Started this first playlist of Interbay tracks to celebrate Spooky Week 2024.  All of the tracks in this playlist are on the "dark side" of the sounds that Interbay generates--it could be dark post-punk, witch house, darkwave, goth rock, dark industrial, dark techno, etc.  

Could be good background music for a Halloween party.  

This playlist will be added to (even if it isn't Spooky Week) whenever tracks on the dark side of Interbay get posted.

The Dark Side of Interbay (we have cookies!)

Retro synths, occasional acid basslines, spoken word vocals by Thomas Eleven, military radio chatter...all to tell a story about first contact gone badly.  It is a bit long--I was going for a mood.

"Unprepared" by Interbay *SoundCloud Exclusive*

What started as an aggressive electro-industrial track turned into something else entirely with the addition of spoken word (by Ari Eleven) and some atmospheric pads and the occasional overdriven guitar.  (Yes, a debt to Public Service Broadcasting is due for the continued inspiration.)

"Everest" by Interbay *SoundCloud Exclusive*

I'm not sure Elizabethan Trance is going to become a thing, but if it ever does, this is where it started.  Interbay, Shakepseare, Sir Ian.  It's got a good beat and you can dance to it (plus, the message is always important to share...sadly.)

"Strangers" by Interbay *SoundCloud Exclusive*

The USS Insignificance is a generation ship--an attempt to save humanity by colonizing another planet.  The people who left Earth will not live to see this new world--nor will their children or their children's children.  Entire generations will live in die in transit.  Will the generation that finally reaches the destination even know what to do or why they are there?  This track is the sound of an entire life of Insignificance.  The ambience of the sound of the ship, the bland corporate chimes of official announcements, the steady hum of the drive, the occasional course correction or near-miss...and the relentless bounce of daily life.  

"Insignificance" by Interbay *SoundCloud Exclusive*

"These are the last days of disco" is what the main sample in this track says (though, you might also hear "Diva, the last space disco"--I'm choosing to ignore that.)  Choosing that vocal sample drove me to include touchstones of disco into what was originally a progressive house track--so, you'll hear strings, diva vocals, disco whistles, skritchy guitars, latin percussion, etc. (and trombones...not sure that was ever a disco thing, but I think it works.)  

Also, befitting the theme--consider this an extended disco 12" single mix...as it is, probably, a bit longer than it needs to be.  Certainly longer than a radio edit would be.

"Discotheque" by Interbay *SoundCloud Exclusive*

Originally tabbed to be pressed on 7" vinyl as Interbay's first single (before deciding against that plan), this song is an abrasive, almost industrial, midtempo track with spoken word vocals from Daniel Eleven.  

"Conduit" by Interbay *SoundCloud Exclusive*

The record store that I was a co-manager at had a big, powerful heating unit right over the front door--and the name on that heating unit was REZNOR.  Not sure that has anything to do with this track--it might.  Running already processed drums through a guitar distortion rack turns this into a pretty downward spiralling machine, which might be a bit too on the nose.  

CONTENT WARNING:  This track includes airplane system warning noises as well as ATC and CVR recordings.  If those things might bother you, feel free to click on any other Interbay track instead.

"Terrain" by Interbay *SoundCloud Exclusive*

"Aphantasia is a characteristic some people have related to how their mind and imagination work. Having it means you don’t have visual imagination, keeping you from picturing things in your mind. People often don’t realize they have it, and it’s not a disability or medical condition."--Cleveland Clinic

...seemed like a good topic for a tech-house track, especially as I am a congenital aphantasiac myself.  

It doesn't mean that I don't have an imagination--just that my imagination (and my memory) isn't visual.  

"Aphantasia" by Interbay *SoundCloud Exclusive*

I have to be honest--I'm not entirely sure what this is.  It started out as an ambient instrumental track, but that's not what it ended up being.  It is a midtempo, vocal, synth pop track with bass house elements.  Or something like that.  Maybe I should have titled this track "Whatever"? 

