Cycles

Ghost Circus | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 1, 2001)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: PROGROCK
• ASIN: B000H9I0ZG
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #492,692 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Review

For all the negative press the Internet gets from time to time, some of it well deserved, there are many instances where it has proven to provide a wonderful link between individuals that may never have happened otherwise. Such was the case when Chris Brown in Tennessee connected with Ronald Wahle of the Netherlands. The two shared a musical passion which has resulted in the duo forming Ghost Circus and the release of their first CD Cycles. ***

Let me start out by saying, I really like this CD. The music is part Art-Rock, part Prog-Rock all mixed with a contemporary pop sensibility. Think of a mixture of a band like Red 7, some It Bites and then a whole bunch of the later period Genesis. In fact track 3, Trick of the Light starts out as a dead-ringer for the Genesis song Mama , although the composition seems more of a tribute or homage than it is a copy. After a few spins this Cycles really grows on you in good measure because of the strong melodies that drive the songs. And it just flat-out sounds cool up loud, especially in the car. The two members come to the table with ample musical skills; Brown is responsible for the vocals, lead/rhythm/bass guitar and keyboards while Wahle takes care of drums, percussion, keyboards and additional lead/rhythm guitar. The songs range in length anywhere from 3-4 minutes with a couple almost 8-minutes and the longest running just over 9-minutes. While the individual tracks aren t overly complex musically, it s the arrangements and selection of textures that breathe life into these pieces. There is more than enough going on to hold your attention, even in the shorter pieces. That s where my Red 7 reference comes from. Like that band, Ghost Circus is able to craft a solid song, give it some unique sound-textures and a pretty dense arrangement all the while incorporating some very proggy embellishments. I hear the later Genesis influence in the way these songs sound so expansive. They sound huge! They really come across as larger than life. ***

I am ever so grateful to come across gems like this. Ghost Circus is the type of CD release that is satisfying in so many ways. It s one of those CD s that just sounds great anytime you put it on. While it s not the most complex it s certainly one of the most enjoyable. Cycles is definitely one of my favorites for 2006. It gets my utmost recommendation. --ProgVoices

Product Description

A chance meeting of artists in 2004 on an internet message board brought together Ronald Wahle of the Netherlands with Chris Brown of Tennessee. What spawned from that meeting is the highly evolved progressive rock duo, Ghost Circus. Two years of collaboration culminated with the duo's first album in 2006, 'Cycles', and now in 2008 with 'Across The Line'.

Ronald Wahle is a self taught drummer, keyboard player and guitarist who has worked primarily in local bands and film/promo scores. With influences such as Marillion, Porcupine Tree, Genesis, Pink Floyd, Peter Gabriel, Tears for Fears, and The Fixx, Ronald s linear orchestral flow and electric melodies are featured throughout alongside his guitar melodies and powerful percussion.

Chris Brown also taught himself to play guitar, bass, and keyboards and honed his vocal skills to perform on 'Cycles' and now on 'Across The Line'. He has primarily focused on his solo acoustic guitar career and released a solo album in 2003 along with a side project album, Random Access Generator, also in 2003. Chris pulls his influences from current and classic eras of Progressive music, the "Art Pop" and Alternative styles of the 80 s, and a solid dose of Metal, which combines a harder edge and structure to the fluid melodies of his counterpart.

Together, Ronald Wahle and Chris Brown bring an eclectic approach to progressive rock that is unique yet comforting to all of those who love music.
A chance meeting of artists in 2004 on an internet message board brought together Ronald Wahle of the Netherlands with Chris Brown of Tennessee. What spawned from that meeting is the highly evolved progressive rock duo, Ghost Circus. Two years of collaboration culminates in the duo's first album, Cycles , which highlights a detailed look at modern society as well as personal introspective struggles.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Strong long-distance collaboration, February 23, 2007

By 

Murat Batmaz (Istanbul, Turkey) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cycles (Audio CD)

Ghost Circus is the project of Chris Brown from the USA and Ronald Wahle from the Netherlands who met on an internet message board a few years ago and decided to put out an album after discovering their mutual interest in progressive rock music. They both recorded their parts in their own countries before mixing and mastering everything. The result is Cycles, a strong debut, especially considering it's just two people performing on it. The music presented on this disc touches on the neo-prog elements heard on earlier Marillion albums, lots of synth-friendly AOR pop, and a plethora of other bands, such as Kino, RPWL, and Frost.

It begins with the mood setter "Broken Glass", introducing a curious mix of heavy keyboards, a pronounced bass and drum combination, and Chris Brown's mid-range vocals that border on being slightly raspy at times. The song climaxes with the duo's perfectly toned lead guitar work before seguing into the title track. Brown's vocals are a lot different on this one. Also, it's a much more complex number, emphasizing vast soundscapes, eerie guitar buildups, and two lead solos, the former being in a more rock-based form and the latter a more spacey style a la early Porcupine Tree meets Blackfield. On the nine-minute "Trick of the Light", the vocals are particularly evocative of Phil Collins era Genesis, and they work perfectly over those gently arpeggiated acoustic riffs and thick synth blanketing. This song has a great filmic quality to it, much like Kevin Moore's soundtrack stuff and even Chroma Key, in that it blends spooky sound effects that underpin beautifully played synth leads and atmospheric elements. The second half of the song is significantly heavier, bringing forth Wahle's remarkable drum fills and thicker fretwork. It is only when the memorable vocal melody returns to the centre that we realize we are still listening to the same track. The finale is simply fantastic: dual leads, bass and drum solos, and dreamy synth washes.

"The Distance" and "Accelerate" veer off into more poppier territory. One of them is highlighted by delicate acoustic guitars and pre-Stupid Dream era Porcupine Tree while the other sees them infusing huge grooves with melodic vocal harmonies atop unusual electronic segments. Moreover, the aforementioned filmic quality is further exemplified on the effect-laden "Let It Flow".

On the instrumental "Send/Return", at almost eight minutes, the duo are perhaps at their most progressive phase, bringing to mind a less heavy version of Moore era Dream Theater with no vocals. The use of bass is vital to this piece as is the ethereal guitar work producing lots of feedback when placed atop lofty keyboard melodies.

The album is finalised with the two-part "Mass Suggestion", part one being the first song Chris Brown heard prior to hooking up with Ronald Wahle. Obviously, both musicians had their own projects before they put Ghost Circus together, and you can clearly see how Wahle's more introspective, minimalistic and darker side complements Brown's progressive-tinged direction while still bringing in pop sensibilities.

Cycles is a great achievement in the world of long-distance musical collaborations. Let's hope there is more to come from these guys.