Do The Hammerlock: Halloween 2011

I hadn't planned on making a Halloween mix, since things have been super-crazy-busy around Random Old Records HQ this month (Halloween parties out the ass, plus a killer Davila 666/Jacuzzi Boys/Barreracudas triple bill and a Sebadoh reunion show in the past week), but I found this record, y’ see, and like always, all it takes is a single record or song to get my gears turning. Somewhere along the way, Halloween has become the second-most popular holiday in the US behind Christmas, and as a result, shit like "Monster Mash," "I Walked With A Zombie," and "Human Fly" have become as played out as "Jingle Bells." Couple that with everyone having a blog and fashioning themselves as master DJs and mix-makers, and you're taking an express trip to overkill city.

But yeah, I was trawling through the cheapy bin at Half Price Books, and came across this LP called Flowers Of Evil for two bucks. It's housed in an ultra-creepy hand-drawn cave cover with a surreal drawing slapped awkwardly in the center, and is the work of pioneering female electronic musician Ruth White. The concept here is heavily-treated icy readings of poems by French poet Baudelaire paired with harrowing beds of Moog and tape collage, and the end result is often WAY more fucking terrifying than any horror movie soundtrack you've ever heard. It was a perfect example of music that is scary in tone and mood, without the usual Halloween subject matter, and the springboard for a mix of unconventional choices.

Sure, there's "Fire" by The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown, which is one of my favorite songs of all time, and horror punk classics by The Cramps, TSOL, and the Misfits, but there's also the churning dubbed-out death disco of Public Image Limited and a track from Ruth White's British counterpart Delia Derbyshire and her White Noise project, which packs more harsh scary noise than your average modern avant-garde improv cassette. You'll also hear a sample of Dr. John's classic debut LP Gris-Gris which evokes skin-crawling Cajun voodoo incantations, Italian horror soundtrack icons Goblin and their modern-day acolyte Umberto, and a whole lot more! It's about 45 minutes of creepy sonics that will scare the shit out of some trick-or-treaters, that's for sure. Turn out the lights and enjoy!

Direct Download: HERE.

Stream/Download: HERE.

Do The Hammerlock: Halloween 2011

1. Ruth White - "Mists And Rain"

2. The United States Of America - "The Garden Of Earthly Delights"

3. White Noise - "Love Without Sound"

4. Umberto - "Black Candles"

5. Goblin - "Death Valzer"

6. Black Bug - "Shard Of Glass"

7. The Soft Moon - "Sewer Sickness"

8. Public Image Limited - "Swan Lake"

9. Scientist - "Blood On His Lips"

10. Dr. John - "Danse Kalinda Ba Doom"

11. The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown - "Fire"

12. The Craig - "I Must Be Mad"

13. The Lollipop Shoppe - "You Must Be A Witch"

14. Alice Cooper - "Hallowed Be Thy Name"

15. 45 Grave - "Violent World"

16. TSOL - "Silent Scream"

17. The Misfits - "London Dungeon"

18. The Cramps - "The Crusher"