The Black Ghosts

The Black Ghosts are a dance-pop twosome featuring vocalist Simon Lord, formerly of Simian, and Wiseguys' programmer/multi-instrumentalist Theo Keating, aka DJ Touche. Both Keating and Lord come from musical backgrounds: Keating's grandfather was an oboist with the London Symphony Orchestra who played on the Beatles' "A Day in the Life" and the Star Wars theme, while Lord's father was an electronic musician who built synthesizers, including white noise generators and a "Bio Activity Translator," which turned the electric fields of plants into analog sounds. The pair connected after Lord left Simian (which then became the more dance-oriented Simian Mobile Disco) and released their debut single, Face, in 2006 on Southern Fried Records. The duo then released a slew of tracks in 2007, including "Some Way Through This" and "Anyway You Choose to Give It," and remixed just as many songs, such as the Gossip's "Listen Up!" Later that year, The Black Ghosts toured the U.K. and the U.S before releasing a mix album in 2008. Their self-titled debut album arrived that summer, with Damon Albarn providing guest vocals for the leadoff single "Repetition Kills You." ~ Heather Phares