With the first-ever commercial release of Ghost Story, Ron Geesin finally lifts the veil on one of the most peculiar and captivating British horror scores of the 1970s. Conceived for Stephen Weeks’ unconventional film—also known as Madhouse Mansion and Asylum of Blood—the album stands as a testament to Geesin’s ability to blur boundaries between tradition and sonic innovation. Across 24 tracks, the composer interweaves folk melodies, tape experiments, and early synthesizer textures, uniting them into a tapestry that is as bonkers as it is precise. Recorded in the company of legendary collaborators (including Marianne Faithfull, whose infamous session delivered uncanny essence if little actual vocal performance), Geesin’s studio became a playground for ghostly voices, warped jazz, and mutated sound effects.
The result is a score that defies easy genre categorization: spectral choral passages merge with mechanical rhythms and sinister wind sections, evoking not just the gothic tropes of British horror, but also the playful absurdity found in Geesin’s work with Pink Floyd. Geesin’s approach never resorts to cliché—every sonic layer is informed by a restless curiosity, rendering ritualistic dread as musical collage. The score’s dynamic range and odd timing emphasize the supernatural themes while injecting flashes of black humour and campfire eeriness.
Presented on limited vinyl by Trunk Records and accompanied by previously unseen studio images, Ghost Story is a vital document for connoisseurs of experimental soundtracks and vintage British cinema. With only 700 copies pressed, half of which are reserved for Trunk’s devoted following, the set is as collectible as it is listenable—a unique collision of pastoral folk, avant-garde electronics, and horror whimsy. Ron Geesin’s Ghost Story is not just a rediscovered relic; it is an invitation to inhabit the irreverent imagination and technical mastery of one of the UK’s true sonic explorers. Fifty years on, this “happy day” release completes a neglected chapter in the story of experimental film music, offering contemporary listeners a chance to experience its full spectral resonance in any season—not just Halloween.
