"So you’re got the beats and the breaks laid out for your hot new mix, but something’s missing. Something....twisted. An ambience to layer unobtrusively in the background that will remind your listeners subliminally of decapitated dolls or a bad acid trip in an abandoned railway station. Or maybe you’re planning a score for a scifi thriller on TV, and you need a signature effect for the slime oozing under the door.



Sounds like you need a copy of Ghost in the machine. Developed by Simon Mills an Ian Sanderson, this CD is packed with heavily atmospheric events, most of them bathed in reverb and most with little or no bottom end. They shouldn’t interfere with a kick or bass track, in other words. Some of the samples are like eerie memories of ‘50s movie soundtracks. Some involve heavily distorted voices speaking indistinct phrases. You may hear machine noises, backward chimes, or a tibetan tuba solo being played in a cavern by somebody who needs lessons. ‘The effects aren’t nearly as intense as in Masterbits’ FX Zone,’ Greg commented, ‘but they do have a lovable lo-fi quality.’ My favourite track title: ‘Futur Sound of Luncheon’.



Each sample is like a miniature composition. There’s generally a tonal center, but it’s vague and adaptable. The disc has three sections - Haunting (40 tracks), Nasty (42 tracks), and Arpeggios (14 tracks) - but they’re all pretty similar in mood. Some are stronger than others in my book: "Scratch Laugh" seems a waste of disc space, but I loved the weird slurping in "ECT" and the metallic arpeggio "Clock Riff". Whether or not you agree, you’re bound to find something you can use."