Select Frequency: Halloween Special

Monster Mash-Ups

There’s nothing better than donning a cloak and fright mask to terrify the poor souls who knock on my door — it’s my favourite thing in the world (right after leaving my Christmas decorations up until March to piss off my neighbours). That’s why I really love Halloween, because unlike when I do it the rest of the year, I don’t get my jaw broken! Well, rarely. It’s also the most socially acceptable time to start cutting shapes to the “Monster Mash”, but we here at gatekeep! think your All Hallow’s playlist deserves better than those tenuously Halloween-adjacent Alexa autoplays. Since every good fright night deserves a killer soundtrack, here’s a playlist to summon a minor demon with. Or your housemates. Whichever you prefer.

You’ve probably noticed how wildly different previous installments of Select Frequency have been, depending on which of our illustrious team has been behind the wheel with their eyes closed. While we absolutely adore individually shunting you around like a Travers coaster in pursuit of the most unusual picks possible, this time we’re smashing our heads together like a handful of eggs — letting all the goo run out together into a bubbling, viscous slurry.

In the spirit of the season, we’ve cooked up a spoooooooky edition of Select Frequency to share. We’ll be walking you through the grim woods of gatekeep! taste, sparing neither feelings nor eardrums — serving only the most frightful of jams. Don’t worry — it’ll be just as gloriously chaotic as ever.

A happy Halloween to all from the gatekeep! team!

1. Grim Salvo - “Heart of Darkness”

2. Snowman - “Hyena”

3. Insane Poetry - “Killa Instincts”

4. The Petrojvic Blasting Co. - “Sinking Ships”

5. Veronica Lipgloss and the Evil Eyes - “Strip Mall Glass”

6. billy woods, Kenny Segel - “Bigfakelaugh”

7. Couch Slut - “The Weaversville Home for Boys”

8. Greyhaven - “Prelude: Evening Star” / “Shatter and Burst”

9. Cindy & Bert - “Der Hund von Baskerville”

10. The Knife - “Full of Fire”

    [“Der Hund von Baskerville” is not on the playlist as it is unavailable on Spotify]

Grim Salvo - “Heart of Darkness”

from Mildred // 2022 // 33marrow // trap metal

I feel like Halloween/horror-themed music is some of the only music in existence that is able to get away with being cheesy as all get-out. You could put the cringiest, edgiest lyrics, and in any other context it would be the most dumb shit ever. But on Halloween, it magically becomes much better. Coincidentally, Grim Salvo very much has the cringe lyrics down pat on “Heart of Darkness”. Brought to my attention through a random algorithm recommendation, I very quickly fell into fascination with this Oregon-based trap metal duo. Yeah, trap metal. AKA trap-esque beats with occasional screamed vocals. Yes, it should be horrifically dumb. Yes, in some ways, it is (just read some of the lyrics and try to not giggle). But, somehow, “Heart of Darkness” just works. Part of it is underpinned by a beat that actually works organically with a nice little acoustic guitar lick and sung hook, and a beat switch to signal the song’s third act. The screams are pretty decent, and it’s one of those songs that I unfortunately have to describe with the dumb, unhelpful qualifier of “it just works”. Trust me, there’s something about “Heart of Darkness” that worms its way into your brain and burrows there, until you find yourself humming the lyrics to yourself on your morning commute. Listen to it on Halloween, and you get that extra little boost of edgy horror movie goodness.

- Ben Rosenberg

Snowman - “Hyena”
from Absence // 2011 // Dot Dash // alt rock

Every holiday has its Scrooge, and I was a bona fide Halloween hater as a young’un. An aversion to dressing up, an abundance of childhood phobias, and allergies to the most common doorstep treats collectively snuffed out any desire I had to humor society’s mid-autumnal festival of mischief at the stage of my life I theoretically should’ve gotten the most out of it. I’m still no costume designer or party attendee these days, but with age that disdain has mellowed into amusement over how we can’t decide if Halloween ought to revere the macabre or de-fang it. History draws no line in the sand, either; contrary to the two most common competing claims, its origins are as Christian as they are Pagan, congealing sainthood celebration and harvest rite until sculpting meaning from mythology becomes a futile exercise. It’s kind of beautiful this way: as October’s hallmarks - the ever-encroaching early evenings, the dry, fallen leaves jumpscaring you as they scrape across concrete, that brisk chill in the air - bear down to remind us that it’s almost time to hibernate and all things must pass, we’ve clutched tight to a scenario where we can have our ghastly goodie bag and eat it, too.

In that spirit, here’s a song from Snowman (wrong seasonal connotation!), a defunct group of Aussies (it’s spring there now!) whose track “Hyena” (at best tangentially-related creature!) is creepy yet charismatic enough to function as the Grim Reaper’s entrance music. The clanging, tribal percussion, disembodied falsetto gang chorus, and tension-seeped interval jumps all evoke occultic dread somewhere between seance and street dance. The lyrics are almost indecipherable save for one linchpin reminder to not feed the titular animal, but you should know better than to try excavating semantic value from anything emblematic of this proudly misappropriated holiday. Give the tune even one whirl and I can guarantee that cackling refrain will skulk into the deepest recesses of your noggin until the reason for the season (or lack thereof) returns, at which point it’s dinnertime, and you might find yourself to be the meal.

