Nine Dragons - Ghost Hall (2017)

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Nine Dragons is the black sheep of the Ghost Hall album family, with very few samples but keeping the lonely city vibes alive with a focus on the Kowloon Walled City. I first discovered this fascinating place through the Dreamcast game Shenmue II, set in Hong Kong with run down and abandoned buildings including the “Ghost Hall Building” from which this entire project takes its name.

At one point, the most densely populated place on Earth, the Kowloon Walled City was a conglomeration of buildings which sprang up due to the hands off approach of British and local government towards Hong Kong in general. Unchecked construction lead to many buildings in close proximity creating a crowded haven of workplaces and cramped living spaces with little to no rules in the worst parts.

Despite this, life went on for the people living in the walled city and those who couldn’t afford to live or work in the less cramped parts of Hong Kong found a home there before its demolition in 1997. Using the amazing photographic book ‘City Of Darkness’ for inspiration I created an album journey through the streets of the walled city, into its homes and up onto the rooftops below the landing path for Kai Tak Airport.

For the album’s cover I recreated one of the photos from City Of Darkness in miniature with a stairwell, front door, letter box and pipes all visible. The album’s name is derived from the transliteration of Kowloon, which is Nine Dragons, the phrase was also featured in Shenmue as a password, “Father’s Heaven, Nine Dragons, Mother’s Earth, Comrades”.