Mixtape: Spooky Scary (1/2)

Remember mixtapes? Crimson Arts does. Welcome to our biweekly feature, where we create mixtapes for every emotion and every season—for breakups, breakdowns, and breakdancing. This week our mixtape is a two-part feature dedicated to all the creepy crawlies you may encouter this Halloween.

We’ve all heard “Monster Mash” and the bevy of other campy, themed songs that are purposefully churned out as Halloween party anthems. Even more critically laudable tracks like “Thriller” are intentionally focused on being bumped full-volume at costume parties. The redundancy of All Hallow’s Eve playlists carries with it a certain beautiful nostalgia. That being said, it’s time to find songs about monsters, ghouls, and hauntings that can be raged to—but aren’t so stale and obviously Halloween-centric that you find yourself rolling your eyes ten seconds in. Here’s Part I, focusing on external demons, of a two-part mixtape spectacular featuring spooky songs that weren’t obviously written with Oct. 31 in mind. Listen along. And stay tuned for part two.

“Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps),” David Bowie

Bowie’s werewolf growls punctuate the screeching Robert Fripp guitar-solo intro to the title track of Bowie’s 1980 LP. Uptempo acoustic strumming accompanies Bowie’s harrowing story of a sociopathic lover whose potentially homicidal qualities keep him “running scared.” Fripp’s acidic line soars into the stratosphere as ghoulish moans and utterances bring the tale to a frenzied conclusion.

“Monster,” Kanye West (ft. Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj, Bon Iver)

A six-minute opus about the inevitable pairing of success and villainization, West laments how his consistent brilliance makes him grotesque. Buoyed by a guttural, almost unrecognizable Bon Iver (especially scary for those familiar with the rest of his output), a schizophrenic Nicki Minaj, and an incensed Jay-Z (“All I get is these vampires and blood-suckers”), the track bounces on a sample-free, minimalist beat. For extra scaries, check out the (frighteningly misogynistic) music video.

“Halloween,” The Dead Kennedys

The fact that the big day is in the title sort of goes against theme, but here Halloween acts as a metaphor for the moments where humans admit their daily dress-up routine. Jello Biafra acerbically challenges the listener to acknowledge her “mold” and asks “why not every day?” The call to meta-cognition is accompanied by a frenetic bass line that is easy to get lost in, especially if you aren’t up to Biafra’s call to confront all of your illusions.

“Spooky Mormon Hell Dream,” The Book of Mormon

Elder Price, the protagonist of the Broadway smash “The Book of Mormon,” is transported into a hellish landscape after confronting his guilt for getting his brother in trouble as a small child. The surrealistic descent into Hades, replete with bravura musical appearances from Genghis Khan, Hitler, and Jeffrey Dahmer, as well as a spine-chilling full gospel choir and a fantastic guitar solo, is ideal for those looking to condemn Halloween’s paganism in good fun.

“Creep,” TLC

Although the song is clearly about choosing to “creep” around (i.e. cheat) in response to a partner’s infidelity—as opposed to anything inherently “creepy” or Halloween-centric—something about the laid-back beat and horn line is chilly and unsettling. The complete absence of malice in Left Eye’s voice, even when dealing with ostensibly upsetting subject matter, adds to the emotional distance of the track, which feels more than a little spooky especially considering the extremely creepy story of Left Eye’s premonitions of her own demise.

“Dance Cadaverous,” Wayne Shorter

Perfect for the pre or post-game to a Halloween rage, sit back with a pumpkin cocktail and spin Wayne Shorter’s meandering and foreboding track from his 1965 album “Speak No Evil.” The title evokes a skeletal polka, which is is musically mirrored by the sparse, pale Herbie Hancock piano and Freddie Hubbard trumpet. Shorter’s sax takes the cake though, with a minor, often dissonant line oozing with fear.

“Perhaps Vampires Is A Bit Strong But…,” Arctic Monkeys

This adrenaline-drenched jam features a sexy, cynical, and paranoid line from prodigious Alex Turner that proclaims, “All you people are vampires!” A middle finger to fake fans, the song works equally well in the literal. The extended, complex bridge sounds like a chase with a bloodthirsty beast; guitars intermingle in their impossibly fast arpeggios up, down, and around the fretboard before a climactic scream from Turner, which blossoms into a final frenzied solo.

“So Haunted,” Cut Copy

This electro-pop gem by underappreciated Australian group Cut Copy is the sonic equivalent of a trippy haunted house. From the Lou Reed-esque ghoulish crooning of lead singer Dan Whitford to the shaky synth that accompanies the chorus (“Get so haunted I’ll fall in your dreams tonight”), the track oozes macabre. Listen for the incredibly groovy and danceable keyboard breakdown near the end of the song that flirts with building back up before it curiously fades out.

“Voodoo Child (Slight Return),” The Jimi Hendrix Experience

One of the funkiest opening riffs of all time descends into a thrashing, schizophrenic guitar concerto. Hendrix proclaims his self-identification as a “Voodoo Chile!” before unleashing some of his most possessed guitar work of all time. One can’t help but imagine a Hendrix doll being poked by needles as his notes seem to writhe, shake, and vanish in a devilish blaze of glory.

“Transylvania,” Tyler, The Creator

The most offensive and disturbing song on “Goblin,” an album full of them, Tyler imagines himself as Dracula, biting the necks of women the world over. The pitch-modulated vocals, which bring Tyler’s vicious lyrics deep into the bass register, complement the catchy and foreboding horror movie-inspired synth beat. Scarier than any production are Tyler’s violently sexual sentiments, which have caused extensive controversy and make for truly chilling listening.

Enjoyed this? Check out part two, dedicated to inner-demons.