"Whenever" by Interbay *SoundCloud Exclusive*

Darkworld.  The most miserable place on earth.  Every ride is the Haunted Mansion.  And, over the speakers throughout the park is this Interbay track.  It's sorta goth, sorta indie, definitely post-punk...with nods to OMD, Prince and 50's sci-fi...all drenched in reverb, with synthesizers and neuro basses for all.  Why?  Because we like you!  M-O-U-S-E!

"Darkworld" by Interbay *SoundCloud Exclusive*

"Thought that you needed me" is where this track starts and it races through a flurry of break beats (the original title, "Broken", was in reference to the singer's heart and the breakneck-paced break beats.)  This track is too fast to be speed garage and, probably, too slow to be jungle/hardcore/d&b...and for any grognards who recognize the vocal samples...shhhhhhhh.  (For those of you who don't, just know that this is experimental medicine and it points to a day when we can go beyond just treatment.)    

I have a lot of fondness for the all-too-brief era of speed garage (which lives on in a different form through UK garage) as in my days as a club dj, speed garage tracks were consistent floor fillers.  I think that's why I indulged a bit by adding a coda after "Do Most Anything (Broken)" officially ends:  a BlenderSample Bonus Speed Garage-tribute Remix.  It's a quickmix of some classic Speed Garage sounds, speech and fx to end on a burst of energy (especially as the singer was fading as the track neared the finish line, as he must have accepted his romantic fate by then...and I'm not sure, but I think you can hear evidence of every Kubler-Ross step on the way.)  

This track has rapidfire tuned 808s, altogether too many toms, both droning and neuro basses, and both fluid and vintage synths.

"Do Most Anything (Broken)" by Interbay (with special BlenderSample remix) *SoundCloud Exclusive*

Some tech-bro rambles about crypto over music that is almost New Beat, in that it is a slowed down nrg/synthpop groove.  There is also the occasional dip into glitchiness.  

It feels sad to me.  Not sure why.  

Also, for some reason, this song reminds me of Doctor Who?  (Perhaps the Madame du Pompadour episode?  The villains were "clockwork" in that.)  

"Clockwork" by Interbay *SoundCloud Exclusive*

"Exit at the B end," explains it all, really.

Over an industrial/ebm beat and a caudron of toil and trouble bass, I took an urban synth sound and twisted it into a trance-like lead.  Somehow, thanks to a clip from one of my favorite stand-up comedians...(and bolstered by a couple of easter eggs), I ended up witha track about time travel.  

No clue how that happened.    

(And, for the record--I spell the title of this song with two "L"s when it is more common here in the US to spell it with one.  I wasn't showing my Anglophilic bona-fides by spelling it the more common in the UK way--no, I chose to spell it that way as a tip of the hat to the classic--and still going--science-fiction tabletop roleplaying game by Marc Miller:  Traveller)

"Traveller" by Interbay *SoundCloud Exclusive*

"Biochemical"--that's a badass word, I should produce a techno track with some acid squelchines and call it "Biochemical."--is what I thought yesterday.  

I didn't know until today, just before I was about to upload MY track, that Martin Garrix and Seth Hills released a track back in March...and they also titled their techno w/acid squelches track "Biochemical."  

So, if you clicked on this thinking it was that Garrix & Hills choon...or if you thought this might be a remix of that Garrix & Hills track--sorry to disappoint, this is just an Interbay original.  I don't think they're much alike, so I'm posting it anyway.

That said--this track hits you right in the face (no warming to it with a moody introduction or anything, just a rocket roaster on full right from the start) and the pace is pretty relentless all the way through.  

Oh, and it is SHORT!  (Relatively.)  I know that Interbay tracks tend to linger a bit longer than perhaps they should.  I CAN edit--I just am enamored with novelty and I worked in advertising when I was very young, so I appreciate the value of repetition.  

I think I kept things focused a bit better on this track.  

(By the way, if you're looking for more Interbay content--and why wouldn't you be?--search the book of faces for "Interbay music" and you'll find a bunch of "experiments" that I've been doing in the past year and a half.  Like, comment, subscribe...here, there...everywhere.)

