WATCH: GYMNAST – ‘Ghost’

With glitchy experimental-pop synths roaming across a rushing soundscape, Gymnast’s ‘Ghost’ exudes the feeling of exploration, travel and transition.

From the song’s start, long reverb swells set Gymnast’s footprint in a world that is in motion at the speed of light. A sense of urgency is pressing, and the stakes are high risk and eerie. A scurrying string solo continues the feed into the hunt of what ‘Ghost’ is leading us to. Or is it where?

Sounds of pattering keys and echoing vocals beg us to run at the pace of the track and trust its sense of quick direction and pit stops along the way. Skimming through perspectives from “the ghost in the garden” to the “the bride in the branches”, Gymnast’s ability to characterise their captivatingly whimsical lyrics is stellar. Even while only resting for a moment in each one of these characters’ shoes, ‘Ghost’ both instrumentally and emotionally paints vivid personal images of the track’s overall themes. At times, we are all “the kid at the picnic, the pixels in your rockpool”, merely taking part in the background in our transitional surroundings.

With a compelling chorus that sounds as wide as a choir, Gymnast lends a hand to us all in our current universal experience of change – we are in this whirlwind together.

‘Ghost’ is accompanied by an intricately made video; an innovative Google Maps animation, fitting the song’s exploration of themes of belonging vs. hosting, outside/inside boundaries… plus allowing some vicarious world-exploration for locked-down viewers!

Jill Goyeau
@jillybxxn