Ah, so it's you again, dear readers! You have undoubtedly returned to my humble spot on the web, Distinctly Spooky Jamaican Sounds, to see what spicy morsels I have prepared for this month-long celebration of all things that go bump in the night... despair not my friends, you will not be disappointed!
This is the ninth year for the Jamaican Halloween Spooktacular and I couldn't be more delighted to be teetering on the edge ready to take another plunge! For those who are returning for yet another October, welcome back! I'm sure you will be pleased with the end results of the new Spooktacular! And for those of you venturing into the dank dungeon of spooky Jamaican music for the first time, I bid you a warm welcome.
I started this little foray into exploring the dark underbelly of this music which is often equated as being relaxed and mellow to prove a point years ago... the point is simple... Jamaican music, in all its incantations (mento, ska, rocksteady, reggae, dub, dancehall, etc.) is just as multifaceted as any other genre of music and is more than capable of touching on subject matter far removed from the stereotypical themes that one usually associates with these songs and the artists that perform them. This goal, coupled with my love of Halloween and for all things scary, created this project nine long years ago and I haven't stopped digging for spooky tunes since. The countless hours I spend searching for obscure and dark Jamaican songs is an obsession that keeps me busy year-round and it has definitely become more than just a project it has become a true labor of love. Plain and simple, I love Jamaican music and Halloween with every ounce of my being and I hope that my adoration and respect shows.
But enough about that, here's how this works... I post a new downloadable track each weekday during the month of October complete with a write-up and customized pre-code horror comic book cover graphics (thanks again to my buddy Roger Wilkerson)... you simply download the 23 tracks, assemble them in order on your device of choice and they will combine to create a continuous mix of eerie Jamaican tunes resplendent with creepy sound effects, b-movie radio trailers, snippets from vintage Halloween records and recordings, etc. running throughout. It's that simple!
So starting tomorrow, at midnight no less, we begin 2014's Jamaican Halloween Spooktacular! I hope you'll return every weekday this October and most importantly enjoy the time you spend in the moldy, festering crypt that is Distinctly Spooky Jamaican Sounds! Let the festivities begin! Mwuhahahahahahaha!
Woah, these preview tasters are driving me MAD.
ReplyDeleteThanks Roger, for surpassing my wildest expectations. And the Spooktacular proper hasn't even commenced yet. Words fail me. Respect.
So glad you are doing another spooktacular post this year... looking forward ("riddim.. come forward") to it, am going to be patient and download the "all songs in one file" MP3 at the end.
ReplyDeletecheers and thank for keeping the great great 70's/early 80's reggae vibes alive.. my favorite era, too :)