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Hypnotic Underworld

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Released
  
January 27, 2004

Length
  
69:14

Release date
  
27 January 2004

Label
  
Drag City

Recorded
  
July 2003

Artist
  
Ghost

Producer
  
Taishi Takizawa

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Hypnotic Underworld (2004)
  
In Stormy Nights (2007)

Genres
  
Psychedelic rock, Neo-psychedelia, Experimental music

Similar
  
Ghost albums, Psychedelic rock albums

Hypnotic Underworld is an album by the band Ghost, released on January 27, 2004 on Drag City. The album is the first album to feature cellist/bassist Takuyuki Moriya and percussionist Junzo Tatewia, who replaced Hiromichi Sakamoto and Setsuko Furuya respectively.

Contents

The album has two cover songs: one of Earth and Fire's "Hazy Paradise" and one of Syd Barrett's "Dominoes".

Track listing

All tracks written by Ghost, unless otherwise noted.

Personnel

The following people contributed to Hypnotic Underworld:

Ghost

  • Masaki Batoh – acoustic guitar, vocals, 12-string acoustic guitar
  • Michio Kurihara – electric guitar
  • Takuyuki Moriya - Electric Bass, Double Bass, Cello
  • Kazuo Ogino – organ, piano, lute, Mellotron, Korg synthesizer, Celtic harp
  • Taishi Takizawa – bouzouki, flute, saxophone, theremin, tin whistle
  • Junzo Tatewia – percussion, drums
  • Additional personnel

  • Masaki Hayashi - Engineer
  • Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi - Artwork
  • Kazuo Ogino - Photography
  • Dan Osborn - Cover layout
  • Keiko Yoshida - Photography
  • Reception

    Hypnotic Underworld has received mostly positive reviews. On the review aggregate site Metacritic, the album has a score of 78 out of 100, indicating "Generally favorable reviews."

    Allmusic's Sean Westergaard gave the album a very positive review, writing "Hypnotic Underworld is a new high-water mark from one of rock's most interesting bands. Highly recommended." Brandon Stosuy of Pitchfork Media also praised the album, writing "Much more could be said, but it's more important to state plainly, in barest terms, that Ghost have emerged as one of the most formidable (and important) rock bands I know. And Hypnotic Underworld is their rollicking masterwork." Shaking Through called the album "another worthy addition to the group's idiosyncratic catalog." Stylus Magazine's Dave Segal, while criticizing the album for meandering too long and Masaki Batoh's vocals, concluded his review with "Still, I’d rather hear Ghost’s overreaching ambition and exploratory excess than the stunted machinations of most current indie rock."

    Tiny Mix Tapes, on the other hand, gave the album a more mixed review, writing "The music on Hypnotic World is quite good, and at times a very pleasurable listening experience. Somehow, though, it loses its determination and focus in large increments too many times."

    Songs

    1Hypnotic Underworld: God Took a Picture of His Illness on This Ground13:31
    2Hypnotic Underworld: Escaped and Lost Down in Medina7:09
    3Hypnotic Underworld: Aramaic Barbarous Dawn2:54

    References

    Hypnotic Underworld Wikipedia