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!)

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*

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*

...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*

Perhaps some of the previous tracks in this themed Spooky Week of Interbay track posts leaned more on the "horror" side of what people find "spooky"--so, I thought we might spice things up with a touch of...  

"SUSPENSE!!!!"

(Apologies if that felt over-dramatic, but I'm posting a track with samples from Vincent Price--such drama would be understated in comparison.)  

This track was original imagined as one of the many Interbay experiments that have been posted (though none recently) on Facebook--where I'd marry up the Interbay tracks I was coming up with (so far, none of them duplicated here on SoundCloud) to some sort of visualizer.  I thought this would make for a particularly interesting video.  

...but, this is a reinterpretation of a theatrical radio broadcast.  There were no viusals from the show to help me craft a video for it--and for that, and a number of reasons, I never got around to posting this track until just now.  (It had, ironically, sat in the Vault for quite some time--as I can produce music for days!)  

I thought, briefly, that this song might never be shared properly.  I did not know this when I first began posting here on SoundCloud, but the first second (or so) would get cut off of every upload--and being a former dj, I liked when tracks started IMMEDIATELY...so, that caused a problem for some of the earliest tracks--until I went back into the project files and added a second of blank space before re-uploading the tracks in a SoundCloud specific corrected way.  

BUT..this track is quite a bit older than any other tracks I've posted on SoundCloud so far--old enough that the production on this track ended on New Year's Eve of 2023/2024.  I had no idea I'd be switching from Facebook to SoundCloud--nor did I know I'd soon be upgrading Phantom Laboratories West.  And, in the move from the previous PLW to the one I'm using now, parts of the file for this track went missing--so, I couldn't just reopen the project and add a second to the start of it.  

Luckily, I found a workaround...as it is a perfect track to share during Spooky Week.  

The song itself--it is a dark house track with suckbacks, reverses, sound effects and a cinematic approach to breakdowns.  I wouldn't blame you if you felt that I messed with the auto pan a bit too much--but it was on purpose, to leave the listener feeling a bit unsettled...as I thought that would be thematically appropriate.  

I almost considered using the music parts of this project, ditching the radio play samples (which were much of what had gone missing) and re-using it for a new (probably spooky as well) track...but I'm glad you get to hear "Suspense" the way I hoped you would.  

(You'll also see that this is the "darkness re-edit"--there was an original mix of this track that lasted over 11 minutes long...and it didn't work as well as this one, I think does.  But, of course, your mileage may vary...  Still, I don't see that 11 minute+ version seeing the light of day any time soon...so...you're welcome?)  

Play! Like! Repost! Share! Comment! Follow!  
thank you!

"Suspense (darkness re-edit)" *SoundCloud Exclusive*

Decided to pull one of the tracks I was saving for this October (spooky week) and drop it here, today...just because it felt like it might help me blow off some steam and let some aggression out.  

(Why I'd need to blow off steam or have aggression to let out, I don't know?  It's a mystery!)  

So, we're going to celebrate the art (not the artist) with this track dedicated to one of H.P. Lovecraft's best known characters--Dr. Herbert West, Reanimator.  

"Is he dead?" 
"Not anymore..."  

So, to get this magic (and very fluorescently bright green) serum, I mixed house beats, dubstep bass, synth pop keys, industrial distorted guitars, and movie trailer samples...and what emerges is "Herbert" by Interbay.  

If you're up for a little June spookiness, or just want to get hyped up, or want to get some anger out of your system--this is the Interbay track for you.  

Not much else to say, really.  

Give this track a listen, a like, a share, a repost, a comment, add it to a playlist...any or all of those would be much appreciated.  

And follow this page--did you know that a never before heard track is being uploaded here EVERY SINGLE DAY (for well over a year and counting!)

"Herbert" *SoundCloud Exclusive*

Dipping once again into the tracks that I had intended to reserve until Spooky Week, as there are a few tracks that are almost ready to escape the Labs...but not quite yet.  This track takes obvious inspiration from the Fritz Lang classic "Metropolis" movie...but it doesn't try to re-tell that story.  

If anything, consider this a trailer for the unthinkable "Metropolis II" sequel.  

A spoken poem over some metallic clanks and some metallic guitars, but dominated by atmospheric synth washes and a sense of dread.  

