What are some creepy dance tracks?
April 10, 2012 1:55 AM

What are some creepy, disturbing, scary, eerie DANCE tracks?

I'm DJ-ing a forthcoming gig on Friday the 13th and I'm wanting to go for an appropriately "unlucky" vibe. I would like to pick your brains regarding dark modern dance tracks, particularly house or progressive house but any suggestions will be kept for future use. I would also prefer something with a consistent beat (as opposed to IDM/glitch, but I'll still consider it).
EXAMPLES:
Kelli Ali - Kids (Rui Da Silva Mix) (SLYT)
Plastikman - Ask Yourself (SLYT)
The Timewriter - Room of a Million Rainbows (PQM's Deephead Pass) (SLYT)

Let's get creepy!
posted by deusdiabolus to Media & Arts (49 answers total) 51 users marked this as a favorite
I'm not sure if this counts as a dance track, but it creeps the heck out me: Devendra Banhart, Lend Me Your Teeth.
posted by meronym at 2:05 AM on April 10, 2012


Roisin Murphy's Ramalama Bang Bang
posted by spunweb at 2:08 AM on April 10, 2012


I'm not going into details, it's too horrible: Dead Eyes Opened (Re-Opened mix), by Severed Heads (1994, so I'm not sure if that counts as "modern" but it's sure creepy.)
posted by m1ndsurfer at 2:10 AM on April 10, 2012


The Horrorist's One Night in NYC comes to mind immediately. Personally my favorite is the Ricardo Villalobos mix but there's several you can choose from.
posted by solarion at 2:18 AM on April 10, 2012


While I'm on the thought train, the Luke Chable Vocal Pass of PQM's You Are Sleeping probably fits the bill of melancholy. That's just a cracking tune I'd try to link anywhere, admittedly.
posted by solarion at 2:22 AM on April 10, 2012


I've had Zebra Katz' Ima Read on repeat for the past few weeks. Smooth, scary, incredibly sinister.
posted by nerdfish at 3:10 AM on April 10, 2012


not house, but for nice old-fashioned d'n'b sci-fi horror we turn to DJ Spooky
also not modern: 1996. But it rocks.
posted by gijsvs at 3:21 AM on April 10, 2012


Definitely not modern, and maybe more "trance" than "house", but this one still creeps me out for some reason. You might be able to fit it in somewhere. This is the best version I could find on Youtube. (I have the original on CD)

Percy X - Track 2
posted by Diag at 3:34 AM on April 10, 2012


Monster by Kanye West ft. Nicki Minaj
posted by BusyBusyBusy at 3:36 AM on April 10, 2012


This might be a bit too upbeat, actually, but Mustard Pimp likes to play around with keys and melodies that seem "off" in some way, so it might be worth a look. I'd recommend this Deftones remix as a starting point for the sound.
posted by reductiondesign at 3:38 AM on April 10, 2012


One obvious choice would be Aphex Twin. Maybe a few Squarepusher tracks, too. Some Boards of Canada tracks might fit the bill.
posted by ajp at 3:40 AM on April 10, 2012


Bela Lugosi is Dead by Bauhaus. It gets bonus points for being in the intro to the film, "The Hunger".
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 4:09 AM on April 10, 2012


The Knife - Silent Shout was always pretty creepy, and great sounding.
posted by Jimbob at 4:12 AM on April 10, 2012


Maybe not dance-y enough for your purposes, but certainly dark and spooky: "Testure" by Skinny Puppy. See also "The Choke."
posted by Kitty Stardust at 5:02 AM on April 10, 2012


I always thought The Knife - Pass This On was really creepy.
posted by ghharr at 5:02 AM on April 10, 2012


It's 15 years old, so not modern, but maybe Brainbug, "Nightmare."
posted by Monsieur Caution at 5:07 AM on April 10, 2012


Justice's Stress is really stressful. Particularly if you watch the video. Not so creepy, other than in a OMG our world is horrible kinda way.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 5:17 AM on April 10, 2012


how about some Hardcore.... try Omar Santana or Terror Force... tons more in that genre.
posted by Jason and Laszlo at 5:39 AM on April 10, 2012


The Monster Mash!


