The musicto curator community gets spooky (again!)
Our third Halloween themed list in a row – tying in nicely with the full Halloween Collection. This year, think dark and enchanting—tracks that conjure images of spellbinding rituals, haunted woods, and mischievous creatures. We were looking for a mix of eerie melodies, mystical beats, and atmospheric sounds, songs that blend an otherworldly vibe with an edge of danger, perfect for creating a magical yet haunting party atmosphere. This is what we came up with:
Thirteen tracks…of course, it’s thirteen tracks…
Descending – Sleep Token
Eerie melodies and atmospheric sounds brought me straight to sleep token. It’s hard to describe their music because it’s somehow everything at once, anyways they always feel like something from a different world (I mean just look at their outfits)
I went through a few of their songs until “Descending” got me. It’s painting the picture of being followed in the woods by something unknown, I don’t know how to describe it otherwise. Enjoy!
1..2..Freddy’s Coming For You – Tha J-SQUAD, Remix Maniacs
1..2..Freddy’s Coming for You by the J-Squad brings back all the chills from my childhood when A Nightmare on Elm Street was the absolute horror of all horror movies for me. Recently, I stumbled upon this remix, and it adds a fresh, haunting twist to the eerie nursery rhyme, making it a perfect fit for this Magic and Mayhem playlist. And just like , def adding more to the mayhem side of things.
Bottomland – Colin Keenan
“If Hell was in the market for a theme song to greet troubled souls entering its gate, this would be a strong candidate. Colin Keenan describes the universal spot no one ever wants to visit, with just the right amount of verbal visuals.”
Ogre Battle – Queen
Back in the early 90’s when Queen had a huge revival due to Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen II was the first album I actually owned. When I say album I mean cassette..lol. I can remember my younger brother and I were dropped off at the mall to see a movie, where I proceeded to steal his money for snacks so I could get this. I was blown away! It’s so heavy compared to Queen’s later stuff. Anyway Ogre Battle is just amazing! The story that is told it’s just like it could’ve actually happened. Like Queen was there to actually witness it. There is a lot of screaming and heavy guitar riffs. I do love the heavier side of Queen. The first 3 albums are to be listened to for sure! Come to Ogre Battle!!!
have u seen the witch? – Juliette Flag
Levitation – Infinite Potentials
I like this track because it’s always evoked some sort of witchcraft/ritual feel to it, it makes me feel like I’m under some kind of spell from afar or someone’s trying to get into my head; you know that “the evil eye” kind of thing? Well, that.
Some time later after discovering it I stumbled upon a fan-made video on Youtube using, of course, “legit” witchcraft-ish footage of a shaman levitating. Great for the vibe of the video.
Wonky music like this will always have a special place in my heart.
Nightcall – Kavinsky
I chose ‘Night Call’ because it’s got this perfect blend of dark, atmospheric elements that just transport you. Like, right from the start, you hear a wolf howling in the background, and it gives this whole ‘creeping in the night’ vibe. The synthesizer hits, and it’s like—you know that feeling of a dark fog rolling in? It’s got that. And then there’s this voice that comes in, and it sounds like Freddy Krueger is singing on the damn track!
What I love, though, is the contrast. You’ve got this real dark, spooky vibe, and then suddenly, these soft, ethereal vocals come in—’there’s something about you,’ and it’s like, wow, that’s so 80s. Even though the track didn’t come out in the 80s, it really captures that sound, like something straight out of Fright Night or an old-school horror flick. It just gives me all the feels, so yeah, that’s why I had to pick it.
A Forest – The Cure
I also feel like sticking with another 80s classic that fits almost perfectly with this theme’s description. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve listened to this song—it has such a borderless sound that it resonates with so many of my emotional states. Even though I’m not really one to celebrate Halloween, I’d definitely bring this song to any themed party.
