Pigeon Spins Featuring an Interview with The Ghostly Pulse

The Ghostly Pulse is a Cologne-based music project by Nik Nova, creating cinematic, dark alternative soundscapes with subtle post-punk and trip-hop undercurrents. The project explores themes of identity, social fragmentation and psychological tension.

The Ghostly Pulse is a Cologne-based project creating cinematic, dark alternative music with subtle post-punk and trip-hop undercurrents. “Oh Heavy Rain” explores identity fragmentation and social contradiction through restraint, repetition, and atmosphere. Written, recorded, and mixed by Nik Nova, mastered by Shawn Joseph (Portishead).

The Ghostly Pulse - Oh Heavy Rain

Interview with The Ghostly Pulse

The track explores identity fragmentation and social contradiction. How do you translate such abstract themes into something listeners can emotionally connect with?

I try to avoid explaining too much. Instead, I focus on restraint, repetition, and atmosphere — letting emotions emerge slowly. Repetition works like a mantra for me; it helps build and release tension and creates a hypnotic space where listeners can project their own experiences. The goal is to make the feeling tangible rather than the message explicit.

You emphasize restraint, repetition, and atmosphere. How do you keep that from becoming monotonous?

For me, repetition isn’t about looping ideas but about shaping dynamics. Small shifts in texture, tone, or intensity can completely change how a repeated element feels. I’m interested in that almost hypnotic state — where subtle changes become meaningful and time feels slightly suspended.

The Ghostly Pulse is based in Cologne. How does the city influence your sound?

Cologne has definitely shaped the project. There’s a strong contrast between urban density and nature — a lot of concrete, but also unexpected green spaces. The long grey periods in autumn and winter, mixed with increasingly extreme weather, create emotional fluctuations. At the same time, the region has a rich music scene beyond the typical carnival and pop associations — from indie and post-punk to krautrock and electronic music. That openness feeds directly into the project.

Your themes touch on social fragmentation and psychological tension. Do you worry this might alienate more casual listeners?

Not really. I think emotional honesty resonates, even if the themes are dark. There’s always a sense of hope in the music — a fragile one, but it’s there. I’m more interested in depth than accessibility, and I trust listeners to meet the music halfway.

Trip-hop and post-punk both have strong legacies. How do you differentiate The Ghostly Pulse within those genres?

Those influences are part of my musical DNA, but I don’t see them as boundaries. I’m more interested in atmosphere and cinematic tension than genre purity. Films have also been an influence — classic sci-fi and horror imagery, but also Wim Wenders’ Wings of Desire. That sense of distance, observation, and quiet intensity feels very close to what I’m trying to express.

The project is entirely created by you, with mastering by Shawn Joseph. Does handling so much of the process yourself risk losing objectivity?

That risk definitely exists, and I’m aware of it. Working alone allows ideas to unfold without compromise, but it also requires conscious distance and self-questioning. Time, stepping away, and external ears become essential. Shawn's mastering adds that final layer of perspective — it balances the emotional intensity and gives the music room to breathe.

What do you want listeners to take away from The Ghostly Pulse moving into 2025 and beyond?

I hope the music creates a space where people feel less alone with their inner tension. There’s a video coming in January, and realistically an EP planned for 2026 — maybe even an LP. The project is evolving, but the core remains the same: exploring vulnerability, fragmentation, and the quiet moments where something human still breaks through.

Oh Heavy Rain is a single release. How does it fit into your broader artistic vision for The Ghostly Pulse?

Oh Heavy Rain is almost a ballad and at the same time the foundation for a new sound. I worked on it for over two months, both compositionally and sonically, until it felt right. It defines the direction The Ghostly Pulse is taking — focused, cinematic, and emotionally restrained — and sets the tone for what follows.

The track explores identity fragmentation and social contradiction. How do you translate such abstract themes into music listhat teners can emotionally connect with?

I avoid explaining everything too clearly. Repetition, restraint, and atmosphere leave space for listeners to project their own experiences. The song reflects inner fracture and loss of identity in a society driven by profit rather than empathy, but there’s also a fragile sense of hope beneath the surface.

What’s next for The Ghostly Pulse?

A music video is planned for early 2026, and an EP feels realistic within that timeframe. Whether it expands into a full album will evolve naturally.

(•)> That's all, Folks! Check out The Ghostly Pulse on the Pigeon Spins Playlist