Release Date: 13th December

Released on: Robot Elephant Records



As far as musical genres go, Witch House is a complete unknown to me, and only conjures images of throwing shapes on a sweaty dance floor with Bette Midler in Hocus Pocus (which, coincidentally, stars Sarah Jessica Parker in the role her face was born to play). However, Witch House is a musical subculture, which sounds like lo-fi goth electronica. Imagine Crystal Castles after a weekend binge on the nastiest crack this side of Dalston. But darker. Witch House is pretty much the soundtrack to the worst nightmare you’ve never had. Witch House is threatening a breakthrough, with Zola Jesus being named as one of Q’s Ten Faces of 2011, so is it only a matter of time before we’re all painting our nails black and renting The Craft?

Isvolt is a Witch House compilation release via Robot Elephant Records and Disaro Records from Houston, who seems to be where the coven is based, which gives an insight as to what to expect from the genre. WARNING: it’s best not to listen to this at 3am when you’re home alone, as you won’t be able to sleep, and nor would you want to.

The opener is by †‡†. Quite how you would ask for that in your local record shop is anyone’s guess. Further research suggests that there are more Witch House artists not on this CD who have similarly keyboard-symbolic names, my favourite being ▼□■□■□■. The track is called Misery Walk. It’s actually fascinating. It verges dangerously close to being a club hit, but by maintaining an air of mystique and intrigue it hooks you completely. There’s a barely audible sample of a girl talking over the beats, but because you can’t hear every word she says, it adds to the dream-like world that the song and genre exist in. Then the song ends abruptly, an Inception-like kick to snap you out of it.

The compilation seems to veer between the utterly interesting (Fostercare – Cold Light, Mater Suspiria Vision – Ritualz of the Crack Witches), and surreal to the almost unlistenable (Party Trash – Sky Clad, ///’HORSE MACGYVER \\\ - NOD), but the distance between the two is never far at all somehow. There are inspired moments, none greater than on Modern Witch – Your Life Is A Movie, where over a simple electronic beat, a robotic voice chants abstract messages, such as “Julia Roberts smiling.” It’s quite the trip. 

It’s definitely a genre for those with eclectic tastes, but there’s plenty here to delve into and lose yourself for a good while. However, when you come out the other side, you may have a slightly more distorted view of the world for doing so.

Posted In Album Reviews, Dec 10 2010. Words - Paul