Track By Tracks: GHOST IN THE MACHINE - Journey To The Otherwise (2022)

1. Unstoppable (Bloody Cleats mix):

A gritty alternative influenced rocktronica song filled with musical builds and intensity. Anthemic vocals embody the lyric that speaks to an honest lesson on the relentless competitive spirit. Not only the victories but also the losses and pain on the journey to becoming legendary. We were partially motivated to write this song because of our interest in sports. We are fans of sports and have also competed in various sports throughout our lives. But it is deeper than that. There are real lessons learned about yourself through competition. It builds and forms us. It is a journey that is not always pleasant. But it is how the best of best become the best. And even the best fail, learn, grow and become better. That for us is the meaning and message of "Unstoppable".

2. Supernatural (Charmed mix):

An intense sensual musical experience, defying categorization but captivating lyrically with a bewitching tale of passion and love ending in a proposal. Warm and tense yet smooth and seductive, lifted with an RnB vibe by the guest vocals of Caela. Lyrically, there's an openly sensual meaning not only focusing on a woman's goddess-like body - her fingers, dark curly hair, eyes, and lips but also a metaphysical connection a man feels with her soul when in love. She and her love for her feel supernatural and are the force that science cannot understand.

3. Muevete:

A fusion of EDM and rock entwined with a Latin influence. Inspired by nightlife and Flamenco of southern Spain, acoustic guitars play dark and tense passages over heavy bass and a solid beat. Male and female vocals play off each other singing the themes of dancing, parties, freedom, expression, celebration and enjoying life to the fullest. But even in all that madness you can find someone special and make a connection. Special thanks to Caela for guest female vocals.

4. Virus:

An industrial metal onslaught not for the faint of heart. Evil synthesizers and wicked guitars propel the tortured vocal over a mechanical beat. Lyrically, it eerily focuses on the emotional toll of the pandemic, touching a nerve by giving the Coronavirus an anthropomorphic persona. How it only seeks to exist but at the cost of humanity. Most of us have experienced the effects of COVID-19 either first-hand or indirectly. We wrote this song as a means of venting our fears, frustrations, and anguish. The chant in the bridge states it precisely - "Hide in your homes, hide from one another, no social interaction, humanity is smothered".

5. Sunny Day:

A diversion into the electronic and the experimental, the song features guitars and synthesizers built upon a break beating rhythm. Lyrically, the story of Noah and the Ark is loosely interpreted but from a first-person perspective. You have a choice. You can go on living your life, unconcerned with the state of the world, living out each day as if there were no problems. However, you do this at the expense of missing important things that will affect you.

6. Color of Desire:

A bluesy rock song complete with scorching guitar solos and a sultry storyline. Down tempo and edgy, the guitar weeps with licks and phrases while synthesizers add a layer of intensity. The lyrics are a play on words - colors are associated to attributes of a stranger just met. As the story moves, chemistry ignites, the stranger becomes the object of desire, mutually so, and the night is spent together. Could this story have happened??

7. Indecision:

A straight ahead upbeat rocker and head bobber, driven by a chaotic beat that pummels guitar riffs forward. Lyrically the song examines "analysis paralysis" - an inability to make a decision due to over-thinking a problem. It explores the challenges faced by being indecisive. In these days of hyper-opinions, indecision exists less and less... but is lack of critical thinking just another problem?

8. Cuts Like a Knife:

Dark and moody alternative undulating between unsettling vocals, over a somber piano, and a hard rock ensemble. The song explores self-mutilation as a coping mechanism for anxiety and the divide it causes in one's life. The duality of the music provides a guide for the lyrics to follow - the inner dialog of hiding a secret life of self-harm that causes only more anxiety and perpetuates and escalates the problem. Later in the song, we are led to believe this is overcome but is it ever truly resolved, or is it just a closed-door away from return? It is a day-to-day balancing act that will need to be managed for life. We wrote this song as a dedication to someone close to us who has this struggle.

9. Lies (The Truth mix):

To come full circle back to our roots, the song is the reboot of the industrial metal classic elevated with groovy electro beats and sinister synthesizers. The original intention remains but the song is given new life and a contemporary sound. Driving guitar riffs to abuse your ears and hissing vocals embody the lyric that speaks of lies and the hatred for those you wield them. A straightforward look at those that do not seek truth and perhaps do not want others to seek the truth and their attempts to lead others away. Confront lies and liars head-on if you wish to get to the bottom of things.