From LA-based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist BOYO (aka Robert Tilden) comes “Ghost Noise,” a melodic indie-pop release with a macabre undercurrent. On the track, Tilden’s friendly soundscape grows anxious as their lyrics shift from a tale of fantastical illusion to domestic nightmare. Corey Watson directed and animated the accompanying music video, which pays homage to the artistry of Japanese anime. Watson’s visual work heightens the emotional expanse of “Ghost Noise” even further.
“Corey has worked on a bunch of BOYO visuals and is part of the Park the Van family,” Tilden tells us. “We’ve both talked about doing an anime-inspired video or project for a while now, and are both gluttons for that late-’90s/early-2000s a la Ghost in the Shell, Akira, Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo to name a few.” Watson adds that it’s the result of taking all of their late-night conversations about anime and merging them all into one.
The track itself can be found on Tilden’s latest album, Alone Together In Los Angeles, which was released in December 2020. It was a quick and worthy follow-up to their June 2020 album, Where Have All My Friends Gone? Both champion Tilden’s developing artistry and demonstrate their diverse style and voice. From the latter release, “Ghost Noise” is certainly a highlight.
It “is about being haunted by mementos and specters from the past but submitting to it,” Tilden explains to us, “and the video sort of takes that a step further with a very anime take of an alternate, ‘evil’ version of the main character, ultimately displacing him.”
Hero image screenshot from “Ghost Noise,” animated by Corey Watson