Follow + Connect with Ghost In Real Life
Track List:
Art Of Destruction | Breath Of Sakura
| War Zone w/ BLZBO | The Invisible Enemy w/ LVRK
Ghost In Real Life channels her inner self to bring the four track EP titled ‘The Invisible Enemy‘. While her origins may have been in the punk scene for a while, she now specializes in fortifying her distinct sound in the trap and bass music genres and hasn’t any intention of slowing down nor turning back. This set of music is purely the exemplification of hard work, belief, and determination. Maybe some ghosts, we’ll see.
In this interview we’ll talk about her origin story into the dance music world and her choice of moniker ‘Ghost In Real Life‘. In addition to that we’ll talk about the backstory to the EP, the artistry in the cover art, ghost stories, and her plans for 2021. Get comfy, it’s about to get spooky!
[Interview with Ghost In Real Life]
Q1: What can you tell us about your introduction to dance music and where the name ‘Ghost In Real Life‘ comes from?
A1: Honestly, the song that started it all for me was the Original Don by Major Lazer (Flosstradamus Remix). I remember blasting the hell out of that song in my car with my friends and rolling through the suburbs in New Jersey. We thought we were beyond cool, but man that song made me feel so confident, and confidence has always been something I’ve struggled with. I grew up listening to punk and ska music with my dad and my brothers, so dance music wasn’t always on my radar until then.
I actually had a couple of names before I was the ghost. When I was a teenager I was maggiesinacup and sang acoustic indie music. Then in college, I was in a punk/ska band called The Inferiors. I left that band to be Marillyn who was a pop singer. After Marillyn, I graduated college and I was DJ Miss Beltran. None of these names ever felt right or were truly me.
During a really rough period of my life I sat with myself deciding if I wanted to continue with music and if I did, what exactly would I do. I knew I wanted to do something about what it’s like being a woman in technology because I’ve very much suffered for my gender and I have a lot of scars for it. I google searched acronyms for “girl” and whatever link I clicked on Ghost in Real Life was one of the first choices and it just felt so right. The thought process was, I am nothing but a girl who rarely felt seen for everything that I am and could be, so coding that in with “ghost” just worked
Art Of Destruction starts the EP off as the first track in the collection.
Art of Destruction begins us off with an ominous piano setting that gets backed by a leading crescendo of violin work. Quickly being laced with a percussive build-up to bring you into the full swing of what is to come. A highly precise trap beatdown supplemented by hard hits and looping synths. On the second round, a call-to-action is heard in the distance, garnered in the piano soundscapes from before and brought back to the ultra-‘hyphee’ elements that hooked us with extra flares for elevate the whole track. Wowza!
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Q2. Your new 4-track EP titled ‘The Invisible Enemy‘ just dropped. How does it feel now that your newest installation to the Ghost In Real Life is coming out? Was this a hard project to release?
A2: I feel like I am finally showing everyone who Ghost in Real Life is, what my sound is, and what I’m about. It honestly wasn’t difficult but the process was very gradual and I’m honestly just really happy with how everything came out.
A lot of the imagery I used came from the Asian-influenced instruments I used in a lot of my songs. I wanted to capture this warrior grim reaper type of person. The sword and the dress just kind of happened and I just went for it.
The coolest part was the sword! My good friend Merry helped me put together a photoshoot for the EP cover and I just randomly texted her one day and I was like, “Do you know anyone who might have a real sword? She legit had a friend who had a Scottish Claymore hanging in his house. The EP honestly just came together so organically, I’m honestly just so grateful for everyone who has helped me push my vision forward and the timing just felt so right
Breath Of Sakura, the second addition to the four-piece EP.
A soft and melodic intro graces us into the second installation to ‘The Invisible Enemy‘ with ‘Breath Of Sakura‘. The featherlight soundscapes evolve into a swaying trap tune that keeps your shoulders and hips on lock. The selection of atmospherics sounds and exhales add to the collective feel to the track. A softer approach to trap but a captivating one, indeed. Definitely a windows down, volume up, shades on kind of track.
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Q3. Just for fun, do you have a fun/spooky ghost story you can recall?