...in other words...an Interbay track--just one of the darker and spookier ones.  

In the original "Metropolis" movie, Moloch is the symbolic representation of the soulless and demonic machine at the heart of the inequality and class divide that fuels the futuristic and dystopian city.  Some have described it as a temple in the deep bowels of the city below, where the workers are sacrificed to fuel the fires that power the city above.  

The scene where the film's protagonist, Freder--the pampered son of one of the upper regions rulers--finds himself face to face with the cruel reality of what how the workers live and toil below, and he hallucinates the vision of Moloch over the machines...devouring workers...is harrowing, even for a silent film from 1927...still today.   

Even the title card that shows Freder naming it Moloch is terrifying in the choice of font for and twisted spacing of the lettering.  

It sticks with you.  And thus it inspired today's latest Interbay track.  

It would mean a lot if you give this track a listen!  
(And if you could give it a like.  You could also repost it, share it, comment on it, add it to a playlist...)  

And, if you have the time, could you check out YESTERDAY's posted track, titled "Be All Right" as well?  These two tracks are nothing at all alike--that is the fun of following along with the music of Interbay.  However, "Be All Right", despite being the 400th consecutive daily possted Interbay track, got shortchanged by the algorithm...and I think it deserves more ears.  

"Moloch" is the 401st track posted in 401 consecutive days of Interbay music here on SoundCloud.  And there's more to come!  

Consider giving this page a Follow so you can...well...follow!

"Moloch" *SoundCloud Exclusive*

Hmmmm...I seem to have angered the algorithm.  Yesterday's track, "Quest" should have received more than nine listens...and yet, as I type this out, that's all it has.  Normally, by the time I post the next day's track, Interbay songs generate, on average, 140 listens.  People just curious by the title or the thumbnail...and a few people who listen to Interbay regularly.  

Occasionally, a track would just stumble out of the gates and there seemed to be no rhyme or reason why...but, if that only happened every three months or so, it wouldn't bother me too much (except that I tend to think that every Interbay track is worth a listen, you know?)  

Well, in just about a week, I've had FOUR tracks now to suffer this fate.  And "Quest" is still being "evaluated" for the Artist Pro promotion feature...and I'm not sure why.  

So, if you have any love for this Interbay music project--check out "The Undeservedly Ignored Side" Interbay playlist.  Give a listen to some of the tracks stranded on the Island of Misfit Toys, and see if maybe you need a locomotive with square wheels.  

Meanwhile, it is another day and that means another Interbay track--let the algorithm do whatever it will do with this one.  

I wanted something dark...and basing a techno song on the life of author/artist Edward Gorey felt like just the thing (though, I considered saving it for the upcoming "Spooky Week"--you can't beat that "hot off the griddle" vibe of JUST finishing a track moments before uploading it to SoundCloud.)  

This might need a remix to bring the vocals down a bit--there's a bit of a crisp on them, but I think that could work for them here.  Not sure, but I'll add it to the growing list of "Interbay songs that could use a remix".  

Lately I've been trying to steer away from a dependence on samples and loops, trying to construct what I need from the various instruments and effects that I have at my disposal at Phantom Laboratories West.  But, occasionally, I'm still drawn to find inspiration from the sample packs I also have available to me (and rightly so, considering how much I've paid and am paying for them!).  

This track started with a repetitive bass loop.  I transposed it a few times, I dumped a bunch of effects on it, and then I layered instrument after instrument on top of it--topping it off with some vocal elements--spoken word and a heavily gated bit.  

What might not work for some of you is the drums here.  I thought many times for swapping these scratch drums out for something beefier--but, for a change, I thought that maybe by downplaying the presence of the drums, it might bring out the bass, as a rhythmic element, more.  

It's a theory.  A music production theory.  

...and I do like to try different things, if only to make it fun for me--hopefully that means it'll be fun for you, too.

You'll only know if it could be fun for you if you give this track (or any Interbay track, for that matter--there sure is a lot of 'em!) a listen.  Give it a like if you do!  

(Reposting it, sharing it, adding it to a playlist, commenting on it--all are good things, too.)  

And follow this page for more!  Did you know that a brand new track is posted here EVERY SINGLE DAY(so far...and it's well over a year, so far!)  

