Track Premiere: Ghostwoods’ ‘Terminal Bliss’

The Queensland composer releases the first track from his upcoming album.

Ghostswoods is the project led by musician and composer, James Lees.

Also of Silver Sircus, Lees started the Ghostwoods project in 2020 through the winter lockdown from his Mount Nebo home. (For those not up on their geography, Mount Nebo is located approximately 30 kilometres north west of Brisbane.) Lees used this period of isolation to construct what would become Ghostwoods’ debut EP, Dark Moon, which was released last year.

A series of noirish, atmospheric soundscapes that skirt along the shadows, think Bohren & der Club of Gore harnessing the emotional force of the Dirty Three. It’s stirring stuff, and another exciting project to emerge from Queensland, with 4000 Records label mate, Noir et Blanc, another who wowed us earlier this year with her debut LP, Wallflower Pedestrian.

Following the release of Dark Moon, Ghostwoods returns with Terminal Bliss – the first cut from a forthcoming debut full-length release. Set for release on Tuesday, exclusive to Sun 13, you can watch/listen to the track below.

Accompanied by Mark Angel (guitar), Karl O’shea (bass), Andrew Garton (saxophone, clarinet, flute), James Halloran (keys, synths) and Rohan Seekers (keys, synths), on Terminal Bliss Lees open things up with a more wholesome approach. The bass weight and percussion heavier, laying the foundation for Garton’s saxophone which snakes and skronks all the way through the track.

It’s an impressive shift and the results are excellent, to the point where we can’t wait to hear more in the months ahead.