THE black ghosts - mixtape

Composed of Theo Keating and SMD’s Simon Lord, this Electro duo both have alot to live up to (Lord was responsible for the vocals on last year’s major hit ‘We Are Your Friends’), yet here they’re creating mash-ups of legendary proportions with little sign of strain. The charismatic duo say they’re focused on creating “listenable music” with “disturbing lyrics.” It’s something they’ve certainly achieved, their work delving into Gothic romance with an edge of Daft Punk and Timbaland. A typically cheerful lyric greets us on ‘Some Way Through This’; “if the sky was falling down would I see behind that frown? / if cold steel touched your skin would you finally stop and let me in / tell me baby how to get through this.” Don’t dwell on the lyrics though, you’ll only worry about the poor boy’s state of mind. Instead plug into their dark and inviting world of floor-smashing beats. Highlights include the essential Siriusmo track ‘Discosau’, Alter Ego’s fantastically named ‘Fuckingham Palace’ and the double-helping finale of The Black Ghosts track ‘Anyway You Choose To Give It’ – both the Extended and Fake Blood Mix. It’s all gothic, certainly - but there’s not a track here that would die a dancefloor death.