Meanwhile, I'll see what I can do to recapture the magic that the algorithm and I once enjoyed.  Flowers and chocolates might work...but so could cleaning up the Labs.  I'll work on it.

"Yarmouth" *SoundCloud Exclusive*

It is Monday, and for the fourth straight Monday, we're digging into the past to unearth a track originally shared on Facebook (before switching to SoundCloud), but having gone through a Rethink, Remake, Remix process to bring it up to the standards of what I post here on SoundCloud.  

This time, a fourth "R" should be added:  "Remaster."  Because the track known as "Experiment 15" was already meeting most of the directives that I've added to my productions that weren't in place when I was posting on Facebook.  It didn't need as much of a Rethink or a Remake as the previous three RRR exclusive remixes needed to post here.

I'll even go a step further.  I think this was the first Interbay track that felt like it could have been a DangerScience track (DangerScience being the post-punk band I was in back in the late 80s early 90s, and the only previous music project of mine that had ever recorded and distributed our original music before.)  I'm not sure if Crash, my former songwriting partner in a couple of different bands, would agree--but the combination of synths, guitars, drum machines and Sci-Fi dialogue snippets sure fits into what we were cooking up back then, in the original Phantom Laboratories.  

(One of the movies with a snippet in this track is the classic "War of the Worlds" from the 50s.  The long planned but never finished second DangerScience album had a track that I had written that was based on samples from that movie--so, there's a direct link from the DangerScience past to the Interbay present.)  

Certainly not nearly as "personal" as yesterday's track (and thanks to those of you who gave "Birthday Wishes" a listen), this is definitely very me...and I'm happy that it took a little dusting off, freshening up, and some power boosting to be able to share it with you here on SoundCloud.  

As always, I'm just asking you to give this track a listen.  Let me know what you think of it by giving it a like and/or leaving a comment.  If you feel like reposting it, sharing it, or adding to a playlist of yours--that would be awesome as well.  

And, the best way to stay current with the daily (so far!) Interbay track drops, is to follow this page (and a follow earns a follow back!)  

"Our Power (exp15 RRR)" *exclusive remix*

Here there be tygers.  (And, by tygers, I mean, a lot of industrial techno noise.)  

Grinding along at 108bpm, "Zirconium" is the latest track to drop here on SoundCloud from Interbay.  I can share with you that this track does (gulp) feature me singing part of it.  

Yes, actually me...my voice.  (Through about eighteen effects--but still me!)

And yes, at the end of the day, I think you can tell that there is a strong influence on this track AND my singing on from a famous musician who might or might not be named after a company that makes industrial and commercial heaters.  

(I almost called this track "4 Inch Nails" but...obviously a joke (I don't measure), I am single..so, maybe that's not a joke I want to put out into the world--that's just basic marketing.)  

I have long mentioned that I was intending on being the vocalist on more Interbay tracks (I'd have to check to see for sure, but I think this is the fourth track to feature my voice in ANY capacity, but only the second one where I think you'd know which of the various vocals are mine in those tracks.)  I recorded it VERY dirty--which, in this instance was a feature, not a bug--but I won't want to do that for every Interbay track.  

So...still some work to do--including on my own self-confidence.  (But, I'm happy with how these vocals sound on this track...distorted and blurry.  Ooooh, good album title!)  

This isn't one of the pretty Interbay tracks.  It is a grindy and noisy industrial track, but with that Interbay mutant pop feel to it.  I hope you like it--or, I hope you bookmark it to play it when you're feeling angry or aggressive, as this might make for a better soundtrack to that than a peaceful evening out on the water.  ;)  

And, as always, your attention is always appreciated to this crazy Interbay music project.  It would mean a lot if you listened, liked, reposted, shared, playlisted, commented, and followed.  

(Only a couple away from 500 consecutive days with an Interbay track being posted here on SoundCloud.  We should have a party of some sort...  :) )

"Zirconium" *SoundCloud Exclusive*

Hopefully today's Interbay track didn't freak out anyone paying for the ad-free SoundCloud experience--this isn't an ad, it only sounds like at the beginning.  An ad from the 50s or 60s, advertising some low budget Corman-esque sci-fi b-movie that by the summer will be packaged with another similar film for a drive-in double feature.