- Zack Lorenzen

Insane Poetry - “Killa Instincts”

from Blacc Plague // 1996 // Nightbreed / React Recordings // hip hop - horrorcore

Much as I roll my eyes when people try to defend hip hop by calling it poetry (will not be accepting pushback at this present time. Or ever. Go read Dickinson and leave me alone), the ‘insane’ in Insane Poetry could not be more apt. It’s horrorcore, so you know exactly what’s in store: depravity with just a pinch of self-awareness to make the whole thing slightly less thematically ’orrible. A super groovy bassline and contorting flows give it a technically satisfying flavour, and Cyco’s deep voice is the perfect delivery method for the grim content. IP’s output has never shied away from tackling transgressive topics, often to the fringes of parody, and this cut is no exception — although it doesn’t twinkle-toe over the boundary of good taste quite so gleefully as some of their other work. Nonetheless, it’s still hard-hitting but surprisingly listenable, the grimacing energy as nihilistic as a Halloween hip hop banger ought to be. Horrorcore as a subgenre can be a little corny, but Insane Poetry’s consistent commitment to the bit — and earworm approach to beats — never fails to satisfy the inner edgy teen who never quite grew up lurking deep in my soul.

- Benjamin Jack

The Petrojvic Blasting Co. - “Sinking Ships”

from A History of Public Relations Dilemmae // 2010 // self-released // nouveau folk

Patrick McHale’s ten-episode operetta Over The Garden Wall has, since its 2014 debut on Cartoon Network, become a fall tradition all its own for thousands of fans, telling a timeless fable of two half-brothers who find themselves lost in the woods as fall begins turning to winter. The show’s music is arguably the most crucial element of its singular vision of bucolic, autumnal beauty tinged with macabre otherworldliness; McHale tapped composers Justin Rubinstein and Josh Kaufman (themselves half-brothers) after a co-writer passed him a disc of the duo’s debut album as The Petrojvic Blasting Company. Though the whole album finds the brothers’ intoxicating blend of Tin Pan Alley pop and Balkan folk fully-formed, their sense of dramatic flair arguably peaks on “Sinking Ships”. My, if this tune doesn’t get me in a spooktacular mood every time! See, best I can tell, it’s about a fella on some sort of ill-fated voyage across the sea, telling his son to enjoy life while he can- when you get old, I hope your heart is light enough for you to float. That’s some grade-A death imagery right there, and the raucous revelry of the horn section makes the narrator’s looming watery grave more a bittersweet twilight than an outright tragedy. After all, what’s Halloween for, if not confronting the reaper with a smile?

- Kerry Renshaw

Veronica Lipgloss and the Evil Eyes - “Strip Mall Glass”

from The Witch’s Dagger // 2005 // Gold Standard Laboratories // post punk

Way back in my good, clean, Christian childhood, my exposure to Halloween was emphatically that of a squeamish bystander, protected from all manner of devilry and confectionery by the carrot/stick of a simultaneous church party and a firm curfew. This fostered an unsurprisingly confused understanding of what a ‘good’ Halloween actually entailed. As such, as an adult, I’ve more or less ended up treating its twin sins appeals of seductive corruption and violent night terrors as one and the same — which is why “Strip Mall Glass” is the perfect Halloween banger! Coarse, sexy and mean, this absolute stormer of a song is built on Ms. Lipgloss’ husky ululations, an unapologetically blockheaded bassline and the kind of hellish guitar stabbings that recall the good ol’ days of when post punk musicians treated amplified music as an excuse to cosplay as unqualified dentists fucking around in the drill cabinet. Is it a sexed-up earworm, or does it just want to kick the living piss out of you? Give me that heat either way.

- Hugh Puddle

billy woods, Kenny Segal - “Bigfakelaugh”

from Hiding Places // 2019 // Backwoodz Studioz // alternative hip hop

Bit of an odd one here for you folks. It’s not a track about ghouls, murderers, or it being close to midnight with something evil a-lurking’ in the dAaAaArK. This is a far more grounded example of everyday, familial horrors from the ever-underappreciated Billy Woods — an off-kilter hip hop exorcism brimming with gloomy discomfort. Woods’ contorting flows weave like threads through an old item of clothing — increasingly frayed and deranged in content, yet still controlled in their form. It sputters and restarts like a diesel engine in subzero temperatures, yet remains consistently purposeful and urgent, backed by Kenny Segal’s superb production that rumbles with orchestral revs and thick, hostile bass. A standout from the fantastic Hiding Places, this may not be a ‘Halloween’ song in theme (this will be a recurring motif), but in vibe, it absolutely nails it — foreboding, upsetting, and uncomfortably frank from the opening bar. Who said Halloween was for kids?