"Biochemical" by Interbay *SoundCloud Exclusive*

When it comes to what I'd wanted to make with this track, it is a failure.  I wanted to make an Echo & The Bunnymen-style track.  I even set the bpm the same as "Bring On The Dancing Horses."  

This didn't end up anywhere close to Echo & The Bunnymen.

It did, however, open a new chapter in the sounds made by Interbay.  I don't think I've ever made a Tarantino-esque, NPR vocal'd, lounge piano song about getting old before.

I have now.  

It is rather pretty, even if the lyrics are a bit somber.  Sometimes songs are like that.  (I'd have to imagine that there's plenty of loud and in your face electronic dance music to come, of course.)

"Dust" by Interbay *SoundCloud Exclusive*

Yes, this track is long.  
Yes, this is the EDITED version.  
My original mix of this track (including many more dialog samples) was over 13 minutes long.  It may stay in the infamous Phantom Laboratories West Vault.  

I can point to three distinct inspirations that guided this track.  

1.  I was considering making a color bass track--only to wonder what color bass would sound like at half-tempo.  (Would it be like how Hi-NRG 12" singles, meant to be spun at 45rpm, turned into something entirely new and exciting when played at 33rpm instead?  That's how we got NuBeat.)  

2.  I was looking for new sounds and came across a synth plugin preset titled "Sunshine"--but this track wasn't really about "Sunshine," it was far darker than that...so, thus, the title "Darkshine" (still one word, my conceit for these SoundCloud Exclusive tracks remains intact!)

3.  The title of the track reminded me of the Larry Niven story "The Inconstant Moon."  Brief snippets of dialog from a mid-90s production of this tale for television can be heard in this track.  The 13 minute long "full" version is more faithful to the story, as there's so much more exposition...but when choosing to do this mildly shorter edit, I ditched most of those samples...and the ones I kept were mostly for mood.  

This is a moody piece...but I find the repeated phrase "I don't want this to end" to be both melancholy and hopeful.  Hopeful, in that fate is not merely being resignedly accepted.  

"Darkshine" (edit) by Interbay *SoundCloud Exclusive*

As you can tell by the tags, I didn't really know the best way to describe this track--though, especially if you're of a certain age, you'll know what this is when you hear it.  

Oooooh, it's sorta spooky!  

(At the same time, there are elements of this track that sound, somehow, like "flying".  Maybe a better song title would have been "Broomstick?"  

If you take the time to explore the tracks posted to this page, you'll find a variety of styles and conceits--a veritable bouillabaisse of various flavors of dance music, mutated pop, indie rock, and darkness (not always all in one song, of course.)  

This particular track features a vocal part buried deep in the mix--your ears will try to search for it...which, I think ratchets up the tension and dread a bit.  

...but, like the ghost in the window of the picture, it's not THAT scary.  

If you're interested in the creative process, this song came together because yesterday, I heard Morrissey's "Everyday is Like Sunday" on Sirius/XM's First Wave.  And from that...came this (which sounds absolutely NOTHING like Moz's song.  I think the only element I can pinpoint is the tom tom build out of the intro, which is shared by both songs.)  

Hope this amuses you.  A follow gets a follow back.  More to come!

"Haunting" by Interbay *SoundCloud Exclusive*

We had a long drive yesterday--from Dickinson ND to Missoula MT.  Part of that time was listening to FirstWave on SiriusXM...and the Slugmonstrocity played "All Night Long" by Peter Murphy.  

I think you can hear the influence of that track on THIS Interbay track.  Obviously, I wasn't trying to recreate a Peter Murphy song...but I took inspiration from it, in tempo, some of the sound design, and the general spooky vibe.  

It all fell together pretty quickly here in the Motel 6 in Missoula--and, though I had another song ready to drop today...I've called an audible, and you're getting "Whispers" instead.  

The track is a vibe more than anything else.  There's no coherent plot, there's precious little song structure, and musically, it is pretty restrained.  

But...this track excels in projecting a mood.  Might be good on a Halloween playlist, just saying.  

