Cassette Review: Imbue "Ghost Stories" (Already Dead Tapes)

$5 //
Edition of 100 //
https://alreadydeadtapes.bandcamp.com/album/ad267-imbue-ghost-stories //

"Ghost Stories" begins with this grinding sound which has talking and a drone sense mixed in with it as well.   Beats begin to set the tone for what I initially thought was going to be instrumental hip hop, but as it turns out there is a song on here (the title track) which has a guest spot by iAlive and Carl Kavorkian so one of the songs does have words.   I had tried to place this in the world of hip hop though-- I tried to imagine if it had words over the beats who it might sound like and could come up with no comparison.

There is a nice rhythm in these songs.   They are somewhat dark and can take you into this pulsating beat which sounds like the Tell-Tale Heart.   As it  gets quieter it begins to give off more of a horror movie vibe which also has me thinking of that soundtrack to "Judgment Night".    As we get into the titular track though it feels less haunted in the sense of ghosts floating around and making ghost sounds (Which, to be fair, I have heard in music before) and this turns into straight up murder music like Ice T.

Quieter beats get a slightly faster pace as we close out Side A and flip it to Side B.   The talking to open up the flip side is somewhat alien, somewhat like Donnie Darko.    Synths come through in drones and whirr in and out.    This maintains these synth-whirrs and the beats are seemingly gone now which has the fact that this is where the split between sides took place as seemingly making a lot of sense.   But as soon as you begin to think that, the next track returns us to those beats.

Tones which come in with these beats now though are like something straight out of the 1980's.    Have you been watching "Stranger Things" on Netflix because this song could be straight out of that show.    This brings us into a track with static, beats and straight up screams.   Yes, we have entered the funhouse and this is a lot of fun for me but probably not so much for those who are scared more easily.   The last song features Cop Funeral and if you're trying at all to figure out what to call this one: don't.   My early ideas of instrumental hip hop were shot down so just sit back, enjoy the ride and try not to get too freaked out.