In this very special episode of Now Playing, we have an in-depth conversation with Seth Applebaum, of Ghost Funk Orchestra, about his roots, his inspirations and his creative process. We also talk about the band’s new debut full-length record, A Song for Paul, which has received a wealth of praise the world over, including being recently named Album of The Day by Bandcamp.

The interview is saturated in a bed of sounds and music that make up the world and background of Ghost Funk Orchestra. Since Mixcloud will not allow me to list more than a few tracks per artist, here’s an accurate guide of the samples* that you might hear behind and around the conversation:

-Intro (including excerpts of Howl by Allen Ginsberg, Afro-Latina by Elizabeth Acevedo, Colors by Pharaoh Sanders and San Francisco Scene by Jack Kerouac)

1. Dark Passages – Ghost Funk Orchestra
2. Barrel House Blues – Unknown Studio Pianist
3. The Chocolate Nuisance (live)- Cannonball Adderly
4. Boneyard Baile – Ghost Funk Orchestra
5. Walk Like a Motherfucker – Ghost Funk Orchestra
6. Brain Fog – Ghost Funk Orchestra
7. Oud Blues – Ahmed Abdul-Malik
8. Hysteria – Def Leppard
9. Good Thing – Fine Young Cannibals
10. Spirit Dance – Ghost Funk Orchestra 
11. H20gate Blues – Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson
12. Harlem River Drive – Harlem River Drive (Eddie Palmieri)
13. Headless Heroes of The Apocalypse – Eugene McDonald
14. Kaifa Part 1 & 2 – Karl Hector & The Malcouns
15. Winnebago Warrior – Dead Kennedys
16. Rumble – Link Wray
17. Afro Blue – Robert Glasper Experiment (feat. Erykah Badu)
18. Chillin – Domi & JD Beck
19. Safari Strut – Whitefield Brothers
20. Bill O’Reilly Freaking Out Meltdown – Mononeon
21. Intro – Ghost Funk Orchestra
22. A Conversation – Ghost Funk Orchestra
23. Pling! – Shuggie Otis
24. Hihache – Lafayatte Afro Rock Band
25. Intro 2 – Ghost Funk Orchestra
26. Smoke Signals – Eddie Harris

-Outtro (Including a sample of Love March (Live at Woodstock) by The Paul Butterfield Blues Band and Brownout by Ghost Funk Orchestra)

You can buy Ghost Funk Orchestra’s A Song For Paul on vinyl, cassette, CD and digital from Karma Chief Records right here and you can find out more about the band at their website over here.

*Other sounds recorded by me or sourced from the archive at Freesound.org.

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