I should be home again tomorrow evening and I've got to imagine that things will quickly fall back into place, rather than these strange early morning posts...you'll be able to catch new tracks here around midday from now on.  

"Whispers" by Interbay *SoundCloud Exclusive*

Gary Webb might like the fact that I've crafted a tune inspired both by his music and an author that he's been inspired by in the past, J.G. Ballard.  

"The Concentration City" is a short story written by Ballard, about an infinite city that no one can escape--it extends in all directions--and the protagonist, who has dreams of unknown creatures who could fly, learns that as he takes a train as far as he can go...only to end up right back where he started (in both time and space.)

I do think there are some Numan-like elements in this track--especially of the Replicas era.  The use of the "vox humana" synth patch certainly, but also the use of "live" drums and some of the melodic content also contributes to the Numanity of it all.  And, of course, the science fiction ideas inherent in a Ballard short story.

...and then I added in all of the oh-so-Interbay bleeps and boops, as I do.

(I should warn you, towards the end, I allow some sound effects to get quite loud, indeed--purposefully, to suggest the pressure on the protagonist's mind as he struggles to reconcile what he's learned when compared to what he's dreamt.)

Vocal samples and some sound fx included in this Interbay track originally came from a short film based on this short story made by Anna Kraay for the Glasgow Art School in 2010.  The film is available on YouTube and I encourage any Interbay listeners reading this to check it out...and give it a like.  

While you're at it, you could give this track a like as well...even leave a comment, if you're so inspired.  And, as ever, a follow earns a follow-back.

"Concentration" by Interbay *SoundCloud Exclusive*

...if an Interbay album is ever made from these SoundCloud Exclusives, it certainly feels that THIS song should follow yesterday's track--without intending to, I made tracks that fit rather well together.  

"Alone in the Dark" (the first of these SoundCloud Exclusives to be given more than one word for its title) carries on the moodiness from "Interlude" and turns it into an epic and dark alternative rock track.  

(A good comparison might be The Cure "A Night Like This" or maybe even Echo & The Bunnymen's "The Killing Moon"--not THAT good, of course, but it is in that style.)  

I've also justified the "Electronic" tag with a lot of underlying synths, processed drums and effects.  (If they had a "Dark Wave" tag for the main genre options, I'd have picked that, I think.)

This one has been sitting in The Vault a little longer than most of these SoundCloud Exclusives (many of which were created the day before they were posted.)  This one, I wanted to hold on to...to wait until the right time to drop it.  

Now seems like the right time--and I have some of you to thank for that!

I was deciding between dropping this today or a more Electronic/Dance/Club banger--and my choice was going to be based on how "Interlude" did yesterday.  

As I said in the description text for "Interlude", when I stray too far from electronic dance music, those tracks get far fewer plays--like in the single digits.   

(Certainly neither "Zagreb" nor "Selfishly deserved their fate...and the earliest posts low play counts are because I hadn't figured out any way to promote my new channel yet.)  

I didn't want to have two straight songs underperform.  So, I made a promise that if "Interlude" did better than I was expecting--even though it is as far as I've ever posted from a club track (so far)--specifically, if it would get 50 plays at the time I'd post today's track...I would pick "Alone in the Dark" as today's post, but if it didn't (and I expected it wouldn't), I had another track lined up and ready to go (which will certainly get posted here, just...later).  

I was delightfully surprised to see 123 yellow ribbons 'round the old oak tree!  (Ancient reference there...it got 123 plays, which is far more than single digits and more than twice as much as the 50 target.)  

So, thank you, random people who listen to my music but never like, repost, share, or follow.  Though all of those things would be quite nice, obviously, I still appreciate those of you who can't be bothered.  

I hope you like my choice today--I think it is a particularly good one.  (Let me know if you agree!)

"Alone in the Dark" *SoundCloud Exclusive*

Post-punk, dance, indie, electronic, and mutant pop in various styles (seriously!)--new tracks being posted daily (every day for over a year, so far!)

Interbay is the new project of Peter Greyy (previously of Cremation Dance and DangerScience), based out of Seattle and Phantom Laboratories West.