Theory Therapy 101: ghosttropics
Warm, melancholic sounds for staying in
So happy to welcome ghosttropics to the series. Ryan Mandelbaum first gained recognition through their Bandcamp reviews, and has since grown their writing into their own Substack and as a contributor to Shawn Reynaldo’s First Floor. Always digging and always listening, with an instinct for finding the strange, overlooked and deeply affecting, they bring that same curiosity to this Theory Therapy mix.
Hey Ryan. How are you today?
Pretty good, thanks! Listening to some ambient music with my dog curled up at my feet as I write this, so I am feeling very much in my element.
What was the last song you listened to?
I threw on “Underwater (Dub)” by Dregs pretty much the moment I woke up today. I’ve been returning to this one quite a bit lately, it’s so sexy but also incredibly sleazy, it makes me think of the smell of cigarettes and cheap perfume and the way they mix together to create a scent that is weirdly alluring even if I don’t necessarily like the smell of either on their own?
Where’s your favourite place to listen to music?
I don’t really use headphones when I am out after a crazy experience years ago that made me hyper vigilant about being aware of my surroundings, but every now and then I enjoy blasting some really questionable music from my bluetooth speaker during my work day as a dog walker. People give you some really baffled looks when you are surrounded by five dogs and have Les Rallizes Dénudés or Primitive Man blasting from a speaker. I probably enjoy the “freaking out the neighbourhood” aspect of it more than I should, but it’s good to challenge people sometimes.
What’s the best music discovery you’ve made recently?
Follow my substack to find out…mostly kidding, though it is hard to answer this one without either talking about something I plan to write about or have already covered. As I mentioned on a recent newsletter, I am a bit obsessed at the moment with brm & nuwa’s “Space by Keating” on the always amazing Altered State Tapes. It’s a difficult one to describe or even wrap my head around, which is probably why I love it so much. Blurry, loose and exploratory are some of the words I’d use to try to describe it though. Apparently both of the members are in their early 20’s which sort of blows my mind considering how fully realized and mature the sound is.
A lot of your following has grown organically through the music you write about and share. Was building an audience ever something you actively thought about, or did it just happen naturally?
To be honest it didn’t even cross my mind initially that I could possibly gain any sort of following writing my little Bandcamp blurbs, it was just a way to show my appreciation to the artists while also creating a bit more intention in my listening practice. I can’t remember exactly when, but at some point I started to pick up on the fact that people were really resonating with my writing, and at that point I started to be a bit more consistent with it — not so much with any clear intention, but more in a “what if…?” sort of way. Even if I didn’t have any exact plans to pursue this thing further, there was definitely a part of me that felt like I was planting some potential seeds for the future. But at the end of the day, I was always just doing this for the love of it. The music and connection are still what matter to me the most.
Do you think writing about music has changed the way you listen to it?
Not as much as you might think. Like sure, I can say that it has become a full time job simply trying to keep up with new stuff, but that has also sort of always been the case for me as a music obsessive, and one of the reasons I write about this stuff in the first place. It’s a way to consciously zero in on and spend more time intentionally with the music that really resonates.
I also have a big rule in place for myself that if writing about/discovering new music starts to feel like a chore as opposed to something I want to do, then I slow down or even take a little break. Music is one of the few things on this earth that is truly sacred to me and I refuse to allow the “work” aspect to taint that.
Lots of people discover music through your Bandcamp and Substack but what’s your favourite way of discovering music these days?
You know the saying: behind every music nerd is a bunch of other music nerds. Maybe I just made that up, but I’m lucky to have quite a few people in my life with amazing taste who are constantly putting me on to new stuff, whether in casual discussions or on their own publications. I’ve waited my whole life for these sort of friendships and so I do not take them for granted! I’ve also (amazingly) gotten to the point recently where lots of great music I’d never otherwise have heard is finding its way to my inbox directly from artists and labels as promo. It’s kind of crazy how often I open an email from someone I’ve never heard of and discover my new favourite album. Incredible music is happening all around us all of the time, we just have to make ourselves receptive to discovering it.
Talk us through your Theory Therapy mix – where did it come together, and what kind of space were you in mentally or musically when you made it?
I was in a pretty emotional state when I recorded this one. I recorded it over the last long weekend of the summer, when I should have been at a festival dancing with all of my friends, but was instead stuck at home with a chronic pain flare up that periodically has a big affect on my mobility. I was definitely feeling a bit bad for myself, with a deep sense of longing for that deep level of human connection I knew I was missing out on that weekend, so I decided to put it all into my mix. It was incredibly therapeutic for me, and when it was finished I actually felt much better, like I did something meaningful and found my own way to connect with the world even if it wasn’t on the dancefloor.
Is there a particular track in the mix that feels especially representative of where you were at the time?
The final track for sure. I am very much a hopeless romantic, a big fan of love in its many forms. I also think the shift to autumn just makes that need for intimate human connection feel that much more important, and so I admittedly tend to get a little lovesick around this time of year. I’ve always thought that track, Touch My Face by Aleah, to be one of the sweetest love songs I have ever heard. We have a billion songs about kissing, but something about the touch on the face from a lover is such a simple and yet deeply complex thing that doesn’t get talked about enough. RIP to Aleah <3
Where would you recommend listening to the mix?
To me this is quintessentially a fall/winter mix and best enjoyed at home under a blanket, ideally after getting in from the cold. I feel like there is a certain coziness to the melancholy felt in these chillier months, allowing you to really lean into the small comforts of your own little refuge from the world. Bonus points if you have a window with a nice view to longingly stare out of while listening. That’s what I was doing when I made this because I love being dramatic.
Tell us something exciting that’s coming up in your life, music or otherwise.
To be honest I am still processing the fact that I am doing a mix for Theory Therapy. How the heck did this happen?!