- Benjamin Jack

Couch Slut - “The Weaversville Home for Boys”

from You Could Do It Tonight // 2024 // Brutal Panda // noise rock - sludge

What’s spookier than a tale about a group of psycho kids escaping a fucked-up juvenile detention centre, murdering everyone in their wake and escaping without a trace? Why, said tale being shrieked over menacing sludgey noise rock, that’s what. This relentless driving slice of the macabre comes courtesy of New York’s most twisted riff merchants Couch Slut, who returned last year with an album that at once both solidified their brand of vulgar brutality and reinvigorated it with a newfound adrenaline that leaves tracks like this one, or the equally frightening drug-induced amputation narrative of The Donkey, constantly tense and on edge. So nailbiting you might actually crunch through to the bone, this kind of ferocity is a perfect accompaniment to the strange shadows on the walls that feel like they’re getting closer as you explore that creepy abandoned asylum on the outskirts of your sleepy little suburb. And if that’s not what Halloween is all about I don’t know what is.

- Tom Read

Greyhaven - “Prelude: Evening Star” / “Shatter and Burst”

from Keep It Quiet // 2025 // Solid State Records // metalcore

I was introduced to Greyhaven by one of my fellow gk! writers recently (thanks Tyler — you’ve got a few watercooler-crisp sloppy wet ones coming your way next time I see you), and I’ve taken to them so much that they’re now my third most played artist of the year. With their fourth album on the horizon, I couldn’t have picked a better time to dive in — not a second too soon, but definitely later than I’d have liked. This pair of tracks nails that sweet spot between catchy and crushing, the kind that almost makes me draw a blank when it comes to describing them. It starts mellow and foreboding, ramps into a burst of energised metalcore riffing, then punches holes in its own aggression with one of the most infectious choruses I’ve heard all year. There’s a very tense, borderline morose seriousness to the experience, with the screeching/ galloping guitars and beseeching tone confidently channeling an emotionally resonant undercurrent throughout. Focusing on themes of vulnerability and struggle, it’s the sound of someone breaking open just to see what spills out. I know I’m cheating with this one on almost every front, so I hope you’ll forgive me. Yes, it’s technically two songs, but since the first is an intro (and the official video bundles them together), I don’t think that’s too cheeky — let’s call it a draw. Autumnal? Seasonal? Debatable vibes-wise, but with its dark undercurrent and feral edge, it definitely qualifies in someone’s book (me. I’m someone.). This is a track for anyone who likes structure in their metallic chaos — rapturous choruses, fine riffing, and enough emotional bite to keep you coming back long after the casket drops.

- Benjamin Jack

Cindy & Bert – “Der Hund von Baskerville“
from Holly Holy / Der Hund Von Baskerville // 1971 // Comet // schlager - hard rock

The horrors of schlager music are boundless, and any pick from this nightmare-inducing genre would have hit the mood here. But among all the atrocities that have tortured generations of 40’s-night attendees and defenseless kids at their grandparents’ emerald anniversaries, there’s one aberration, one odd piece of cultural crossover that low-key wrecks. Legendary Uberschmalz bedrock Cindy & Bert had a very brief rebellious stint before releasing their debut album, putting their Hammond orgy of a “Paranoid” cover on a random B-side. To truly grasp what’s going on here, there’s no way around watching the embedded video. Bert (RIP) gives the performance of a lifetime, staring straight into your soul with his piercing gaze while doing his best not to move an inch (and to remember not to look directly into the camera). The theatrics! The portentous smoke! That stage presence! No wonder the crowd can’t help but open up a pit at the first beat. Fittingly giallo-esque cinematography rounds out this audiovisual masterpiece. The rest of their catalog, including first presses, is flogged for pennies, but even the 2022 reissue of this single will set you back more than a hundred bucks – and for good reason.

- Nex

The Knife - “Full of Fire”

from Shaking the Habitual // 2013 // Rabid - Mute // industrial techno

Most Halloween music I hear is either “Monster Mash”-esque goofy fun, something created for the specific purpose of scaring people (horror media OSTs, etc.), or just anything with a vaguely goth or skeletal aesthetic. But I think the best examples are the ones that break out of these boundaries, or at least wrap them around more established genres, like “Thriller” for dance pop, or “Full of Fire” for industrial techno. The latter starts out traditional, a beat straight out of Deep Into the Cut, but the drums soon seem to spill out of their confines, giving up on any true adherence to form. In something between a question and a threat, Karin Dreijer prods at their - and our - adherence to gender and the social dynamics surrounding it, and as they pause, the ground beneath the song growls. This is just the start of the breakdown, a track that sounds like Black Swan’s club scene and deconstructs it piece by piece, zooming in endlessly on the anxiety until it barely resembles itself, just one constant drum keeping us anchored to society. There’s more to say about this nine-minute centerpiece of the perpetually overlooked Shaking the Habitual, but I don’t want to spoil the ending. Just know it won’t sound like anything you’ve heard on the 31st.

- K Bowman