(it was a graveyard smash)
posted by entropone at 5:45 AM on April 10, 2012


Drums of Death has a bit of a creep factor:
Lonely Days
Got Yr Thing
posted by Consonants Without Vowels at 5:49 AM on April 10, 2012


I think you need Green Velvet's "Answering Machine" or "The Stalker"
posted by neroli at 5:57 AM on April 10, 2012


I have a tough time telling if this track is haunting to me based on personal memories or if it's truly haunting to others (though the comment when the vocals kick in at 2:03 on Soundcloud indicates I'm not the only one), but I recommend Bent - Always (Ashley Beedle's Mahavishnu Remix). A tad bit on the trance-y side (I prefer house in general too) but danceable nonetheless. Maybe more end-of-the-night material.
posted by mireille at 6:08 AM on April 10, 2012


I know The Knife has been suggested already, but what about something from Fever Ray's album? Maybe "Concrete Walls" or "Keep the Streets Empty For Me".
posted by FrereKhan at 6:11 AM on April 10, 2012


Rotterdam Terror Corps
posted by Jason and Laszlo at 6:20 AM on April 10, 2012


This trance/dance track has always been a little freaky to me: Aphex Twin - Digeridoo
posted by ejazen at 6:36 AM on April 10, 2012


Consistent beat - dark vibe - techno - not much else going on?

Dialect - Pass It Over
posted by urbanwhaleshark at 6:39 AM on April 10, 2012


zola jesus & LA Vampires - bone is bloodstone?

not sure if thats dance though, but that whole album is super creepy.
posted by Under the Sea at 6:42 AM on April 10, 2012




Unmodern creepy dance tracks (that might fit into a house set)
Lee Oskar- Haunted house.
Was not was- Wheel me out.
Yoko Ono- Walking on thin Ice.
Cerrone-Supernature.
posted by jade east at 7:41 AM on April 10, 2012


Dave Tarrida - Horrormone (Horrorist Remix) should clear a dancefloor or two.
posted by my face your at 8:33 AM on April 10, 2012


Along the lines of jade east's suggestions, try Skatt Bros' "Walk the Night".
posted by hyperizer at 8:47 AM on April 10, 2012




Some of the remixes of The Cure's A Forest are eminently danceable and the song is as creepy as ever.
posted by gyusan at 11:02 AM on April 10, 2012


pantha du prince - behind the stars
radio slave - bell clap dance
posted by subtle-t at 11:14 AM on April 10, 2012


Ricard Villalobos - Dexter

Break 3000 - Flash

Shackleton, Burial, Matthew Dear and Melchior Productions Ltd all also come to mind for darkness.

Some DJs who capture this weird/dark sound quite well are Craig Richards, Ivan Smagghe, Damian Lazarus and the aforementioned Villalobos.
posted by the foreground at 11:35 AM on April 10, 2012


Ricardo*, sorry.
posted by the foreground at 11:37 AM on April 10, 2012


This is the concept behind Sabres of Paradise's album Haunted Dancehall. (e.g., Wilmot, Tow Truck)

Also,
Coil - Theme from Blue I
Basic Channel - Enforcement
Blamstrain - Harju pt 2
Claro Intelecto - Hunt You Down
Deadbeat - Grounation
Speedy J - Drill (or Freq)
posted by aubilenon at 11:44 AM on April 10, 2012


Just remembered another one after seeing Claro Intellecto mentioned by aubilenon. Check out his label mate Andy Stott's releases from last year, particularly his EP Passed Me By. Very slow, very dark, disconcerting dance music.
posted by the foreground at 12:03 PM on April 10, 2012


Check out this track (remixed by Olof Dreijer of The Knife) and the others off the Nine Inch Nails remix album Y34RZ3R0R3M1X3D.
posted by edguardo at 12:16 PM on April 10, 2012


Skrillex - Kill EVERYBODY and Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites.
posted by luxperpetua at 12:25 PM on April 10, 2012


Spoek Mathambo's Control is pretty rugged.
posted by batmonkey at 1:40 PM on April 10, 2012


The "Spiritual South" remix of Max Sedgley's Happy always sounds pretty ominous to me, like a fun Friday the 13th party run amok... Track is from 2004.

Try loading "Happy" as "This Morn' Omina: One-Eyed Man" (linked above) is wrapping up. Lucky find for me...
posted by Currer Belfry at 3:05 PM on April 10, 2012


Maybe The Normal's "Warm Leatherette"
posted by ifjuly at 8:32 PM on April 10, 2012


Infected Mushroom - The Gathering

Pretty much every song on the album (also called The Gathering) is excellent dark trance. A couple more songs from the album include Return of the Shadows and Montoya.
posted by captain cosine at 9:17 PM on April 10, 2012




I just heard Juno Reactor's Conga Reactor on the radio this morning, and had a creepy bounce in my step for a bit.
posted by Metro Gnome at 10:41 PM on April 11, 2012


I almost suggested Juno Reactor's Children of the Night, but figured that my list was long enough. Nitrogen also might work and is bouncier.
posted by aubilenon at 12:09 AM on April 12, 2012


Aphex Twin - Come to Daddy
posted by zen_spider at 11:06 AM on April 12, 2012


This is from the film children of men. I think it is Aphex twin with added screams. That's all I could find out about it. Pretty freaky stuff (especially with michael cane air-thrash-guitaring to it)....
posted by guy72277 at 9:56 AM on April 15, 2012


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