chat!  And yes, we're only chatting about one EP, for now, I'll be back with the other tomorrow!

This EP starts off with the very striking and harsh “Påleo Mamu”.  I love the sharp synths and the production here that gets a major upgrade.  It’s gotten to the point where you would think Iglooghost is working with some of the fine people at PC Music.  Which of course, he’s not, but it’s sounding more and more like it by the day.  This may be a 40 Second instrumental, but I’m all for this as an intro.  On the other hand, “New Vectors” is seriously urgent and shows Iglooghost making up for lost time immediately.  I love the very grand and epic feel to this, and just how many new instrumentals Iglooghost is bringing to the table.  He’s always had a very cluttered sound, one that’s so intense and vibrant, with so much going on that you have to watch constantly.  But on “New Vectors”, things get really spacious, much more so than I’m used to hearing from him to The point where it just creates this vast, epic atmosphere that just throws me off guard altogether.  But hell yea, this one works, even if I do sort of wish we were in album mode with Iglooghost right about now. Then we have “Clear Tamei” which is just bizarre.  This is much less hectic than I feel like we’re used to hearing from Iglooghost, with this very chilled out beat and this surreal Rap verse over it.  But between that and these gigantic beats, this is one hell of a muscular Electronic track.  Now, I’m going to say what I did when I originally heard this one: I wish this track was just a little more vibrant and busy.  Because when this track does pick up instrumentally, later on, that’s when things get seriously interesting.  Not to mention, some of the other instrumentals flowing in and out are just so classy and beautiful, from the pianos to the strings.  Sure, I wish “Clear Tamei” may have started out with more of an impact, but it’s still stunning. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWku6kzJA80

On the other hand, it’s clear that “Namā” is the banger of the EP, fueled by big beats and a mighty personality.  It’s got tons of grooves and bizarre samples that once again do sort off make me feel like I’m among the presence of a PC Music affiliate.  Like, the man is sampling a baby crying and screaming here, what’s even going on anymore?  Everything about this track is just so gigantic and in your face, between these beats and this wailing guitar solo which I didn’t expect to hear at all.  It’s just so freakish and bizarre, all while really pushing forward the thought of what it means to be an Electronic artist.  This EP ends off with “Shrine Hacker” featuring Babii, which is by far the weirdest and least hectic of the bunch.  It’s mostly built around this very patient beat and these heavily altered vocals of Babii.  But I’ll be honest, this isn’t the realm of Iglooghost I want to hear.  This overall just seems so tame, which is something I never thought I would be saying here.  Like, there are some clever production tricks and some interesting instrumentals that pop in and out.  Not to mention, I do really love the very icy atmosphere we get.  But this is a very long track, clocking in at over 7-minutes.  And while 4 and a half minutes in things do start to pick up, that’s what I wanted to hear in the first place.  I just don’t get where this one fits into this all.  I’m all for Ghost branching out and trying something different, but this is just awkward. 

Rating: 7.4/10

Genre: Electronic 

Overall Thoughts:  Iglooghost’s first of two EP’s this year is a very hectic one, that shows him progressing and branching out more than ever.  There are the usual suspects, like heavily altered vocals and gigantic beats.  But there are also some seriously lush instrumentals, beautiful strings and wailing guitars, all seemingly out of nowhere.  And while this EP does end off on an awkward note, for the most part this is all just progression, the next logical step for one of Electronic’s most interesting new faces.  Also, when did his song structures become so epic?