I Put a Spell on You – Sylvia Black
When I think “magic & mayhem,” fairy godmothers and ye ol’ curiosity shops come to mind, so I put off adding “Screamin’ Jay” Hawkins’s “I Put a Spell on You”… at first. Fortunately, written in 1956, it’s been covered infinitesimally, and it just so happens that there is a version for every mood! Sylvia Black’s cover has that magical realism vibe that I think hits the spot for this year’s community Halloween playlist.
Bela Lugosi’s Dead – Bauhaus
When in doubt, always stick with the classics…😁
‘Bela Lugosi’s Dead’ hits the spooky nerve just right. I remember first hearing this at a Halloween party in high school, and digging it immediately on first hearing. Moody, spooky goth reggae punk, with Peter Murphy looking and sounding like a zombie on the nod….you gotta love the Eighties…
Supernatural – Barns Courtney
I’m going with Supernatural by Barns Courtney here. It’s got all the right kinds of mischief and edginess to fit perfectly into a Halloween playlist. Right from the start you get these intense guitar riffs and an almost sinister feel. The heavy, pounding drums and loud guitar riffs give the track an almost ritualistic energy, while Courtney’s intense vocals add an unsettling yet captivating intensity. I’m going for more mayhem with this pick 👻
Enchanted Mantra – Nia Pearl, Kelvin Momo, Stixx, Mzizi
This is my contribution to the playlist. From the title itself, it suggests a hypnotic allure making it a perfect fit for Magic and Mayhem. This song features rich, ethereal production. It sounds as if it’s layered with haunting harmonies and ambient tones that create a dreamy soundscape. You can’t deny that there’s an enchanting and spellbinding quality that draws listeners into a trance and amplifies the mystery. Nia Pearl’s smooth vocals, paired with the song’s subtle beats and melodies make it a perfect fit for a night of magic.
Fairies Wear Boots – Black Sabbath
Memory is a weird thing and also totally unreliable but I do have a memory of listening to Black Sabbath for the first time. I think I was maybe eight or nine, at a friend’s house for the weekend and his big brother was a fan. I found the opening to their eponymous 1st album terrifying!
It didn’t help that at the time I was having horrific nightmares (ultimately ended up seeing a number of shrinks about that over the years,) mostly centered on demonic aspects and inverted church imagery etc. So yeah – songs about Satanic rituals & sacrifice were pretty much guaranteed to keep me awake at night.
The problem was – I loved the music. Paranoid was much less scary than their first album and so long as I didn’t look too closely at the album cover of Sabbath Bloody Sabbath I was fine ;-p But the track that I’ve chosen is the final track on Paranoid – originally titled Jack the Stripper / Fairies Wear Boots – and it’s the least scary track from the catalog (IMO)
I’ve always loved it because it’s this hysterical song about a guy that gets home late at night, looks out the window and he sees a fairy in boots dancing with a dwarf – which is just awesome. I also loved the ending because he goes to the doctor for help and the doctor’s all “sorry dude, but all you do is smoke and trip so yeah – there’s not much I can do!” Which in retrospect is a little spooky but at the time set me on a direct course to smoke and trip as much as I could ‘cos I wanted to see those same Fairies for myself!
Want more musicto playlisticles like Favorite Euphoric Songs? Check out our previous playlisticles: https://www.musicto.com/community/
Track Listing
- Descending – Sleep Token
- 1..2..Freddy’s Coming for You – Tha J-SQUAD
- Bottomland – Colin Keenan
- Ogre Battle (Remastered 2011) – Queen
- have u seen the witch? – Juliette Flag
- Levitation – Infinite Potentials
- Nightcall – Kavinsky
- A Forest (2006 Remaster) – The Cure
- I Put a Spell on You – Sylvia Black
- Bela Lugosi’s Dead (Official Version) – Bauhaus
- Supernatural – Barns Courtney
- Enchanted Mantra (feat. Stixx & Mzizi) – Nia Pearl
- Fairies Wear Boots – Black Sabbath
Playlist image GPT 4o