Buried deep within the labyrinthine tunnels of the Internet, there existed a peculiar corner of music that was almost elusive. This was Witch House, an electronic microgenre distinguished by its occult-esque, shadowy sonic landscapes, stuttering drum machines, and vocals drenched in reverb. Despite its fleeting prominence, the impact of this obscure genre continues to echo in the contemporary music scene.
The term ‘Witch House’ was coined in jest by Travis Egedy, a Denver-based electronic musician widely known as Pictureplane, in 2010. In a conversation with The A.V. Club, he remarked, “[We] were joking about the sort of house music we make, [calling it] witch house because it’s, like, occult-based house music.” This casual remark spiraled into a full-fledged genre, giving rise to prominent acts such as Salem, Balam Acab, White Ring, and Clams Casino.
Witch House is characterized by its distinctive sound, heavily inspired by the “chopped and screwed” hip-hop production technique pioneered by the late DJ Screw. With montages of vintage horror films, occult imagery, and cryptic messages, the genre stands apart from the mainstream.
Despite its self-imposed obscurity causing the swift disintegration of its Internet presence, the genre was successful in capturing the attention of key artists. Most notably, A$AP Rocky, The Weeknd, and Kanye West tapped into the Witch House genre with tracks like “Bass,” “The Fall,” and “Black Skinhead” respectively.
The influence of Witch House extended beyond these artists, with the genre’s pioneers contributing to albums of notable names like Partynextdoor, Mac Miller, Lil Peep, and Joji. Even Tyler, the Creator’s early works bore the signature textured aesthetics of Witch House.
