Ghost Stories 2017

As Hallows Eve arrives again, this year, we’ve once more asked a few artists from the label to give us a Top 5 of their favourite creepy/eerie Halloween type songs for your blood curdling pleasure.

Arran Trax has provided us with a bunch of trick or treat dancing devils and one or two eerie soundscapes. Belial Pelegrim has given us a selection of some of his most ghoulish creations and collaborations. Whilst, Minerva, has selected her Top 5 skin crawling soundtrack excerpts. Lastly, revered selector Loui Cleghorn digs out his most deviant tracks to play out.

ARRAN TRAX

1. Rude 66 - Paranoia
   
   
   
   "First up is this hair-raising slice of pumping Horror Disco, excellently executed by the Amsterdam based analogue-synth guru Rude 66. This 2014 release on the fine Dutch vinyl label Bordello A Parigi is now highly sought after on discogs. Just wait till those vocoder lyrics come in!!!!"
   
   
   
   

2. Hesperius Draco -  ASI Kingdom
   
   
   
   "This must be one of the best melodic compositions I have heard in the last couple of years. Majestic, melancholic and ever so slightly malevolent, Draco (Italian, Alessandro Parisi) conjures up images of ghostly armies marching through snow-covered Transylvanian forests."

3. Scotch - Disco Band
   
   
   
   
   "What the fuck is going on in this video?' any sane person has to ask themselves.
   So weird it's kinda creepy!!!
   This Italo-Disco classic came out in 1984 on the American Disco label."

4. U - Friendly Ghost
   
   
   
   "I just LOVE the artwork on this slab of heavyweight vinyl. A subtle sense of mystery from the anonymous U."
   

5. Luke Vibert - Halloween
   
   
   
   "Last one is this ghastly acid-trip by the very talented Luke Vibert."

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BELIAL PELEGRIM

1. Enfield
   
   
   
   "I'm a big skeptic when it comes to the paranormal, but I'm open-minded enough to never rule anything out. I also love a good ghost story. The Enfield Poltergeist is one of those stories that captured my attention because the documentary really left me wondering what the fuck was going on in that house. This song was my attempted to peak other people's interest and tell a bit of the tale in a soundscape format."

2. Dismemberment Goblins
   
   
   
   "One of the sub-groups within the Sleepless Collective is the Darksiders. They were putting together a compilation playlist on Soundcloud of music written expressly for a 'Cabin in the Woods' tribute set that focused on "The Purge", where all the monsters in the glass rooms are unleased into the Facility. All of the tracks are rather amazing. Dismemberment Goblins was my choice and my track."

3. Rosemary
   
   
   
   "One of my good Soundcloud friends and collaborators is the very talented Roots Dubman. He sent me over some strange sounds that inspired me to produce this dark and foreboding, electro-horror track. The name came from Roots informing me that he started putting together his sounds after watching Rosemary's Baby alone in the dark."

4. Funeral March For The Golem
   
   
   
   "This derge-like processional was inspired by books I was reading on animating inanimate objects with consciousness. Let's just say it's not a good idea to try this out at home. Not a deeply dark track, but fitting for this time of year. If you have a chance, check out the remix that BELP made of the track as well."

5. Insular Vampire Hovering
   
   
   
   "I always enjoy collaborating with Berlin's Lutz Thuns on dark ambient projects. He and I worked hard at creating a very creepy setting on this one in particular."

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MINERVA

1. Ennio Morricone - Eternity (The Thing)
   
   
   
   "Morricone was mainly famous for soundtracking Spaghetti Westerns before he did the OST for 'The Thing' but that all changed after this. Minimalistic, atmospheric and very, very effective. The descending church organ on this particular track creates a deep sense of tension"

2. Lady In The Radiator - In Heaven (Eraserhead)
   
   
   
   "This film contains, like, two pieces of music at most but it works really well within the style and overall feel of the horror that is slowly unfolding.  'In Heaven' was written specifically for the film and it helps carry that feeling of intrigue and inevitability through to your ears as well as your eyes."

3. Krzysztof Komeda - Lullaby (Rosemarys Baby)
   
   
   
   "50 years old this year and it's still terrifying in it's own unique way. Feelings of unease linger all around and Mia Farrow adding vocals brings the creepy levels up."
   

4. Harry Warren - Jeepers Creepers (Jeepers Creepers)
   
   
   
   "This is essentially some jazz from the 1930's but the almost ridiculing nature and delivery, personally, make it very scary for me. It appeared in the film of the same name 70 years later and is heavily featured in many different styles and versions which only add to the eerieness!"

5. Toru Takemitsu - Kwaidan Theme (Kwaidan)
   
   
   
   "I have so much love for Asian horror and I am a bit of a human encyclopedia when it comes to Japanese films and soundtracks in particular. 'Kwaidan' was one of the very first horror film I ever saw and the avant garde theme tune startles me to this day still. So much silence in this one but when the warped use of traditional Japanese folk instruments make themselves known it brings with it a layer of suspense."
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   LOUI CLEGHORN
   
   1. Alex Under - Bola 6.1
   
   
   "This song is slow, rumbling evil. Ominous as hell and a beautiful way to start a set. This was released on Soma a few years ago curiously enough. There's a Bola 6.2 and a 7 that are more friendly but they dont come close to this transient gem."
   
   2. Andrea Roma and Mar - Dark Matter
   
   
   "This is one of those tunes that I don't think will ever leave my collection. Andrea Roma bringing ever part of his arrangement into a cacophony of dark harmony. Another old favourite."
   
   3. Loui Cleghorn - Yorick (Boom Merchant remix)
   
   
   "A remix by Boom Merchant of my own tune 'Yorick' that is coming out on my own label 'Unstrung' very soon. One of the more aggressive numbers from the Cleghorn collection given a tribal overhaul. Spooky yet inviting and warmly arresting."
   
   4. Robert Babicz - Cristal Sun
   
   
   "Something I've been playing a lot recently. A twisted acid rave number with shifting, contorting synth lines. One of the best Babicz tunes for a good while."
   
   5. Nick Dow - Goujian
   
   
   
   "I'll let wikipedia do the talking - King Goujian's army was known for scaring its enemies before battle because its front line consisted of criminals sentenced to death who committed suicide by decapitating themselves."
   
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   You can see last years playlists here.