A3: Actually, I have MANY ghost stories ironically, growing up I was constantly surrounded by haunted houses and old buildings, ghosts have always been kind of hard for me to avoid and sincerely something I’ll be forever fascinated by. The one story that will forever change my life was when I was partially possessed by a demon via a Ouija board when I was 15 years old. I went to Berklee College of music’s 5-week program one summer and the people on my floor would often get together at night and have Ouija board sessions. I never actually touched the board because I knew not to, but I was always somehow affected by it whether it was emotionally or I felt something in the room.
One night they decided to try and summon these demons or like an apprentice to a demon type thing, I forget what they called it, but I was certainly interested to see what would happen. So we gathered in this guy’s dorm room who was running the session and a couple of people touched the board. As the session went on, the room felt so heavy and I remember seeing the board piece move really fast whenever they asked it questions.
Then the leader of the session asked if it could take human form, and all of a sudden I felt hands on my shoulders and my head started moving in a circular motion. All of a sudden the room was spinning and I couldn’t feel my whole body. I was able to get out a small scream, but then I saw my body fall to the ground, and then I was on the ground. My whole body was numb and I couldn’t move and I was stuck in the position I was sitting in.
After that, I would have unexplainable dreams and it took a couple of months to shake the feeling, but it was definitely the scariest moment of my life.
War Zone, the third piece to the EP comes in heavy as a collaboration with BLZBO.
War Zone brings the energy and exhilaration back up to full speed. Being the tertiary track to the quartet of an EP we see a climactic point and War Zone is that peak. A true trap anthem to some, a hymn to others.
We get the full experience here, and elbows are up! The ‘hey hey hey’s and oh oh oh’s‘ that introduce this track are that of a movie.
Then the chuck and spin of a true cinematic performance, the grueling canine barks, to the grunts, the actual footwork at play here kicks up dust.
What Ghost In Real Life accomplishes in this track is a comprehensive look at the spectrum of trap and what it can bring to the table.
Q4. Seeing that shows and festivals are returning, in what way do you plan to make 2021 that much more exceptionally memorable for your fans and listeners?
A4: Me and my team are in the works with some shows, but I’m really excited to start including some live singing during my sets. I already gave it a good test run during my Halloween stream last year and then again during my show in San Antonio when I headlined. I was recently brought out to Ohio to sing live with Kleøpatra for the Electric Sunset festival. It’s crazy because I never even considered singing with this project because I was so dead set on making sure I was taken seriously as a producer but I’m really happy I decided not to limit myself.
The Invisible Enemy, the final installation to the extended play is a collaboration with LVRK.
The flagship title track to the EP, ‘The Invisible Enemy‘ begins a string instruments doppelgänger as it begins to pull forward with a clock-like sound. Then ‘Let’s Go! Shhh‘ begins and your entryway and conduit into the mind of Ghost In Real Life and LVRK is unfolding. The swivels, pivots, and switchbacks are so impressive! Then the hard-trap breakdown is jaw-dropping in structure and reaction.
We can’t stress enough the finale-forward feelin this track brings. Just set the fireworks off now, this is the final act!
Q5. Bouncing back to your EP, what made you decide on the name ‘The Invisible Enemy‘? Is there a certain backstory to this?
A5: I’ve had the idea for this EP since October and I always wanted the theme to be centralized around mental health and what it feels like to fight yourself constantly. I was brainstorming in my room one night watching the Netflix show Sabrina, there was a scene where this image of a woman in all black appeared in the foggy distant field of their home and I remember whispering to myself “ooooh… The Invisible Enemy” and then I was like wait, that’s it! That’s what I’ll call my EP. If you think about it mental illnesses are not easily seen in people but mental illnesses are like public enemy #1. So in a way, everyone’s got an invisible enemy they’re not talking about.
Q6. Who is killing it on your radar? Give them ghost-like wail and howl of a shout-out!
A6: Gosh all my friends are killing it and I’m so proud of them but I wanna give a shout out to Kleøpatra for always believing in me, I always have LVRK’s music in my sets and has a track with me on the EP, and BLZBO for being my ride or die homie who also helped me make a killer track that’s also on my EP.
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More Ghost In Real Life? We have it here. Just for you!
-Spotify-
Ready for you, more music!
-SoundCloud-
Linktree: linktr.ee/ghostinreallife
More links above located above the article.
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