If someone asked another to identify Ghost-Note within a genre, one would have trouble coming up with a good answer. The brainchild of Robert “Sput” Searight and Nate Werth has been capturing the attention of Snarky Puppy fanatics for a while now, but their debut album, Fortified, is a game changer that deserves recognition from all types of music-lovers. Immediately blasting to the #1 spot on the iTunes jazz chart upon release, Fortified is more than just a percussionist’s wildest dream, it’s a collaboration of world-class players featuring 18 of today’s rising musicians in Shaun Martin, N’Dambi, Mark Lettieri, Caleb McCampbell, Jason “JT” Thomas, RSVP, Nick Werth, Cleon Edwards, Taron Lockett, Marcelo Woloski, Wes Stephenson, Bob Lanzetti, A.J. Brown, Frank Moka, Ben Bohorquez, and Sylvester Onyejiaka.

As expected, Fortified features percussion galore. Add layers of synthesizers, drum pads, bass, guitar, horns, melodica, and vocals, and the combination of instruments and styles is simply ground-breaking. We get an experience that mixes live and electronic elements so seamlessly it defies genre classification. With a production quality reminiscent of Hiatus Kaiyote’s Choose Your Weapon (2015), Ghost-Note’s Fortified could nearly pass as an electronic album. The dance grooves, effects, samples, and synths combine with the jaw-dropping musicianship of Searight, Werth, and company to create a musical experience that has yet to be matched by another group this year.

The opening song, “Conversations”, has Sput and Werth playing off of each other as a small crowd cheers on their grooves. A few eyebrow-raising explorations of their unique xylo-synth’s sampling abilities lead to the next song, “Ewe (ay-way)”. This track immediately catches your attention and will lock you in to the world of Ghost-Note. Sput lays down drum fills over an energetic latin drum circle, which gradually build until the last third of the song. Then bass and synth pad lines with a half time drum beat take over. The variety of styles, instrumentation, and use of production techniques makes for a truly masterful accomplishment that tangibly taps into so many genres of music.

The following track, “Deep Felix” introduces even more elements as trancy vocal and synth lines play over a slowly introduced breakbeat from Sput that transforms the song. “Deep Felix” builds intensity throughout, and Sput and Werth lead the way as the last 30 seconds of the song become a crazy percussion solo.

At this point it appears that Fortified is a new-age electronic album, but then “Reduction” happens. Quickly changing the mood with a mean funk groove featuring Mark Lettieri on guitar, “Reduction” breaks down about halfway through into a musical section that will jive with D’Angelo and RHCP fans alike. “Go Go Gadget” keeps the funk alive with a heavy 5/4 street hiphop beat from Sput, Werth, and featured guest Taron Lockett, paired with bass lines from Shaun Martin on Moog. Both “Joshua Johnson” and “Galaxe Interlude” are synth and sample-heavy hip hop beats in the making, and “Beatie” and “Jungle Boogie-in’” provide more fiery demonstration of percussive prowess.

To change things up a bit, “Ja-make-ya Dance” is an island beat and subsequent “Frogger” is, well, hard to describe. Searight and Werth finish this album on a high note with Snarky Puppy favorites “Can’t Get Right” and “Thing of Gold”, paying homage to their homebase music collective with horn and synth lines very reminiscent of the original versions. Ghost-Note’s rendition of “Thing of Gold”, from Snarky Puppy’s Ground Up release, comes complete with a bass line from Shaun Martin, a melodica solo from Caleb McCampbell, Jason “JT” Thomas on drums, and Marcelo Woloski on auxiliary percussion.

Ghost-Note has created groundbreaking work in Fortified, combining a multitude of genres and musical techniques with a very unique layering of instruments. The musicianship of Searight and Werth is undeniable, and a bold debut album should pay off for the group and bring them the hype they officially deserve. Last time we checked, Fortified is already leaving fans excited for the future.

Fortified, released by RSVP Records in affiliation with Ropeadope Records, is available for purchase and streaming on Ghost-Note’s official Bandcamp. For more information, follow them on Facebook. You can also listen to the full album, streaming below: