I can't go the entire month of October without posting one of my all-time favorite industrial audio tracks. Throbbing Gristle's "Hamburger Lady" is so dark, raw and visceral, and still just grinds on you even 48 years after its initial release.
Add to it the horrifying nature of the lyrics (less "lyrics" but more a reading of a grotesque account of a fictional burn victim - hence the "hamburger"...) and the reverberation and repetition in which they are recited just adds to the unsettling nature of this track.
But it's so good. Like an accident that you can't look away from, you'll just keep listening to the grating, repetitive dirge of this song. A perfect creepy element to take us through another Halloween season.
I make no secret of my love of the dark ambient music genre. It sets such a great uneasy mood, and I have always thought that it works really well in haunt settings. With no recognizable patterns or vocals, the audio sits nicely in the background, supporting and heightening the tension of the haunt setting, never becoming a distracting focus.
For years I have been using various dark ambient tracks in my yard haunt, and in the last 4 or 5 I have settled on what I have found to be a perfect track. A wonderful, dark balance of creepiness and eerie foreboding. I absolutely love this track and every time I play it, it instantly takes me into the middle of my yard haunt display...
Enjoy the unofficial haunt soundtrack of Highbury Cemetery, artist Jeff Greinke's 1992 dark ambient masterpiece, The Moor.
Here's a great one for the long weekend. Lustmord's 2024 release, Much Unseen Is Also Here, is an absolute dark ambient standout in a catalog full of incredible releases in his long and storied career. Oozing with lush, dense atmosphere with an overarching sense of darkness and subtle uneasiness, it will serve as a perfect soundtrack to a long weekend of getting those props and projects done! The clock is ticking...
The Halloween display is all put away. The golden, orange, and brown leaves have all fallen from the trees. The last of the sun-warmed days of Autumn are gone. We now look ahead to the desolation of winter.
A perfect track to usher in the changing of the season. Cold, dark, and grating. Welcome, winter!
I couldn't go the entire month of October without posting one of my all-time favorite industrial audio tracks. Throbbing Gristle's "Hamburger Lady" is so dark, raw and visceral, and still just grinds on you even 47 years after its initial release.
Add to it the horrifying nature of the lyrics (less "lyrics" but more a reading of a grotesque account of a fictional burn victim - hence the "hamburger"...) and the reverberation and repetition in which they are recited just adds to the unsettling nature of this track.
But it's so good. Like an accident that you can't look away from, you'll just keep listening to the grating, repetitive dirge of this song. A perfect creepy element to round out another Halloween season.
Slasher Dave does it again with a brand new release, "deadicated" to people just like you and me! Home Haunter drops just in time for the Halloween season, featuring 12 new tracks of synthwave/horror/ambient audio goodness. And this time, he has even named tracks after a collection of inspiring and incredible home haunts throughout the country. (I guess Highbury Cemetery will be featured on Volume 2, eh Dave?) :)
We have one week to go, and this one has been powering me through some late nights in the garage. Rocket fuel for home haunters!! Let's go!!
Atrium Carceri, Metatron Omega, ProtoU, Cities Last Broadcast and Kammarheit. A literal who's who of the dark ambient genre and a perfect Monday playlist to focus the dark atmosphere for next week's Halloween celebrations. Cryo Chamber is again bringing the goods.
One part surf rock, one part retro film score, one part sound effects record: This is Bradley Thomas Turner’s recipe for a perfect Halloween party soundtrack.
Haunted House Party plays like a walking tour through the All Hallow’s Eve soiree of your dreams (or is it nightmares?). This record will make you feel like you’re in an episode of Scooby-Doo, but this time … the monsters are real.
Library of the Occult Records brings a release of a different vibe in Bradley Thomas Turner's Haunted House Party. A totally swinging set of tracks that would be right at home in your local haunted tiki bar. A perfect release for a chill Saturday morning during an otherwise hectic and dark October season. The full release of this groovy set drops on Halloween!
Some of his music was performed on industrial and domestic tools, as well as on self-made instruments and electronic media. His influence was noted by bands such as The Sisters of Mercy, Throbbing Gristle, and Deine Lakaien, and he became better known in Japan, the U.S. and Britain than in Germany. His music was "characterized by a fondness for the nightmarish and the fantastic."
Another fantastic track from the dawn of dark ambient. German artist Peter Frohmader'sNekropolis project from 1981. Very dark, very discordant, but ooh so good.
We have reached the end of another week, so that means it's time for another Freebie Friday! Time to share another forgotten gem from the murky depths of my Halloween "spooky sounds" collection.
There are a ton of releases called Scary Sounds, but this particular version of Scary Sounds is in fact SIXTY full minutes of the creeps! I don't have much background info on this release other than it was composed in 1998 by Steven L. Hartman, produced by the Stanley-Lawrence Company, and released in cassette and CD formats.
The quality of this release is excellent, with two full sides of clean, rich audio. Both sides rely predominantly on heavy reverb and left-to-right channel "warbling" over a base of somewhat standard thunder, synthesizer organ, swamp critters, and a few echoing evil laughs and groans. And a few clips played backwards? But it all works! A real pulsating creepiness is achieved on both sides without any cheap, silly, or annoying sounds prevalent in many of the releases from decades before. I would sum it up by saying this is a more mature, atmospheric and developed "spooky sounds" release.
Each side is broken up into three segments. Side A being Ghoulish/Eerie/Creepy, and Side B being Morbid/Haunting/Spooky. Exceptionally great track names, but each side plays well as a single track. There are a few breaks in the sounds, but I couldn't absolutely identify where the track breaks are supposed to be. So for me, each side plays as one single track.
I bought this one on a whim, based solely on the cool pen-and-ink skull drawing on the cover, and it paid off nicely. It was an unexpectedly cool release for the price and offers a full hour's worth of the creeps! This one is highly recommended to add to your collection!
A long time ago, I decided that I wanted to take my meager Halloween yard display to the next level. I wanted to build more detailed props including coffins and tombstones. I thought more about lighting effects and the use of color. And I wanted to add to the overall creepy feel of the display through the use of music. No more silly "spooky sounds" cassettes (although they ARE still really fun!), I wanted to take the display from fun to deadly serious...
It was at about this time that I discovered the dark ambient genre. I happened upon my wife's CD collection, where she recommended Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works Volume II. I dropped the disc in the player and was absolutely amazed by what I heard. Tracks that were more akin to background sounds without any lyrics of identifiable repeats. And so much creepy atmosphere! I instantly knew that audio like this would make a perfect backdrop to my display. It added an unsettling soundtrack that would lay "behind" the visuals of the display without overwhelming or drawing attention away from the main focus.
I ended up grabbing six tracks from the Apex Twin CD to make my first "display soundtrack playlist." Every track a haunting, atmospheric cut to instill fear and unease in the trick-or-treaters on Halloween night.
And since that time, I have continued to refine things throughout my display, including the audio portion. I continue to discover new artists and tracks from the dark ambient genre, and use them in the display.
But every October I still go back to that original playlist to revisit those memories. And every time I hit play on this track, the one that begins that original playlist, I still get a sly smile and a jolt across my belly as it transports me back. Matchsticks will always be an important piece of Highbury history and will always be in my October playlist.
A little "cryptwave" for your Saturday! Another really cool, totally random YouTube find.
Each Autumn in the late 80s and early 90s saw the abundance of Halloween cassette tapes available in every retail store. These tapes would include sound effects, music, spoken word, or a combination of two or three of these elements, often with cheap packaging and illustrations. They were meant to add atmosphere to Halloween parties and in-home haunted houses, and could often be heard playing on boomboxes while trick-or-treating. As cassette tape became an irrelevant format, these soundtracks made a brief transition to compact disc before disappearing entirely in the age of digital streaming music.
As a defender of the old and the irrelevant, and as a conjurer of nostalgia and tradition, Netherworld Nate has brought this concept back from the dead and created the first such soundtrack since the days of yore - Bloodcurdling Sounds, a homage to old Halloween scare tapes! Created entirely on synthesizers and sounding as if it was recorded in a moldering coffin, this is Cimitir at it's most atmospheric!
Here is another absolute gem from the dawn of the dark ambient genre. German electronic composer Peter Frohmader's incredible Nekropolis project from 1981 featuring this hauntingly dark, discordant composition.
From Wikipedia: Some of his music was performed on industrial and domestic tools, as well as on self-made instruments and electronic media. His influence was noted by bands such as The Sisters of Mercy, Throbbing Gristle, and Deine Lakaien, and he became better known in Japan, the U.S. and Britain than in Germany. His music was "characterized by a fondness for the nightmarish and the fantastic."
The original 1981 LP release on which this track is featured, Musik Aus Dem Schattenreich, has gone straight into the Cemetery wantlist and will be on constant rotation throughout the spooky season.
I have long been a fan of dark ambient, the music genre that I still feel perfectly embodies the creepiness of the Halloween season (and makes a perfect soundtrack for any yard haunt!). And as I continue to seek out more and different releases, I find myself discovering rarer sub-genres and releases to fill my growing library.
Case in point is this incredible track dating all the way back to 1985. I don't yet know much about Metgumbnerbone, outside of the fact that they are an obscure industrial/ritual ambient act from Newcastle, England, founded in 1983 and still recording today. But upon hearing this track, I'm definitely seeking out more of their work, because this one is really dark and haunting!
"Death" is on constant repeat as I'm working on props in the garage all weekend. Enjoy!
With our time quickly dwindling down on another festive Halloween season, I wanted to drop one more surprise. The past three weeks have been a total blur with the amount of activity going on, but I was able to make time to get one last project completed before the big night.
As Above, So Below (The Reprise) is another new track from Charnel House, my haunt ambient audio project. This track is actually a reworking of an early track that was released, but I was never quite completely happy with. I went back and added more discordant, harsher sounds to give it a darker feel, and I'm much happier with the results.
The season of light and warmth begins its slow transformation, and the cold creep of darkness and decay takes hold. The balance of all things continues cyclically. The blaze of Autumn’s ashen tones envelopes the land as withered remains become one within the burial chamber... This new track, like all of my Charnel House releases, are absolutely 100% FREE to download and use in your haunt display or other Halloween project! My gift back to the Halloween community. Enjoy!
And visit my Charnel House page, where you can sample and download my earlier releases! At some point, I will have the page updated with all the newer releases. At some point...
One week to go until the big night, and the "to-do" list is starting to suffocate. So many little projects left to complete in an already full schedule. Couple that with a rapidly decreasing weather forecast, and the stress levels are starting to rise.
Luckily, I can just stop for a second, press play on an absolute classic dark ambient release like this, take a deep breath, refocus and put the hammer down. I'm still hopeful of getting it all done and still hopeful that this year's trick-or-treat isn't a complete washout...
An ode to the Lovecraftian lore of Shub Niggurath, Black Goat of the Woods was conceived as "the soundtrack from some lost low budget horror movie, rediscovered on an old and faded VHS cassette found mouldering in a deserted house in the depths of the woods."
Black Goat of the Woods pays homage to the dark denizen of the nocturnal glades, and is a true paean to backwoods horror.
So I woke up late today to a cold, rainy, miserable day, still completely exhausted from a fun night of guest acting at the Akron Haunted Schoolhouse & Laboratory. With the late start, crummy weather, and a tired, depleted body, I quickly realized that everything I had planned for the day just went right out the window...
But I did want to drop this one for today. I originally posted this back in March, but I have been revisiting this release by Lords Of Infinity again lately, and I still find it to be an exceptional track to listen to during the Halloween season. Perfectly dark and creepy.
And how could you NOT love a track with THAT title!?
Here we are at day 2 of the Countdown To Halloween celebration and I have ANOTHER surprise! Earlier this summer, I decided to revisit Charnel House, my "haunt ambient" audio project. I wanted to have a special release (still to come) for the big Highbury Cemetery 20th Anniversary, so I dusted off the headphones, grabbed a few old files and went to work!
Charnel House started back in 2018. I had discovered (and fallen in love with) the dark ambient genre, and had started using various dark ambient audio tracks in my annual Halloween yard haunt display. This type of audio sits just in the background and perfectly supports the ghastly visuals presented across the front yard, never taking over the focus with any recognizable sound.
In 2017, I started thinking about the creation of this style of music. I was very interested in the sounds used and eventually very curious about how to create them myself. I began to research audio software and how I could learn to use it. I have no formal musical education, outside of jackhammering on an old bass guitar in a fun punk band many years ago, but I knew exactly the sound I was looking for.
Fast forward to the start of 2018, and I took the plunge. I was deeply inspired as I set about learning how to "compose" my own ambient audio. I didn't yet know how to assemble it, but I fumbled through the process, even going as far as experimenting with my first field recordings.
As I continued to gather and create different clips and sounds, I began to refine my first test audio track. I walked a fine line adhering to my vision of creating ambient audio that spanned the dark ambient genre and the spirit of Halloween.
And today, I'm REALLY excited to resurrect this project and share the first brand new track, Upon Summer's End...
Withering foliage turns to fire before falling to brown earth. Once-warm breezes are cut sharply as the life cycle transitions toward its end. The oncoming darkness slowly creeps further, winning its battle against summer's light. The shadows hold whispers of the dark season to come...
This new track, like all of my Charnel House releases, are absolutely 100% FREE to download and use in your haunt display or other Halloween project! My gift back to the Halloween community. Enjoy!
Boy, did I miss the boat on this one! I just recently discovered the incredible releases from Library Of The Occult Records out of the UK. The label describes itself as, “Esoteric Electronics, Dungeon Jazz and Wizard Psych sounds on limited vinyl releases." Sign me up!
Alongside the incredible sounds, each release is meticulously designed to mimic the iconic throwback look of 70's occult/folk horror. Wonderful, "Satanic" imagery perfectly paired with ornate typography and a bold palette of reds, blacks, and purples make each a true work of art.
I have been snapping up a few of their limited vinyl releases (not easy because they are released in very small numbers, sell out quickly, and their immediate collectibility makes the prices go up, up, up...). But it has been totally worth it.
My favorite of their releases thus far has to be The Unseen's "The Goatman."
"The Goatman, from what I can tell, would fall into the folk horror category. The Unseen’s score feels right at home there; a mixture of guitar, synths, mellotron, and paranoia to go around. “Eerie Meadow (Opening Titles)” is subtle and makes it known this is not a meadow to be in after dark. It’s reminiscent of Charles Bernstein’s work on Nightmare On Elm Street. “Newlywed Arrival” is subtle nightmare fuel. Eerie keys play a sort of cryptic lullaby that would feel right at home in an early 70s creature feature. “Footsteps Outside The Cottage” has early Romero vibes. Season of the Witch and Martin comes to mind. “Darkening Meadow” goes for broke with the mellotron, giving the song a melancholy Moody Blues feel. It’s quite lovely and eerie.
This album tows the line between ambient and incidental, laying on both the creepy noises and psychedelic melodies that feel as if they were locked in a tomb for 71 years. “Passion in the Woods” gets a little randy with some funky guitar and electro squalls that may or may not be a couple becoming one with nature. And “Lullabies (End Titles)” closes our Goatman journey out with melancholy harpsichord and voice that feels like late-60s psych pop of the highest order.
Give this one a listen, and you too will be adding it to your "spooky season" playlist. Grab a copy of this, and all of the other incredible releases over at the Library Of The Occult Bandcamp page. Enjoy!
Mechanical Gods is a deep subterranean journey ripe with robotic basslines and tech-ritualism within an atmospheric framework.
…When we entered The Below World, we found the human inhabitants divided into subnormal primal groupings of savage and superstitious tribes who collectively worshipped the machines that oppressed them. Sacrificial offerings of living martyrs were made to the Mechanica in order to appease them of their remorseless and emotionless rancour.
The humans had resorted to primeval idolatry behaviours that put them in awe of the undiminishing energy source of the Plasner System—a great churning ball of heat and light that pulsated over them in the upper echelons of the principal chamber. It became clear to us, meanwhile, that they had lost all awareness of the overground world and that, for them, the limits of the universe were confined to the depths of their subterranean enclosure.
A cold, weathered hand pierces the rust-laden earth of a late autumn night. Reanimated decay becomes the evening's guide. Masked faces bask in the fiery glow of a jack-o-lantern's illumination. A lifeless finger points the direction toward the next porch-lit house. For this is the night of ghouls and goblins and tricks and treats. This is the night of Hallowe'en...
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