Equally frightening and exciting tracks that amplify the protagonist’s hysteria as the monster closes in.
Read my track-by-track breakdown and learn about this playlist’s “artist-to-watch,” Sugar Pit, below.
Track-by-Track Breakdown
1. Sugar Pit – “Home Life”
I built this playlist around “Home Life” because of how unique it is. My two favorite elements in this song are the vocal delivery and the buzzing lead synth. I always imagine a paranoid protagonist being discovered, then chased, and finally caught by a terrifying figure.
2. Lady Gaga – “Aura”
The opening guitar chords establish creepiness built upon with additional elements: a wild west guitar riff, ghoul-like howling, and Lady Gaga’s otherwordly lead vocal effects. A new (sitar-like) guitar riff comes in, and she laughs wickedly with it. It builds momentum, and the song explodes into short-circuited vocals and domineering synth melodies.
3. Die Antwoord – “Cookie Thumper”
There’s no one quite like Die Antwoord. Their music is unsettling yet exhilarating. That’s why I consider them the blueprint for the playlist. The siren-like synth immediately alarms the listener, and the pipe organ parts keep it creepy. Yolandi Visser’s high-pitched rapping could personify the “monster” in this playlist’s concept.
4. Daft Punk – “Technologic”
A friend of mine expressed that this song freaked her out, so I had to include it. “Technologic” also has high-pitched vocals found in the last track, so I wanted to group them.
5. Grimes, Janelle Monae – “Venus Fly“
In the first 20 seconds, it sounds like a pop song similar to “California” or “Pin” on Grimes’ same album Art Angels. But it’s not. Threatening drums and bass quickly kick in, and the tone shifts to disorient and menace.
6. Azealia Banks, Lazy Jay – “212”
I noticed a similar drum pattern and confidence from the last track in “212.” There’s also a recurring and sweeping sound effect that I imagine as a slap motion. After the bridge, Azealia Banks brightly chants, “What you gon’ do when I appear? W-W-when I premiere?” The sentiment and vocal delivery of that part feel closest to this playlist’s concept.
7. Billie Eilish – “bury a friend”
A lot of Billie Eilish’s music is considered scary, but “bury a friend” was the only one that truly fits here. The song’s tone of doom and conclusion largely influenced my decision to include it. While researching the track, I found a quote from Billie Eilish about the song’s origin. Without my knowledge, the song’s concept aligned perfectly with this playlist’s concept:
“‘bury a friend’ is literally from the perspective of the monster under my bed. If you put yourself in that mindset, what is this creature doing or feeling?” – Billie Eilish
Artist-To-Watch
I reached out to Kian of Sugar Pit to learn more about his track “Home Life.” “The song was inspired a lot by African polyrhythms,” and he recorded everything by himself in his Philadelphia apartment.
If you’re looking for an innovative sound, you would probably dig Sugar Pit. The music is animated, intricate, and versatile. I haven’t heard anything quite like it.
Listen to Sugar Pit’s latest EP Defense Mechanism:
