Clear Mask - Pfizer

Clear Mask is a witch house project of Lu Champton from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Prior to this EP, he made music under the name ICCYYGRAVEE, plus he also plays drums in a hardcore band Decoy. "Pfizer" is his witch-rap debut that fuses dark trap and hip-hop foundations and beatmaking, screwed rap and trip hop basslines ("Stranger Sickness" is ace). "Snake Trap" is such a sick opener and brings to mind peak moments of Trip Cult. The whole EP sounds like a bastard child of new age SALEM, NIN and Massive Attack. Sick.

Get the EP here, and stream it below.

The Tubs - Wretched Lie // video

So today I not only discovered that Cotton Crown has a new tape out (review coming up soon) but also that his band The Tubs "upgraded" his single "Wretched Lie" into a more college-rock friendly entity. It's still good, but something about the original version (well the gothic flavour, not gonna lie) beats it. The Tubs debut album "Dead Meat" came out last year via Trouble In Mind Records.

Melancholic Crossroads - Hysteria

Melancholic Crossroads is a witch house duo consisting of Aury/Kalli (as per their IG). Their debut EP "Hysteria" from last year channels a mix of styles over the course of its three tracks - from soft and dreamy synth-pop on "Save Me", to brooding basslines and witchy post-punk kicks of "Hara-Kiri", to pre-Visions era Grimes-like ethereal pop jams on "Lamenting". Sweet and short, recommended.

Buy the EP here, or give it a try down below.

Humanfobia - Curtains

According to the band, this is Humanfobia's final release for 2024, and what a great EP to wrap up the year. Inspired by Canadian 1983 slasher film Curtains, their Vertigo Cult debut is a bizarro ride into the spook house filled with echoes of Lynchian paranoia, minimal witch house compositions and giallo-ambient, occasionally enhanced with Mist Spectra's haunted vocals. 2010-era witch house underground, 14 years later. I can't recommend enough to check out the video for "Patti O'Connor Mask" as it perfectly encapsulates the mood of this project.

Get "Curtains" for free here, and stream it in full below.

Grasps - To Be Faced One Day With Great Relief

Grasps is an electronic producer from Sydney, Australia who I just discovered thanks to the recommendation from Gift Exchange crew. The track above is his first single from his sophomore album "When Will You Be Here Again?" that came out last month. Ethereal ambient piece with ghosts of jungle drums occasionally popping here and there. Lush. Download here.

Sun Araw - Lifetime // video

The psychedelic shredder Sun Araw will be back with a new album entitled "Lifetime" this September. Above you can check out the first single from the record, a sleazy trip-rock jam that feels like you're in a hallucinogenic dream. Pre-order here.

Tetsüo ii - Menagerie

Tetsüo ii seems to be getting better and better with each new project, and "Menagerie" is no exception. Analog synth explorations of the deep waters and far-out constellations. 11 tracks in total, but due to their length the whole things passes in a blink. Wonderful release.

Download the EP here, stream down below.

Cristian Usai / Morgan Hall - Permanent Hell 2 / Gemini 6A Launch Serial Number Locations

Sick Italo-Greek split tape from Philatélie label. Cristian Usai's side sounds like a journey through the abyssal zone of the ocean, dark and alluring. Blog's favourite Morgan Hall on the other hand serves three tracks of ominous dark ambient and electroacustic experiments. I'm a huge fan of Hall, but it's Usai's part (especially "Erotica Bizzarra") that captivated me the most. Great stuff.

Get your tapes here. Stream all the tracks below.

Humanfobia - Patti O'Connor Mask // video

This is probably the most Lynchian-non-Lynchian video I can think of. New video single from Humanfobia's new EP "Curtains" that dropped on Vertigo Cult a few days ago. The movie Curtains itself is arguably an average slasher horror movie, but the collage above (with the music) gives it a unique aura of psychedelic delirium. Download the EP here.

Montoya - Forever (Comfort)

First single off Montoya's new album "Always & Forever". There's no details when the LP will be out, but I have a feeling it will be before Autumn. In the meantime, enjoy this mellow witchy rap tune. Buy the track on Bandcamp here.

И⸸CO▽SLΛVΞ - Emo Were Gods // video

Freshly published occult-themed video single from Nico Slave, released on Vertigo Cult last month. Download the whole EP here.

Mould - Need To Know (Mould Vs Scart)

Post-club deconstructions from elusive new producer Mould. Check out the track above and get it here.

STRFLL - Was It All Worth It Pt IV

It's crazy this is already fourth part in the "Was It All Worth It" series, STRFLL has been busy cooking some grimey beats for the past couple of years, ramping up the pressure before his debut album. 30 minutes of album-worth material right here, that beats a ton of mediocre producers out there. Support! Buy it here, and check out his Patreon page that just launched.

Mater Suspiria Vision - Cosmic Silver // video

Here's the first video single promoting MSV upcoming album "Cosmic Silver", featuring chops of footage from 2010 era of witch house. More info to come.

