Witch house (genre)

Witch house
Sample of a typical witch house beat
Stylistic origins
Cultural originsc. 2007–2008, New Orleans and New York City
Typical instruments
Other topics

Witch house (sometimes referred to as drag)[1] is a microgenre of electronic music that is musically characterized by high-pitched keyboard effects, heavily layered basslines and trap-style drum loops, while it aesthetically employs occult and gothic-inspired themes.[2][3]

The witch house visual aesthetic includes occultism, witchcraft, shamanism, terror and horror-inspired artworks, collages and photographs as well as significant use of hidden messages and typographic elements such as Unicode symbols.[4][5] Artworks by witch house visual artists have incorporated imagery from horror films such as The Blair Witch Project,[6] the television series Twin Peaks,[7] and the fantasy show Charmed,[8] as well as mainstream pop culture celebrities of the 2000s. Common typographic elements in titles, such as by Salem and White Ring, include triangles, crosses and Unicode symbols, which are seen by some as a method of gatekeeping (in an effort to keep the scene underground and more difficult to search for on the Internet).[9]

  1. ^ Wright, Scott (9 March 2010). "Scene and heard: Drag". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 10 June 2010.
  2. ^ Wright, William (July 2010). "The Rise of Generation Cult". SuperSuper!. Vol. 21. SuperSuper Ltd. pp. 8–18.
  3. ^ Hockley-Smith, Sam (27 October 2017). "Why It's Time to Reconsider Witch House". Vulture. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  4. ^ Necci, Marilyn Drew (9 August 2010). "Witch House: Listen with the Lights On". RVA Magazine. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
  5. ^ Davis, Ben (21 December 2010). "Witch House ▲esthetics". Synconation. Archived from the original on 27 December 2010. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
  6. ^ "SALEM - purple MAGAZINE".
  7. ^ Dom, Pieter (14 April 2011). "Witch House And Okkvlt Guide To Twin Peaks". Welcome to Twin Peaks. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
  8. ^ Baxter, Jason (20 October 2010). "What is the "Witch House Font?" | Line Out". Lineout.thestranger.com. Archived from the original on 9 November 2016. Retrieved 20 July 2011.
  9. ^ Jovanovic, Rozalia (19 January 2011). "How To Be a Witch House Poser". Flavorwire. Retrieved 20 July 2011.