THE GHOST AND THE MACHINE

27th May/2022:

New release: "Empire of Dust (Original Shattered Kingdom Soundtrack)

Created for an exclusive collaboration with the incredible fantasy author Angelina J. Steffort, "Empire of Dust" details a scene from her latest book Shattered Kingdom.The song appears under the artist name "The Ghost and The Machine for Angelina J. Steffort".

Spotify-Link: https://spoti.fi/3x079Hw

1st November/2021:

Bohema - The young culture magazine: Two Faces of a Song

Bohema - The young culture magazine writes: Particularly impressive was the calmness with which Andreas led us through the evening. He took the time he needed, celebrating the small moments of the evening. Be it tuning and changing the guitar or drinking water between songs. Everything happened without stress and hurry. During these breaks Andreas talked about and about his songs, or just let the silence be silence for a short time.

This relaxedness also reached the audience. Through the short moments of silence between the songs, one could let what was heard before reverberate inwardly for a short time. These moments without music increased the anticipation for the next song and one was again fully attentive to the next track. Andreas might have felt the situation similarly: "It's also nice, always this silence in between. It's always so loud anyway."

Read more (in German)

31st October/2021:

Austria Press Agency (APA) photo gallery from the release concert

30th October/2021:

"Full House" at ORF Radiokulturhaus - That was the release concert!

Listen/Buy/Stream:

Alice in Contraland, Part I & II albums are now available on all major streaming platforms:

Spotify:

• Alice In Contraland, Part I: https://spoti.fi/3nxRaKI
• Alice in Contraland, Part II: https://spoti.fi/3nDz2PJ

iTunes/Apple Music:

• Alice In Contraland, Part I: https://apple.co/3oZuXWB
• Alice in Contraland, Part II: https://apple.co/3nQp5j1

The vinyl records can be ordered here in the store.

Lyrics written by Andreas Lechner, composed by Andreas Lechner, Daniel Pepl

Produced by Daniel Pepl, published by Fullmax Publishing, 2021

Recorded by Florian Jauker, Audiomanufaktur, 2021

Mixed & Mastered by Daniel Pepl

29th October/2021:

"Shelter Arms" video online!

Video produced by Tamás Künsztler Productions

Video concept & directed by Lara Cortellini

Youtube-Link: https://youtu.be/5uvJcfp0njo

29^th October/2021:

Big News: Album release concert at ORF Radiokulturhaus, Vienna

On October 29^th, the time has finally come!

The albums "Alice in Contraland, Part I" and "Alice in Contraland, Part II" will be released.
There will be a great release concert in the beautiful ORF Radiokulturhaus here in Vienna.

ORF Radiokulturhaus writes in the announcement about the upcoming release concert:

<<Andreas Lechner, "The Ghost And The Machine" mastermind, establishes "Dark Academia Pop" with his poetic lyrics, unique resonator guitar style and inspiring content.

With the new albums "Alice In Contraland, Part I & Part II" "The Ghost And The Machine" starts a new exciting era with a new vision and stylistic direction: "Dark Academia Pop". The albums manifest themselves in their musical elaboration as two sides of the same coin. They allude to the ambivalences of our challenging covid times. A challenging development for society, but also for a young person in search of a place in the world. In doing so, the unique sound of the old resonator guitars (as well as banjo and chumbush) comes into its own, and one can experience the songs in their simplicity, offering a soothing deceleration in challenging times.>>

Read more (in German)

Buy ticket at oeticket.com

Follow the Facebook event for more "Behind the Scenes" information

26/10/2021:

ANDREAS LECHNER IN Radio ORF OE1 INTERVIEW

Announcement of the release concert at ORF Radiokulturhaus and interview with TGATM mastermind about the album releases "Alice in Contraland, Part I & II" in the ORF Ö1 program "Heimspiel".

Radio ORF OE1 link to listen...

09/2021:

ANDREAS LECHNER INTERVIEWED ON RADIO ORANGE 94.0

Radio Orange 94.0 about The Ghost And The Machine: Andreas Lechner gives voice to the new direction "Dark Academia Pop" and releases two new albums at the same time.

The project The Ghost and The Machine has been many things, a solo stage of the inventor Andreas Lechner, a duo variant with double bass, a trio unit with electric bass and drums ... Currently Lechner recaptures the ghosts, reduces the machines and relies solely on his poetry and the sounds of his resonator guitars. Lush, on the other hand, is his output: Andreas Lechner gives voice to the new direction "Dark Academia Pop" and releases two new albums at the same time. More about ghosts and machines Andreas Lechner reveals live in the studio with Mario Lang....

