Obaro Ejimiwe, better known as Ghostpoet, first announced his presence in 2011 with the Mercury nominated Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam. His sedative tones and synthesised electronica accompaniments saw Ghostpoet distinguish himself outside of the alternative hip-hop bracket. He followed up his debut release with his second studio album Some Say I So I Say Light in 2013, before his third, Shedding Skin dropped last year.
Ghostpoet captivates with his lyrical mastery and distinctive flow of delivery. Focusing on the mundanities and travails of everyday life, his stark perception of reality stimulates an array of shared experiences. It comes as no surprise as to where his inspiration derives from:
“Just from living. Just from experiencing new things as regularly as possible”, he says.
“I did a musical project in the Balkans, I was there for two weeks”, he continues, “that was inspiring as I was meeting new people, discovering new music and entering countries I have never been to before.”
Ghostpoet's artistry is neatly demonstrated in his fusion between music and lyrics. Incorporating layered melodies reminiscent of the IDM pioneer Aphex Twin, Ghostpoet juxtaposes talk of watching Masterchef in ‘Longing for the Night’ with transcendant and hypnotic soundscapes. Probing into his creative processes, any idea that the music is simply an accompaniment is quickly dismissed.
“It’s always the music, it’s always the music first. I then bounce ideas off that and lyrics form and I go back to the music and then to the lyrics again until there is a happy equilibrium”.
Given both Ghostpoet’s obvious aptitude for the melody of his work, the potential for a purely instrumental album is by no means a strange suggestion.
“I have thought about it’, he admits, “maybe not in the music I do under the Ghostpoet moniker. I think I would like to do in the future. Why not?”
Ghostpoet followed up his critically acclaimed Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam with the more enigmatic second album, Some Say I So I Say Light. It marked a divergence towards a bleaker and more despondent direction that nevertheless reflected the artistic qualities that his debut release had promised. His latest album, Shedding Skin, signals both change and continuity: a live band replaces the distorting electronica which offsets a lyrical method more in keeping with his first release.
“I just decided to use live instruments. I like to try new things and I love guitar music and I love live music so it just made sense to go down that particular route”, he explains.
“Lyrically I wanted to revert back to the first record. It was almost documentary style. I really liked that and I kind of went away from that with the second record. I write music and lyrics that are of the moment, of the time, stuff going on in the world as well as in my world”.
This impressive capability to create such a significant variation in sound between albums demonstrates Ghostpoet’s appreciation for the fluidity of genres. Rather than categorising his music to a particular style, the absorption of other genres allows Ghostpoet the scope to experiment.
“I don’t feel I need to be part of a genre because I listen to a lot of genres which, in turn, is reflected in the music that I make. So it would be stupid of me to say that it is genre A and genre B”, he says.
“I feel that it is lots of genres”, he adds, “I’ve been saying that from the beginning but I guess now it is a bit easier because people are much more eclectic in their tastes and they are much more accepting of a myriad of genres in one track. I guess it is something that I have always believed in”.
With Shedding Skin earning Ghostpoet a second Mercury Prize nomination, Ghostpoet is sure to enthral audiences with music both new and old when he graces the stage at Bestival in September. This year marks Ghostpoet’s second appearance at the festival having first performed in 2011. Speaking of his forthcoming appearance, he says:
“I’ve played it before a while back a long time ago and it was a great experience. It’s a very unique festival and it has a lot of positive energy and really great acts play there every year.
“It’s nice to be part of the history again. I’m not exactly sure what stage I’m playing and what time, but I hope whenever that is I can put on a good show because that’s what I try to do and I hope to do it again at Bestival”.
It is evident that when it comes to performing, Ghostpoet recognises the disparity between the smaller venue and the large festival atmosphere.
“It’s a different kettle of fish. It’s just a different feeling and I like both for different reasons. I love smaller festivals and gigs because you can see the whites of the eyes of the audience and you can have a closer connection”, he notes before observing that, “you can also have a connection at a festival”.
For Ghostpoet, the expansive nature of the festival provides an additional challenge which can reap benefits:
“What I do love about it, is it is a challenge especially if people come to see you play have never heard your music before. That can bring something out of you and you can garner new supporters through that”.
Ghostpoet has redefined what it means to be a vocalist, shirking categorisation to allow limitless musical exploration. With gigging the main priority of Ghostpoet’s year, you will not want to miss out on the gravelly voiced artistry he brings to the fore. His indisputable uniqueness is sure to stand out at Bestival this year.