And then come the synths and the very Simmons-kit style pounding drums, and we are definitely in the 80s.  This might be one of the truest and most credible 80s new wave synthpop style tracks that Interbay has yet shared.    

And then, some rave stabs push us into the 90s.  

Truly, this is a song out of time.  

(Or, in many times.)  

I spent a little more energy on this track to give it a chance to shine in the neverending flood of Interbay track drops (every single day, a new track...so far!)  It was a joy to work on--and I don't think it took any more TIME to get it to where I felt it was ready to share with you today...just that I paid more attention to the details and tweaked things until I felt they were as good as I can do with the skills I currently have.  

I hope you agree.  I mean, I hope listen to this track...and every Interbay track.  I hope you give a like to this track...and every Interbay track.  I hope you repost it, share it, comment on it, add it to a playlist...though, I recognize that's a tall ask for you to do that with EVERY Interbay track--but it would sure be cool if you did.  

Most of all, I hope you follow this page.  Hop on this crazy music time machine--it is larger on the inside, you know.  If you follow, you'll be presented with new Interbay music every day (so far!) and what a wonderful present to yourself that would be--and, like a good gift, you won't really know what you're going to get until you unwrap it!  

(Unless you have "X-Ray Vision", of course.  That would let you know what you were going to get without unwrapping it.  Hmmm...that might be a good name for a Phantom Laboratories West patreon, if such a thing would ever exist--because it would give you full vision into everything.  Again, I say...hmmmmmmm.)

"X-Ray Vision" *SoundCloud Exclusive*

I was intending on waiting  couple more days to start SPOOKY WEEK, with dark and possibly scary songs appropriate for the season.  Then I spotted something that inspired THIS track--so, it is possible that SPOOKY WEEK is starting early...it might be starting now!  

What I noticed is that this song today is the 526th Interbay track posted here on SoundCloud (one a day for 526 straight days!).  When you add this to the 140 Interbay tracks that were originally posted on Facebook, before I started posting here...that means this track is the 666th Interbay track.  

And this song was the result of being inspired by such a devilish nummber.  

(Well, I suppose I could have posted an Interbay'd up cover of an Iron Maiden song...but I went with this.)  

The story is original to me.  The vocals, obviously, are not.  You've got some spooky ambience, a Gary Numan-y synthline, and constant dance beat pulse, and a section that, unintentionally, sounds a little bit like the theme from Phantom of the Opera (only because of the synth patch chosen and the chord used--but none of the melody or anything--just that one chord.)  

A little synth acid to spice things up and an occasional switch into a sped up trap beat.  

In other words, it's totally Interbay.  

Originally, I was going to call this track "Packed With the Devil"--notice that it is NOT "Pact With the Devil."  Ahhh, you see what I was gong to do there.  I think I was hinting at a Hemsworth-type guy who could lure any woman into some "Very Nice, Very Evil" (apologies to Danhausen) night time activities.  

The story also comes with a reference to Broadcast News, of all things.  When Albert Brooks' character is heartbroken when he learns that his crush, Holly Hunter, is entering a relationship with William Hurt...  Albert calls him the devil, and says that the devil wouldn't LOOk like the devil...he would be attractive...and that they'd get all the great women.  

(There's also a lyrical reference to Blue Oyster Cult in my story--BONUS INTERBAY POINTS IF YOU CAN SPOT IT.  Oh, hell, BONUS INTERBAY POINTS if you even remember Blue Oyster Cult or know who they are...)

This was fun to put together and it came together fast.  Love it when it happens.  

But I'm not promising that tomorrow's track will be spooky.  Not sure about that yet.  

Still, for Interbay track #666--could have done worse, yeah?  

Give "Devil's Night" a listen, a like, a repost, a share, leave a comment, add it to a playlist, etc.

And follow for more--because there's fresh baked Interbay dropping here every single day (so far!)  Thanks!

"Devil's Night" *SoundCloud Exclusive*

...and now for something completely different (which still, somehow, ends up being very Interbay.)  

Once again, I'm not entirely sure if Spooky Week has started slightly early or not...but I think this nightmarish story certainly fits, if it has.  

I've left out some key details of this repurposed tale to keep things mysterious and open for interpretation by anyone who hears it.  If you stare into nothingness, you find for yourself what you see looking back at you.  

