The third time’s the charm! Or perhaps — the third time’s another charming excursion into the seemingly infinite universe of rhythm spontaneously created whenever guitarist Oren Ambarchi, bassist Johan Berthling, and percussionist Andreas Werliin plug in together. A little more than a year on from Ghosted II, the trio are back with a new finding: you guessed it, Ghosted III, out August 29. Today, enjoy a cut of the album’s opening track, “Yek,” plus a music video.
For their third album together, Ambarchi, Berthling and Werliin returned to Stockholm’s Studio Rymden to continue the incredible standard of capture that distinguished both 2022’s Ghosted and 2024’s Ghosted II. Although they took more studio time than ever before (three whole days!), Ghosted III’s new development is an increased immediacy in their performances, something a little looser and wilder than than their first two albums — and something, no doubt, influenced by the several dozen-plus gigs played since their debut. Their ability to lock in and focus, hanging on to the smallest of details, is enhanced by an expansive lightness of being throughout Ghosted III; the sparkling variety of new jams here show that Oren, Johan and Andreas are seemingly available to try anything these days. Alongside the eternal energies of their established styles — ambient neo-jazz, post-kraut, minimal funk — the three play with the exuberance of prog-rockers or new-wave popsters across the album’s six sprawling tracks.
On “Yek,” the album’s opener, Berthling’s bassline rolls like a wheel as Ambarchi’s atypically jangling guitar and Werliin’s percussion throw off waves of sparks with each revolution. Instead of settling into the groove, they deploy a chord change, lifting the energy WAY up before rolling pleasurably on with the main figure. Sit still while you watch Maximilien Luc Proctor’s music video — it may venture off from the ominous chair shot, but the visuals strobe through day and night cycles while the jam spirals to new heights. At the fade, Oren’s guitars subtly proliferate into cascading volleys of harp-like chimes, capping a transcendent medley of instrumental pop moments!
Ghosted III is full of exciting new twists on the trio’s sound, reaching further into the ether to round out the trilogy — and, ultimately, giving this album a singular quality belonging only to the trio that is Oren Ambarchi, Johan Berthling and Andreas Werliin. Experience their latest sound and mind revelations on August 29, 2025.
Oren Ambarchi / Johan Berthling / Andreas Werliin 2025 Tour Dates
July 4 – Monheim, Germany @ Monheim Triennale II
July 26 – Braga, Portugal @ Extremo Festival
Sept. 5 – Kristiansand, Norway @ Punkt Festival
Sept. 16 – London, United Kingdom @ ICA – Institute of Contemporary Arts
