Hypnotic Underworld

∰ Ghost — Hypnotic Underworld ∰

Hypnotic Underworld is an album by the band Ghost. It was released by Drag City record label originally in 2004.
The album has two cover songs. One of Earth and Fire’s Hazy Paradise and the other one is Syd Barrett’s Dominoes.

Five years after releasing both Snuffbox Immanence and Tune In, Turn On, Free Tibet, Ghost returned with Hypnotic Underworld, and there were some changes in the band. Cellist HIROMICHI SAKAMOTO and percussionist Setsuko Furuya (whose marimba gave those albums such a distinct sound) are gone, replaced by a great young rhythm section of Takuyuki Moriya (bass, conta bass, cello) and Junzo Tateiwa (drums, tabla, percussion). Also, Ghost co-founder Taishi Takizawa continues as producer but rejoins the group as a musician as well (he has served only as producer since the mid-’90s). Of course, Masaki Batoh is still here, along with longtime keyboard player Kazuo Ogino and guitar hero Michio Kurihara. With a brief U.S. tour (October 2002) under its belt, the band really jelled, and with Hypnotic Underworld, Ghost have released their most expansive set yet. The four-part title track starts somewhere near the Heliocentric Worlds, with Takizawa’s sax playing over the sparest of bass figures and percussion as wisps of electronic ether float in and out.