Musically, I'm rather proud of this...because it is definitely inspired by the band Dead Can Dance, who managed to blend electronic elements, a goth vibe, and various world music components into a compelling sound.   

At the time, possibly because they were on the 4AD label, Dead Can Dance were considered to be alternative rock and post-punk.  

Another touchstone for the music of "Nothingness" would be the incorporation of Ofra Haza in dance music tracks--like "Pump Up The Volume" by M/A/R/R/S (though not quite as cut & paste as that) or the Gregorian Chants of "Sadeness" by Enigma.  

So, what "Nothingness" incorporates are afrobeat/amapiano rhythms, Balkan singing, electro synths and bass.  

For a song titled "Nothingness"--that's an awful lot.  For an Interbay song--that's...well, I mean...that's just Interbay being Interbay, isn't it?  (You never know what you might get on any particular day's drop.)  

And while the words aren't mine, this time, I can relate to the sense of clarity fading and of longing things that are no longer part of your world, even the parts that used to annoy you are now missed in their absence.  

"Spooky," says Count Floyd.  

I'm looking forward to hearing from the adventurous Interbay listeners what you think of this track.  Did I hit the target I was aiming for?  (If so...it might be the first time!)  Does this combination of sounds and moods work as a cohesive whole?  I'd love to know your take on this latest Interbay track.  

So, give this track a listen.  Like it, repost it...do all the things that I ask you to do whenever a new track drops (and a new track drops EVERY SINGLE DAY, so far)...so, if you're on this particuar rollercoaster, you probably know what those things are.  ;)

Especially the ask that you follow this page for more Interbay.  You won't want to miss where this goes tomorrow.  (Not that I know, of course...let's ALL be surprised!)

"Nothingness" *SoundCloud Exclusive*

...well, I guess, officially, Spooky Week 2025 has started.  (A little early, depending on if you think "If You Got To Get" is spooky...or if it started yesterday with "Devil's Night.")

I had a choice of two tracks to drop today...and I chose the third one.  The one I hadn't even thought of until this morning on the car ride home after dropping my kid off at school and I didn't even start around noon.  (Which is why this track is dropping later than most recent tracks have dropped...it literally didn't exist when I thought I'd post a track today.)  

Why the sudden change of plans?  I had been thinking of what type of songs might work for spooky week...and what spooky tropes could be worked into songs.  I mean, if we are starting a little early--I don't want every song this week to sound exactly the same (other than how every Interbay song ends up sounding...like Interbay.)  

Suddenly, the combination of different genres I could try and remembering that I haven't done a song about zombies in a hot minute suddenly put the song "Now I'm Feeling Zombified" by Alien Sex Fiend.  Which, I have to admit...doesn't happen very often. 

I'm not sure I've thought of this song since I was djing at a video club in Eau Claire, Wisconsin...and our "Halloween" video tape had the video for this song (and the thumbnail here is a grab from that video) on it (along with all of your other favorite Halloween hits--"Monster Mash", "The Time Warp",  "A Nightmare on My Street," "Bela Lugosi's Dead" and then 15 songs by The Cure.)  

(I do know that Crash, my songwriting partner in my early bands, is a fan of Alien Sex Fiend--or, at least, this song of theirs.)  

What kind of music is Alien Sex Fiend?  Allmusic says that they are referred to as "goth, death rock, post-punk, industrial" but the biography throws in glam rock, punk, psychedelia, techno, and trance."  

So...everything, then?  Sounds perfect for Interbay!    

That's the vibe I was going for.  There's lo-fi synths, industrial metal clanks, processed guitars, drum machine beats, real drum beats, tons of effects.  Pretty much the only thing this track DOESN'T have that you'd probably find in an ASF song is...campy B-movie samples.  (Which, if you've been following Interbay for any length of time...is surprising, considering how many movie samples find their way into these tracks.)  

...and, zombies.  

Get in the spirit of Spooky Week.  Turn the lights down.  Turn the music up.  Eat some candy (I know you've got some!)    

Give "Hunger For Brains" a listen, a like, repost it and share it with your spooky friends!  Leave a spooky comment.  And follow for more Interbay, new tracks drop every single day (so far!)

(If you don't like spooky music, come back in November...because it's going to be spooky for...well...a week...give or take a day or two.)

