Ghost of Panama is a London-based band that has steadily evolved since its formation in early 2022, moving from a flexible lineup to a refined two-piece of Keith Welham and Cristabel Liu. Their journey began with a series of singles that established their presence in Central and West London, before a shift in 2024 toward more studio-focused work led to the release of their first EP as a duo, The Wrecking of the Cargo King. The band’s name, drawn from William Burroughs’ The Soft Machine, reflects their enigmatic spirit, offering a surreal sense of imagery that mirrors the atmospheric and layered quality of their music. With Keith handling instruments and voice, and Cristabel adding her lead vocals and instrumental talents, the duo have created a sound that is at once experimental and deeply rooted in emotional expression. By 2025, Ghost of Panama had carved out a distinct place for themselves, weaving literary influence, personal reflection, and sonic exploration into an identity that feels both haunting and thought-provoking.
The EP “Astral Days and Spectral Letters” by Ghost of Panama released on April 17th, 2025, is a striking body of work that demonstrates the duo’s ability to translate raw experience into compelling music. Emerging from a period marked by deep uncertainty and isolation, the collection carries a weight that feels both personal and universal. The production, handled entirely in Keith Welham’s home studio in West London, gives the record an intimacy that cannot be overlooked. Every element feels carefully shaped yet instinctive, balancing atmosphere with structure, creating a listening experience that draws you inward. The music does not try to overcomplicate itself but instead allows emotion to steer its direction, giving the project an organic sense of honesty.
At the heart of “Astral Days and Spectral Letters” is the track “Astronauts”, which anchors the EP with a clarity of vision and thematic strength. The song reflects on the global pandemic through vivid imagery and emotional resonance, capturing both the heaviness of isolation and the quiet resilience that many carried during lockdown. There is a haunting quality in the way vocals and instrumentation intertwine, with Cristabel Liu’s lead delivery offering both fragility and strength. The layering of sounds builds a sense of distance and closeness all at once, mirroring the contradictory emotions of the period it portrays. While personal in tone, the song speaks to a shared experience, making it easy for listeners to find pieces of themselves within its lines.
Astral Days and Spectral Letters EP Track List:
Astronauts:
“Astronauts,” the opening track on “Astral Days and Spectral Letters,” immediately establishes the unsettling atmosphere that defines the EP. The song begins with a warped, distorted bass line that lurches forward in uneasy repetition, recalling the jagged drive of The Fall’s “Tempo House.” This foundation is intentionally destabilizing, refusing to offer comfort and instead pulling the listener into a sonic space where balance is perpetually uncertain. Angular guitar lines fracture the surface like sudden flashes of light, cutting across the murky pulse of the bass, while rhythmic shifts complicate what might otherwise settle into predictability. Recorded within the confines of a London home studio, the production leans into its lo-fi textures, with hiss and layered effects amplifying the claustrophobic mood, giving the impression of being trapped within the song’s orbit.
Cristabel Liu’s vocal performance intensifies this sense of unease while remaining remarkably restrained. She does not project with force but rather hovers spectrally above the instrumentation, her delivery cool and detached yet laced with quiet vulnerability. The choice to layer harmonies in unexpected ways enhances the impression of multiple voices singing across dimensions, unanchored from the distorted bassline beneath. By avoiding theatrical flourishes, Cristabel ensures that her calmness becomes unsettling in itself, creating an eerie dissonance between voice and soundscape. This deliberate restraint allows emotion to seep through subtly rather than explosively, making the listening experience all the more haunting.
The interplay between instrumentation and vocals sustains a mood of disorientation throughout “Astronauts.” The guitars cut jaggedly across the bass, the rhythms tilt slightly off-center, and the lo-fi textures enclose the listener in an atmosphere that is tense yet hypnotic. There is a refusal here to polish or smooth out the roughness; instead, the song leans into its abrasiveness, heightening the emotional unease it seeks to embody. It reflects the psychological weight of isolation and uncertainty, forcing the listener to inhabit that headspace rather than escape it. The tension is not resolved but deliberately carried through to the track’s conclusion, leaving the sense of drifting unmoored.
What ultimately makes “Astronauts” such a compelling centerpiece is its intent to confront discomfort head-on. It does not console or provide relief but instead insists that listeners engage directly with the alienation it portrays. The distorted bass, spectral vocals, and suffocating production converge to create a track that is both immersive and disquieting, lingering long after it ends. By evoking the sensation of floating adrift, far from familiar gravity, Ghost of Panama transform the track into a haunting metaphor for isolation and distance, setting the emotional and sonic tone for the entire EP.
Spectral:
“Spectral,” one of the standout tracks on “Astral Days and Spectral Letters,” feels like the ghostly echo of what comes before it. If “Astronauts” dissects isolation with raw immediacy, “Spectral” lingers in the aftermath, inhabiting the hazy territory between memory and haunting. The track signals its intent from the title itself, embodying the idea of being present yet intangible, existing as a shadow rather than a fixed form. Musically, it leans toward the ethereal, with layered guitars and synth textures that shimmer and diffuse into vapor-like tones. The rhythm is subdued and flowing, allowing the instruments to swell and recede like mist, creating an atmosphere that is immersive yet elusive.
Cristabel Liu’s vocals heighten this sense of ghostliness, guiding the track while remaining untethered to its foundations. Her delivery is marked by airy precision, more like thoughts echoing through a half-remembered dream than direct lyrics. She strikes a balance between vulnerability and distance, her voice close enough to be felt but too fleeting to be fully grasped. Layered harmonies overlap and intertwine like drifting phantoms, multiplying her presence while also dissolving it. This approach turns her performance into something spectral in itself, enhancing the impression that the song exists in two worlds at once: both here and not here, both tangible and intangible.
What makes “Spectral” so affecting is its patience and refusal to rush. Unlike the distorted force of “Astronauts,” it does not demand attention but instead unfolds slowly, enveloping the listener in its atmospheric drift. Its structure suspends time, immersing the listener in a liminal current where presence fades into absence. In this way, it acts as both a continuation and a counterpoint to the EP’s opening, moving from sharp immediacy to blurred reflection. As the track dissolves, it leaves behind an impression more felt than heard, as though one has traced the outline of something never fully there. It may not be the loudest statement on the EP, but it stands as one of the most evocative, lingering long after its final notes vanish.
The rest of the EP continues in this reflective spirit, expanding on themes of resilience, disconnection, and the search for meaning in uncertain times. Ghost of Panama use their influences, notably The Fall, as a springboard rather than a limitation, shaping a sound that is distinctly their own. Each track contributes to the overarching atmosphere of the release, with instrumentation that shifts between textured depth and minimalist clarity. The duo’s collaborative dynamic shines throughout, with Keith’s instrumental foundations providing a strong backdrop for Cristabel’s evocative vocals. The music manages to feel rooted in its moment while still carrying a timeless quality, which is a testament to the band’s evolving craft.
Astral Days and Spectral Letters is a Hauntingly Intimate Journey Where Ghost of Panama Turn Isolation And Memory Into Evocative Soundscapes
Ultimately, “Astral Days and Spectral Letters” is not just another addition to Ghost of Panama’s discography but a significant artistic statement. It captures a slice of history through a deeply human lens, transforming shared struggles into something poetic and enduring. The EP stands as evidence of the band’s growth and their ability to fuse experimentation with emotional resonance. By grounding their sound in lived experience while reaching outward to universal themes, Ghost of Panama have created a release that invites listeners not only to hear but to feel. It is an offering that solidifies the band’s place as one of the most intriguing voices to emerge from London’s evolving music landscape.
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