Praise Be To Cod!

Interested in something strange? Ghostigital, an experimental project from former Sugrarcubes member Einar Örn, might just be the music for you. Ghostigital’s debut album In Cod We Trust is a truly bizarre amalgam of industrial, hip-hop, electronica and experimental noise. Accompanied by primary musician (and electronics/tape manipulator) Curver, Örn has crafted a distinctive musical beast of stark contrast.Album opener “Good Morning” alone features indie-savvy raps from fellow Ipecac artist Sensational, frantic saxophone blasts, a monotonous industrial-strength beat and Örn spouting “Good morning” incessantly in a squeaky voice reminiscent of Mickey Mouse. A fantastic cyber beat (toms plus lower range timed-keyboard stabs) keeps the pulse running in “Not Clean” while Örn and primary member of The Fall Mark E. Smith belt “In cod we trust!” repeatedly. Abrasive songs such as “Totally Confused” filled with myriad asynchronous electronic beeps feel unfocused, but at least display impressive effects.

“Green Lounge” is a futuristic take on a jazzy lounge band complete with ear splitting horn noise, while on “Crackers” Örn details a frustrating altercation in line at a supermarket. Perhaps most striking is “Black Sand,” with rapper Dälek where the saxophone is allowed to play most naturally along side the infectious, repetitious beats and delay-ridden vocals.

The bottom line here is In Cod We Trust is not for everyone. Many music fans might find this record confusing or overwhelming, each song is overloaded with aural information and could be occasionally construed as silly. Ghostigital is for those that appreciate harsh experimental outfits such as Godflesh or Curse of the Golden Vampire. All others approach with caution; this one may take a while to digest.