"Hunger For Brains" *SoundCloud Exclusive*

How does one express the idea of being cursed in a dark techno track?  

(...and am I the only one who loses sleep over questions like this?  Probably.)  

Spooky Week (because there's no single word in the English language that means "ten days" and "Spooky Not Quite A Fortnight But Longer Than a Week" doesn't roll off the tongue) continues with this homage to a very nice and very evil man (who I walked past at a con not too long ago).  

If you follow modern professional wrestling, you know from that description (and the thumbnail) who I'm talking about...if you don't, you don't have to in order to enjoy this epic length dark techno track.  You'll understand all you need to know without having to Google anything.  

(You're welcome?)  

Going back to my original question, once I chose the title (a reference to the main sample), I had to find an answer...and, with a professionally trained wicked sense of humor...I found my answer early this morning (after having fallen asleep with my headphones on and the barebones of this track replaying over and over...influencing the various nightmares I suffered through until, while still asleep, I managed to both take the headphones off and stop FL Studio from torturing me with my own music simply by hitting the space bar).  

Modern dance music is, like stand-up comedy, all about tension and release.  In comedy, there is the set-up followed by the punchline.  In dance music, it is the build leading to the drop...rinse and repeat.  (When I was a club dj, songs might have one build and one drop...hell, some great dance songs didn't have EITHER...now, it feels like songs are ONLY builds and drops--well, in some EDM genres, at least.)  

BEWARE!  HERE THAR BE SPOYLERS!!!  

What could be more "cursed" than to have many builds...but no drops?  Each build just sort of sputters out and starts the next build.  It is the dance club equivalent of blue balls...or, more precisely (why?  Why is it important to be more precise than "blue balls"?) coitus interruptus.  

(Better coitus interruptus than no coitus, am I right?  Besides, I have a lot of good memories of being young and lucky--and coitus interruptus was as much as we could hope for.)  

(TMI?  Yeah, probably.)  

Even if there's a trollish prank at the heart of the creation of this track, I think the track still works--it goes hard, the energy is undeniable, and...much like the major star that this track is in homage to (and "an homage to"--love a language where you look up which is correct only to find out that BOTH are correct)...it doesn't take itself too seriously.  

...kind of like Interbay in general, really.  

Spooky or not, there's a brand new Interbay track dropping here on SoundCloud EVERY SINGLE DAY (so far!)...and they will (hopefully) be spooky for the rest of this month!  You should follow this page and be part of the madness until my heart explodes (yeah--if ever I miss a day posting an Interbay track, send somebody to Phantom Laboratories West to do a wellness check on me.  At least as long as I'm single--and at this point, I'm guessing death will come before that changes.)  

Considering that we're over 525 consecutive days dropping an Interbay track, it shouldn't be as hard as it is proving to be to get even 300 followers, right?  (Though, if you'd told me in May 2024 that I'd have ANY followers here on SoundCloud, I would have felt like I'd won the lottery--just without the money.)  

Please, listen to "You're All Cursed"!  Give it a like.  Consider reposting it, share it with friends, add it to a playlist, and drop a comment here if you have something to say (hopefully, it'll be nice.  Very nice even.  Very nice, very evil.)  

PS--Love that Danhausen.  (Ooops!  Well, guess I can't use this as an Interbay Trivia question.  No Bonus Interbay points for you, in case you knew already.  Sorry.)

"You're All Cursed" *SoundCloud Exclusive*

Of all of the songs dropping during this year's Spooky Week, this has a very good chance of being the "spookiest."  Not the scariest, not the most horrifying, and, ironically, not necessarily the darkest...

...but, spooky?  This is damn spooky.  

Interbay points itself directly into the heart of darkness and explores the "Absence of Light"--and what it finds there is a James Earl Jones-esque voice narrating the situation where fear and desire merge and multiply each other.  

"In the absence of light, we'll have to rely on our OTHER senses" is a phrase that has never before had such inherent sexual tension surrounding it.  

Still, this isn't a song that would benefit some adult bedroom time--this is a song for a very dark dancefloor and whatever you might find there to explore.  There is a menace and a growing density of risk on that dancefloor that is as exciting as it might be terrifying.  