Listen to the broadcast...

08/2021:

That was "The Ghost And The Machine" at Strong Concerts Vienna '21

07/2021:

Andreas Lechner in the current issue of "Augustin": "There is still spirit and music (in the Machine)"

In the article of the magazine "AUGUSTIN" about "The Ghost And The Machine" mastermind Andreas Lechner and his genre description "Dark Academia Pop": "...Academically trained, differentiating intellectualism that doesn't automatically say everything in the simplest, flattest language, in horny, sensual, complex music as pop -I'm in!"

Read more

07/2021:

Andreas Lechner in an interview for the Los Angeles US-blog "LA Note"

Andreas Lechner about why he is doing music: "Hopefully I can give people solace with my music, make them laugh or cry, make them FEEL. I see myself in my profession more as a magician than as a musician, because music has its very own magic that I always want to keep and pass on to others."

Read more

07/2021:

This was the sneak preview concert of the upcoming album "Alice In Contraland" at "Das Werk"/Vienna

06/2021:

Current single "20 Miles high" again on Austrian TV station Puls4 "Music Tip"

06/2021:

"20 Miles high" video online

Video produced by Tamás Künsztler Productions

Actrice: Alisa Guberman

Video concept & directed by Lara Cortellini

Youtube-Link: https://youtu.be/hoc8bMR7IUA

06/2021:

"20 Miles high": New «The Ghost and The Machine» single released!

"20 Miles High" is the new single by Vienna-based songwriter "The Ghost And The Machine" and is a collaboration with Viennese pop/electronic producer Daniel Pepl a.k.a "fullmax". The song describes the feeling of a painfully longed for new beginning that finally starts and lets us float above the ground in its intensity - 20 miles high.

Referring both to COVID-19, lockdowns and the accompanying mental and social loneliness after long isolation, and the general challenges and joys of a new beginning - here especially that of a new love, "20 Miles High" is a paean to human relationships and closeness. It is the song that makes us float through this summer, in love with the contact we have found with each other again, emotionally as well as physically. This succeeds not least through the use of exotic metal resonator guitars from the 30s, which together with the reduced electronic beats of "fullmax" weave into an unprecedented sound tapestry.

The poetic, word-painting vocals are occasionally enriched with vocoder effects and sometimes come across stoically à la Lou Reed, sometimes in that snarling falsetto that one knows all too well from soul recordings from the 60s. "I've long wanted to make a song about new beginnings, how painful they are and at the same time how much we need them, especially now. And at the same time a paean to human relationships, to physical contact not as something inappropriate, but as an essential part of our existence," says Andi Lechner, the civil name of "The Ghost And The Machine" mastermind. "The longing for mutual presence in every way is the sensibility we need for this new start."

02/2021:

"Way to blue" on Austrian TV "Puls4-TV Musiktipp"

01/2021:

New Single "Way to blue" out now!

"Way To Blue" is the brand new single of Vienna-based songwriter «the ghost & the machine» and is a collaboration with Viennese pop-electronic producer Daniel Pepl a.k.a «fullmax».

The track describes the feeling of disillusion and lack of perspective, caused by numerous lockdowns and, as a consequence, spiritual and social isolation - we’re feeling blue. But blue is also the color of clarity and prudence, and that’s what this track is also about: transmitting that soon everything will be alright again.
But how come that fresh new sound? "I wanted to create a tune that sounds like Billie Eilish on a roadtrip through the Grand Canyon", says Andi Lechner, mastermind of «the ghost and the machine».
This is achieved by mixing metal body resonator guitar sounds from the 30ies with the minimalistic electronic beats of «fullmax», that merge into a soundscape never heard before.
The poetic vocals, occasionally enriched with vocoder effects, resound sometimes in the stoic fashion of Lou Reed, sometimes in a harsh falsetto heard in soul music from the 60ies.

“It’s always the combination of new and old elements that’s most intriguing and inspiring to me”, says Lechner. “This archaic guitar sounds combined with that fresh electronic sounds and poetic lyrics really feels like coming home to me.”

01/2021:

Music video "Way to blue" online!

Video directed by David Visnjic
Coreography: Melina Papoulia
Costumes: Lara Cortellini
Dancers: Melina Papoulia, Lara Cortellini

Youtube-Link: https://youtu.be/kb6aBe0H4uc

11/2020:

New Single "Hearts Burn For Many Reasons" out now!

11/2020:

Music video "Hearts Burn For Many Reasons" online!

Video directed by David Visnjic
Youtube-Link: https://youtu.be/njjKtdy9sus