Poltergeists is a biweekly feature in which Michael and Wes share tracks that they have had on repeat over the past two weeks.
Michael
Tribal A.D. - “Fields of Dystopia”
First of all, I know this is a really long song, but it is one (of many) that I have consistently gone back to. It is a great track to have on in the background and kind of lose yourself in while doing something else - or meditating. There are so many elements that come in and out throughout the nearly nine minutes that are really soothing to me. The atmosphere and overall mood of the song is also very calming. It has a hint of darkness - something that I find I often need for a track to really hit home.
Force Publique - “Sacrifice”
Wes and I had the great opportunity to see Force Publique with Metal Mother and Pastel Ghost this last Friday! We had not heard much from Force Publique before this (I had not heard anything) and I must say that I loved every second of their set. It was really fun to watch and the music is great. This is another track that I really like the atmosphere on; it draws me in from the beginning and builds to such a great point when the vocals kick in. I have to say that I am not a big guitar oriented person, but this fits so well that I cannot imagine it without guitar.
Wes
Bruxa - “WitchHunty (Blvck Ceiling Remix)”
Bruxa is a local act that is a part of what Michael and I have started calling The Parallel Scene - a scene of yung goths that seems to have built itself up in parallel to the scene we normally run in, rarely to be glimpsed by us. Bruxa specializes in a blend of witchouse and hip-hop that puts more emphasis on the hip-hop than you might normally see in the witchouse space. Pitch shift rap gives way to Bianca Radd’s haunting vocal style. This remix by Blvck Ceiling builds in some additional creepy production through heavy percussion and gated pads. If you haven’t heard Bruxa, this is a great place to start.
HWLS - “001”
Y’all know I can’t stay off that future tip. This song combines a few things that I love about this weird little bass music sub genre: there’s pitched up vocal samples that take the place of a lead synth, there’s those deep trappy sine kicks, and don’t forget about that little shuffling hat line. Something that captures me with this song is the interesting way that the bell arpeggio is being gated so that the end of each ring is cut off, creating a strange discomfort; there’s a feeling that you’re missing something on the end of the sound, and it works well to add mood to a song that is already filled with strange sampling.