...and when I put this song together, I didn't think twice--I immediately put this on the special shelf in The Vault of Phantom Laboratories West where I keep tracks that should only be unleashed into the world during Spooky Week.    And now, it emerges...just in time.  

Reach out your hand and press the play button on "Absence of Light"--the latest drop from Seattle's favorite mutant pop music artist.  While your hand is out, also feel your way to the follow button as well--so you don't miss ANY of the tracks that are dropping EVERY SINGLE DAY (so far!) by Interbay on this page.  

If you'd also consider giving this track a like, reposting it, sharing it, adding it to a playlist, and/or leaving a comment...those would be most appreciated...like sparkles of light in the vantablack of darkness.  Thank you in advance.

"Absence of Light" *SoundCloud Exclusive*

Spooky Week Continues!  (Though, if you missed yesterday's drop, please give "Absence of Light" a listen--it deserves more ears than it's received so far.)  

Going into this year's Spooky Week, I had three tracks that I thought could deserve the honor of being the Interbay track that would drop on Halloween.  This is one of those three tracks, and the only reason it ISN'T the choice for Halloween is because I had three solid options--THEY CAN'T ALL DROP ON HALLOWEEN.  

(I mean, they could...but I've learned that it isn't a good idea to drop more than one track on any given day, much less three.  One per day seems to be the limit--and that's fine with me.)  

This track was a joy to spend a little extra time on.  It is a full journey into a delightful sort of madness.  Yes, early in the song, there's definitely a "Bella Lugosi's Dead" vibe, but then it turns more traditional alt rock/post punk, then the scritchy guitars come in, and somehow we've landed in mid-period Talking Heads territory...but it's not over.  No, there's a synth funk section, a breakbeat section, leading to an afrobeat climax.  

This absolutely sounds like the most Interbay song that has ever Interbay'd, doesn't it?  

The inspiration for this is one part Agatha All Along and three parts "The Little Hours"--a movie I'd not even heard about until I stumbled over the trailer for it, quite randomly, on YouTube a couple of weeks ago.  The movie is a pure Talent Bomb--Aubrey Plaza, Alison Brie, Kate Miccuci, Molly Shannon, Jemima Kirke, John C. Reilly, Fred Armisen and it seems all sorts of raunchy funny.  

And, it happens to be controversially sacrilegious--if that's not your cup of tea, I understand...but what I took from it was the image of unfettered women dancing around the fire.  (Ahhhh, and now you see what I've done here.)  

Even if this wasn't perfectly built for Spooky Week, I think I'd be very proud of this latest Interbay track...and I hope you feel the care that went into crafting it.  

You know what I'll say now:  Please listen, like, repost, share, playlist, comment...not only for "Around The Fire" but also for "Absence of Light" (yesterday's Interbay drop) as well, if you haven't yet.  And, for the Flying Spaghetti Monster's sake...please, follow this page.  There's freshly revealed Interbay music dropping EVERY SINGLE DAY (so far, for well over a year of consecutive days with a new track drop) and I wouldn't want you to miss any of them (and you won't want to miss any of them either!)  

(And, remember kids--only you can prevent forest fires.  If you do plan to drag all of your female friends into the woods, to get all naked and dance freely and vigorously around a huge bonfire...do so responsibly.)

"Around the Fire" *SoundCloud Exclusive*

SPOOKY WEEK CONTINUES!  
(Thank you to everyone who took the time to check out "Absence of Light" from two days ago.  I will now ask that you do the same and, if you haven't already, give a listen to yesterday's Interbay track, "Around The Fire"--as I really believe it deserves more ears than it has, so far, received.)  

I mentioned yesterday that going into Spooky Week, I had three good candidates to be the Interbay track that drops on Halloween, proper.  "Around the Fire" was one, and today's track, "Nosferatu" was another (guess you'll have to wait for tomorrow to find out the third--ooooh, the suspense is killing you, I know!)  

In fact, I would say that I was strongly leaning for "Nosferatu" to be THE Halloween track for months now, as "Nosferatu" was conceived of, worked on, and finished around the same time that the track "Herbert" was, and "Herbert" posted 140 days ago!  (I'd originally planned to keep "Herbert" for Spooky Week, but there was a day when I didn't have another track finished and ready to drop, so I was pressed into posting "Herbert" when it wasn't specifically thematically appropriate.  A similar thing happened with the Interbay track "January," which probably would have earned more listeners than it got had it actually come out IN JANUARY, rather than at the end of summer.  Whoops.  

