The New Music

Who: Fever Ray

Sounds like: Shadowy and claustrophobic musings by Karin Dreijer Andersson that gives insight into how she composes the music of Fever Ray and The Knife. Or the most off-putting mixtape you’ll likely ever hear.

RIYL: The Knife’s Silent Shout, horror soundtracks, black metal, ominous Halloween background music, electro, evil, leftfield indie rock, goth, things that lurk in the dark and go bump in the night

Need to know: Karin Dreijer Andersson put together this special Halloween mix for Resident Advisor, the online electronic music community’s Bible. Before Karin founded The Knife with her brother Olof and her solo project Fever Ray, she was in an indie band called Honey Is Cool, who released a couple albums and started the label Rabid, which releases the music of both The Knife and Fever Ray. Karin also sang on the last two albums by Röyksopp.

Track: RA 178 is an offbeat mishmash of songs Karin felt were true to the Halloween spirit – or Resident Advisor felt would make a good Halloween feature. Her choices provide spooky nuances here and there, but overall it works better as a mix suited to her enigmatic persona. Beginning with a cascading instrumental by Neil Young, the mix logically transcends into a brooding downtempo Yo La Tengo cut, and then hangs a sharp left when Journey To Ixtlan impose their funereal black metal dirge. Brothers Jad and David Fair get in the mood with a playful little narrative about Nosferatu, and then it creeps out again with the zombie march by hip goth singer Zola Jesus. Bruce Haack summons Satan with a quirky electro number, Krause get crazy with the rhythms, and Burial Hex sound as if they’re partying with the Cenobites from Hellraiser. Suicide and Amadour & Mariam each lighten things up in their very distinct styles, before Shackleton drops down low for a hearty bit of dubstep. Entombed enter and exit the fold with the most obvious transitions, thanks to their riveting Scando death metal providing an adrenaline rush. However, when it dies in the hands of Maddalena Fagandini’s pitter-pattering pulsations, things begin to wrap up for Burundi’s hushed tribal hymn.

Buy: You don’t need to buy it, you can download it here for free.