Heavily inspired by the “chopped and screwed' hip-hop production pioneered by Houston’s late DJ Screw, witch house’s signature sound was almost exclusively juxtaposed with montages of vintage horror and old film, occult imagery, and cryptic messaging. The short run made it all the more impressive that the underwater howls would continue to ripple on through the mainstream of modern music today.
Club, “ were joking about the sort of house music we make, witch house because it’s, like, occult-based house music.” The joke took on a life of its own, spawning its most notable leaders in Salem, Balam Acab, oOoOO, White Ring, and Clams Casino.Įven with a moment of prominence so brief (2009–11) before collapsing back into its own obscurity, the enigmatic sub-genre summoned a handful of artists that would cement themselves as music’s next foundation. The “witch house” moniker was penned by Denver-based electronic musician Travis Egedy (a.k.a. Witch house, the electronic, micro-genre best known for dark, sonic landscapes littered with stuttering drum machines and its pitched-down, reverb-soaked vocals, ruled the underground music scene, even if just for a moment. Deep in the digital catacombs of the Internet lived a corner of music you’d hardly remember, let alone find, even with a map pointing you directly toward it.