"Nosferatu" is nasty, symphonic, industrial, metal...with drum machines, synths, strings, and heavily distorted guitar.  The vocals, when you can hear them, often come out as snarls...or as oddly accented repetitions of the title.  

(I was also fairly certain that the thumbnail was going to be Max Shreck as Count Orlaf from the silent film classic titled "Nosferatu"--so, this upload is NOT going how I thought it was going to go, at all.  See--these daily drops ARE a surprise...even to ME!  :) )  

This strongly reminds me of the solo project that my guitarist/songwriting partner from the late 80s/early 90s put out--that "Stigmata"-era Ministry and Scraping Foetus Off The Wheel combination of over the top arrangements and hard rock sounds with machine beats.  

I've certainly always been a big fan of that sound and I imagine that if DangerScience had lasted past 1991, that might well have been the direction we pushed ourselves towards (after we gave up the idea of being a live performing band--though, we were that...we were a damn good one, too.)  

This isn't a Count Floyd style "spooky"--this is full on horror...a "Hellraiser" to an "It", perhaps...  

Now that you have been warned, I encourage you to listen to "Nosferatu" by Interbay.  Compare it to yesterday's "Around The Fire"--which would you have picked to be dropped on the day before Halloween?  

And, obviously, if you like it...give it a like, consider reposting it or sharing it or adding it to a playlist or leaving a comment on it!  All of those things help the metrics (which I know you don't care about, but it puts a smile on my face.)  

...an evil, menacing, smile (considering the time of the year.)  

Also--FOLLOW THIS PAGE--because you'll want to know what song drops tomorrow.  You'll ALWAYS want to know what song drops each day--because new Interbay music is being delivered fresh EVERY SINGLE DAY (so far!)

"Nosferatu" *SoundCloud Exclusive*

SPOOKY WEEK CONCLUDES!  HAPPY HALLOWEEN!  

(I still think that the track from Wednesday, "Around The Fire" deserves more than 21 listens--so, when you're done listening to and liking today's track, could you then check that track out?  I'd appreciate it!)  

"So pale and so gaunt..."

Welcome to the climax of this year's Spooky Week--the track I chose over "Around The Fire" and "Nosferatu" as the best choice to drop on Halloween, proper.  

A tale of two creatures of the night who are both sick and tired of the once hallowed holiday being turned into something safe for kids.  They take to the streets in their futuristic car that is painted in clockwork orange, prowling for potential victims--groups of trick or treaters who need to get their heart rate increased immediately by being scared.  

And, the thrills of scaring these unprepared kids is such a rush that they get to the point where they simply can't keep their hands off each other.  

That combination of sexy spookiness and an almost charming-level of menace made this, in my mind, the best choice for today's Interbay track drop.  

Musically, it is certainly dark--house music, yes...but house music with tom tom heavy acoustic drums, and chorused bass guitar.  There's some nasty synths, some processed guitar, and some spooky keys--played on a keyboard made of skeleton bones!  (well, virtually, of course.)  Drench those vocals in tons of reverb...and you've got a spooky hit!  

That's "Night Haunt."  

Now, I will direct you to the playlist "The Dark Side of Interbay (we have cookies)" as a perfect soundtrack for your fright night adventuring.  (I will be adding "Night Haunt" to that playlist later today.  ;) )  

Spooky Week is always fun, but tomorrow brings us into November...and that opens up the daily track selection to non-spooky tracks (though, there will ALWAYS be some darkness in the mix with any Interbay track drop.)    

As always, I appreciate you paying attention to the madness that is Interbay, where fresh baked tracks are being delivered EVERY SINGLE DAY (so far--for over 530 consecutive days!)  If you haven't yet, please follow the page--it's the best way to stay on the roller coaster!  

I will also ask that you listen to both "Night Haunt" and "Around The Fire" (and as many other Interbay tracks as you have time for--they're all quite different, really!), and that you give them a like--I think they deserve it!  :)  Let me know if you agree!  

If you do--then repost it, share it, add it to a playlist, leave a comment on it...  It ALL helps, believe me!

"Night Haunt" *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.