Former Ghosts
Encyclopedia
Former Ghosts consists of former This Song Is a Mess But So Am I member Freddy Ruppert with collaborations from Xiu Xiu
frontman Jamie Stewart
, Zola Jesus
originator Nika Roza Danilova, and Yasmine Kittles of TEARIST
. Ruppert is the lead songwriter on this brutally gloomy, Joy Division
-esque project. The title of the debut, Fleurs, is a reference to the white-flowered iris (Iris germanica
).
if Ian Curtis
had bought a Casio and a four-track and fired the rest of the band."
Allmusic.com gave Fleurs 3.5/5 stars and said that "Former Ghosts evoke isolation with a fearlessness that few of their peers can match."
The blog, Fingers Become Thumbs, listed "Fleurs" as their album of the year (2009), stating: "In all seriousness, this is a dark and intense record in which Ruppert really puts himself out there, so much so that even listening to it can be emotionally draining. In saying that, by the standards of its members its by no means a ‘difficult’ listen, and in fact was intended to be the synth-pop side-project of Freddy and Jamie."
Prefixmag.com found Fleurs to be "intermittently brilliant," but felt it could "benefit greatly from more collaboration and judicious editing of the track list."
Xiu Xiu
Xiu Xiu is an American avant-garde group originally from San Jose, California. The band is the brainchild of singer-songwriter Jamie Stewart, who has been its only constant member since its inception in 2002. His current bandmate is Angela Seo...
frontman Jamie Stewart
Jamie Stewart
James "Jamie" Cyrus Stewart is the front-man of the American musical group Xiu Xiu , a former front-man of IBOPA and Ten in the Swear Jar and a current member of Former Ghosts. He was also a member of 7 Year Rabbit Cycle which has since disbanded...
, Zola Jesus
Zola jesus
Zola Jesus is the stage name of Russian American singer/songwriter Nika Roza Danilova . Having released three EPs and two full-length albums, combining industrial, classical, electronic, goth and experimental rock influences, she received generally good reviews and was regarded as one of the names...
originator Nika Roza Danilova, and Yasmine Kittles of TEARIST
Tearist
Tearist is an American experimental electronic music and performance duo from Los Angeles consisting of Yasmine Kittles and William Stangeland Menchaca . Their self-titled debut album sold out within months and their live followup record, Living: 2009-Present, received mixed reviews due to the...
. Ruppert is the lead songwriter on this brutally gloomy, Joy Division
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis , Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris .Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences...
-esque project. The title of the debut, Fleurs, is a reference to the white-flowered iris (Iris germanica
Iris germanica
Iris germanica, the German Iris, is a species in the genus irisThe Iris Germanica grows up to 90 cm high and 10 cm wide. The roots can go up to 10 cm deep. It is an outdoors plant that blooms most in May-August, but planting it would be best in February-April..It is a European hybrid, rather than a...
).
Formation
From an interview, Freddy explained the formation of the band: "A lot of the songs were written before Former Ghosts even really came together as a full on band. They were written as a way to communicate with someone in my life at the time. Once I had decided that this was going to be a new music project for me, having Jamie on board just came naturally. We had always talked about doing a project in this kind of style but both of our schedules were just too busy to actually do it, but then it ended up working out this time around. Nika got involved because I am a big fan of her band Zola Jesus and I asked her to sing on a song and when she sent it back to me I was so blown away that I knew that I needed her to be a part of this band!"Critical reception
Pitchfork said the debut single, "Hold On," "sounds like what might've happened to Joy DivisionJoy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis , Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris .Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences...
if Ian Curtis
Ian Curtis
Ian Kevin Curtis was an English singer and lyricist, famous for leading the post-punk band Joy Division. Joy Division released their debut album, Unknown Pleasures, in 1979 and recorded their follow-up, Closer, in 1980...
had bought a Casio and a four-track and fired the rest of the band."
Allmusic.com gave Fleurs 3.5/5 stars and said that "Former Ghosts evoke isolation with a fearlessness that few of their peers can match."
The blog, Fingers Become Thumbs, listed "Fleurs" as their album of the year (2009), stating: "In all seriousness, this is a dark and intense record in which Ruppert really puts himself out there, so much so that even listening to it can be emotionally draining. In saying that, by the standards of its members its by no means a ‘difficult’ listen, and in fact was intended to be the synth-pop side-project of Freddy and Jamie."
Prefixmag.com found Fleurs to be "intermittently brilliant," but felt it could "benefit greatly from more collaboration and judicious editing of the track list."