Forest Swords - Crow

The absolute gem of a track, "Crow", lifted from Forest Sword's DJ Kicks compilation is finally released in digital format on Matthew's Bandcamp page with a bunch of bonus bits. Download / buy them all here.

SRL - Penetration // video

SRL is new witch house duo consisting of Gods Wisdom and E_Death. This is their first official single. Video by Salem.

Montoya & Inersha & Pale Palace - Face First

Mad transatlantic collab from Inersha (UK), Pale Palace (Sweden) and Montoya (Canada). Stream here.

The DSM IV - White Wolf // video

Brilliant, stop motion video for DSM IV's "White Wolf" single, featuring band's puppets and a wall of static filled TVs. Very cool!

CR33KY - YouDontHaveToBePrettyAnymore

CR33KY returns with a new single "YouDontHaveToBePrettyAnymore" - wonderfully distorted lo-fi beat that sounds like it was made for haunted 8-bit arcades. Dope. Stream here (no download unfortunately).

Pale Palace - Paper Route

You might've noticed lack of updates here as I've been travelling for over 2 weeks now across Poland and Latvia. Back with a steady internet connection now, so happy to catch up on the last few weeks worth of music. First off the bat is Pale Palace with his syruppy bass musings. One for the slow days. Stream here.

V▲LH▲LL - Little Noises

Second single from the upcoming album from Swedish witchfolk duo V▲LH▲LL. It follows "Nocturnal Eyes" that saw the light of the day a few months back. Stream and buy it here. No news on the album so far.

Sofia Reta - In The Air Tonight 24

I'm surprised it took Xavier that long to cover this hit, it feels like "In The Air Tonight" was created by Phil to be recreated by Sofia Reta. Win. Stream here.

Volunteer Coroner - Pressure On The Wound

Not gonna lie, Volunteer Coroner took over my speakers since I discovered his work a few weeks ago. Amazing sound design and attention to details, exploring darker corners of the slowly brooding electronic music. "Pressure On The Wound" is his most recent EP, self-released on Bandcamp. Preston's drones slowly glide through various levels of sonic anxiety, giving an impression of a dark ambient-scored walk through a crime scene.

Cop the EP here and check it out below.

И⸸CO▽SLΛVΞ - You Don't Deserve This

И⸸CO▽SLΛVΞ dropped a massive EP with Vertigo Cult a couple of weeks back, and I'm surprised it took me so long to blog about it. "You Don't Deserve This" collects five of his best productions to date, all embracing and basking in the big room witch house sound. The record sounds mainstream in its scope and melodic arrangements but also true to the underground with an array of creepy samples and witchy vibe. I don't know how to describe it best, but it's like being at a rave for coroners and morticians. Sick. And free. Make sure to subscribe to Nico's YT channel, this guy's unstoppable with his outputs.

Grab the EP here, and stream it after the jump.

Estrella Semiviva - Óleo

Electronic producer from Mexico Estrella Semiviva comes thru with her eclectic debut album "Óleo" that blends elements of witch house, electropop, chiptune, darkwave and post punk. It sounds all over the place, but somehow works, especially with the help of her vocals sprinkled across the tracks. RIYL early Crystal Castles. One to watch going forward.

You can download the album here and stream it in full below.

Vidchajj - Baby Boi // video

Incredible track from an amazing producer lifted from an equally dope EP. "Baby Boi" is Vidchajj's take on SALEM's classic track, here in a video format with a creepy clown kids. The song comes from "Nobody" EP which is out now on Vertigo Cult.

Afterlife - From The Edge Of The Blue

Afterlife is a new, enigmatic witch house duo from New South Wales, Australia. Their album "From The Edge Of The Blue" dropped last month, and is yet another example that the witchy scene in Australia is one of the most exciting places at the moment. The record consists of sever tracks that sit somewhere between SALEM's dragged productions and murky vocals ("Down The Drain", "Siam Lights" and "Endless"), and 2011-era synth-led beats with brooding atmospheres ("Cr0wz" and "Wtch"). Their music has also a unique horror tint to it, which may sound cliche for a witch house record, but it works, and is down to certain aspects of their sound design rather than trying to rely on two-dimensional effects and samples. I love the intro track by the way, something both alien and cinematic about it. Solid debut that will make me follow their future endeavours for sure.

Get the album here, and check it out in full below.

Montoya - Never Forget About You // video

Ethereal rap from Montoya on his new single "Never Forget About You", sampling melody and vocals from glxtiry.

Courtney Cole - So Frre$h

Dirtr4t is now Courtney Cole and this is his new, mostly rap-focused mixtape "So Frre$h". Lean stuff.

New Mexican Stargazers - The Oasis

Tropical lo-fi jams from NMS, this dude is seriously reviving the whole blogspot era proto-vaporwave vibe. "The Oasis" consists of four, 10-min long (plus minus) tracks that will invite you to surf the waves of new age psychedelia. Rippin!

The album is out on CDR and can be purchased here. Stream it all below.

Blue Rita - Mina Harker (A Song For Dracula) // video

Italo ABBA is back with new video promoting the second Blue Rita album "The Electronic Wasteland of Blue Rita". Out now on Phantasma Disques.