GHIA レコード& CD

Review: The distinctive vocal sound of Shirley Giha aka. Ghia is both naive and infectious. Her only album Here I Am gets a reissue via Thank You, recalling the short-lived period in the spotlight enjoyed by the musician between 1987-88. Heavyweight city pop, new jack swing and slow-jam dreamers all combine in an almost oppressively 80s sound, while Ghia's vocals glide over each track elegantly and unprocessedly.

Review: The Artless Cuckoo label has done a fine job of showcasing the work of lesser-known German outfit Ghia his year by releasing an album of rediscovered 1980s recordings as well as a special 7". Now Thank You has put together this 12" package with three different versions of 'Don't Leave Me Alone.' The original dropped in 1987 and was an instant euro-pop classic. An OG copy on wax is tough to find these days so often fetches three figures. Soon as you hear the tune though you know why - it's effortlessly catchy with mounting tension and super creative vocals.

Review: Some superb musical archaeology here, as The Artless Cuckoo presents an album of rediscovered 1980s recordings from obscure German outfit Ghia, including a smattering that the trio made whilst living in Spain between 1986 and '88. Some of the tracks were reportedly recorded using a porta-studio style four-track, but you'd never be able to tell thanks to the fine mastering job. Musically, it's an undeniable sun-soaked affair that brilliantly blurs the boundaries between horizontal electrofunk, instrumental Balearic synthpop, Mediterranean jazz-funk, Afro-cosmic and more energetic, dancefloor-focused flavours. It's the sort of thing that Nu Genea would rightfully be praised for releasing, except it was recorded 'back in the day' rather than earlier this year. Terrific stuff!

Review: Artless Cuckoo has coaxed a second release out of Ghia here and it's another stunning following the highlight collectable and sold out first offering. This one delves into Ghia's past and presents a super limited 7" with two unreleased recordings from 1985: At The Hilton. The group was made up of Lutz Boberg and Frank Simon and they later joined with singer Lisa Ohm and these tunes are taken from an old archive of tapes. They are brilliantly delicate and unassuming, with lo-fi drum machines, wispy chords and deep celestial pads all taking you on a gentle cosmic jazz trip.