Music | The Druggist

Here are many of the songs I listened to while writing The Druggist. Dark, creepy, foreboding vibes.

Click each artist to see my track listings and notes.

12 Rounds

"Pleasant Smell (Rethought by Clint Mansell & Keith Hillebrandt)"

16 Volt

"Crush"

16 Volt's debut album, and probably my favorite.

"Motorskill"
"Head of Stone"	This song was my introduction to 16 Volt. I heard it on a local music show on KNRK back in high school when I was living in Portland, and ran out and bought the album.
"Filthy Love of Fire"
"Will"
"Dreams of Light"
"Downtime (Part One)"	This is my favorite track on the album!

Björk

"Army of Me"

The Crystal Method

The first three tracks on this DJ mix by The Crystal Method are outstanding.

ILS "No Soul (PMT Remix)"	A surprisingly downtempo and ominous way to open a rather mainstream album.
Evil Nine "Cake Hole"	The mix picks up momentum with this second track. I love the sample: "Every facet, every department of your mind is to be programmed by you. And unless you assume your rightful responsibility and begin to program your own mind, the world will program it for you." Very true, and very Tony Robbins. (In fact, it's from Buddhist practitioner Jack Kornfield.) But it somehow sounds ominous when distorted and set to this music.
Stir Fry "Breakin On The Streets (False Prophet Remix)"	Daaaamn! Now we are in another dimension!

Dousk

Dark, lush, progressive house vibes from Greece.

"Estrange (Breaks Version)"	This is my second favorite version of "Estrange" — but it's hard to pick just one with this song, cause both versions are so good.
"Estrange (Original Version)"	This is the first (and best) version of "Estrange" that I heard, and my introduction to Dousk. It was on Hernan Cattaneo's DJ mix compilation, Renaissance: The Master Series, Volume 2, and from there I tracked down a lot more of his works.

Johnny Cash

"Hurt"

Johnny Cash covering Nine Inch Nails?? A very different take on a very dark song.

Mad-Tek

"Glycemic"
"Terra"
"When The Wheels Fall Off"

Massive Attack

This album was my official introduction to Massive Attack, and I bought it after hearing the song "Teardrop" in the music store. Sure, I had heard a few tracks of theirs here and there prior to this, but Mezzanine took their game to a whole new level, and I still think it's their best album to this day (out of a catalog of very, very good albums). They're now one of my longtime favorite bands.

"Angel"	You've probably all heard this song. It was used in a million movies and movie trailers. But even if it's familiar, it's still a great, dark, lying-in-wait song that fits The Druggist perfectly.
"Risingson"	More dark greatness from Massive Attack. I once had this track playing in the car while my dad was sleeping, and he later told me it sounded like nightmares. I agree. Which is why I love it.
"Inertia Creeps"
"Man Next Door"	Super creepy lyrics and music. For years, I had no idea this was a cover of a reggae song. The original sounds a lot more lighthearted.
"Group Four"	This track didn't stand out to me originally — until the climax kicked in. Plus I love the lyrics, "I train myself in martial arts, as advertised. I reinforce my softened parts."

"Special Cases"
"Butterfly Caught"
"Small Time Shot Away"
"Antistar"	This is the mindblowing track on the album.

"Euro Zero Zero"

Part lullaby, part nightmare. One of Massive Attack's greatest b–sides ever — a reworking of a track ("Euro Child") they did back when Tricky was in the band. "I walk in a bar. Immediately, I sense danger. You look at me, girl, as if I was a total stranger."

"I Against I (feat. Mos Def)"

A seriously ominous song. Makes me nervous. And perfect lyrics given what Eric is up to in The Druggist.

The Matrix Reloaded [Soundtrack]

Team Sleep "The Passportal"

Team Sleep features Chino Moreno of Deftones on vocals — although this happens to be an instrumental track. And an unsettling one at that.

Mortal Kombat [Soundtrack]

This movie had a surprisingly kick–ass soundtrack.

Psykosonik"Unlearn (Josh Wink's Live Mix)"

I don't know why, but this song has always made me picture jack–o'–lanterns flickering eerily in the Halloween dusk. Perfect for a Halloween short story like The Druggist.

Nine Inch Nails

"A Warm Place"	An eerie organ track . . .
"Eraser"	. . . followed by this monster.
"Dead Souls"	Joy Division cover. Originally appeared on The Crow [Soundtrack]. Such great lyrics. You don't usually hear rock songs talk about being contacted by dead conquistadors.

Pole Folder

More dark, lush, progressive house sounds, this time from Brussels.

"Salvation On Slavery's Sins"

Like Dousk, I first heard Pole Folder on Hernan Cattaneo's DJ mix compilation, Renaissance: The Master Series, Volume 2. This entire album is incredible, but this track in particular fit The Druggist to a T.

This one's actually by Pole Folder & CP.

"Dust (Fretwell Dub)"

Haunting. Like walking through a dark tunnel and watching the headlamp of an oncoming train grow closer and closer.

Prodigy

"Narayan"

The opening in particular sounds like the theme from a Halloween movie.

Quivver

This entire DJ mix is a dark, driving masterpiece. It's time to leave this planet. Where we're going, I don't even know how to describe.

Gardner & Thomas "Propaganda"	Track 9 is the climax of the entire mix, and the reason I was so excited to buy it in the first place. (Aside from being a fan of the first four installments of the Tranceport/Transport series.)
John Creamer & Stephane K feat. Oliver Twisted "I Love You (Hybrid Mix)"	And of course I can't forget the closing track, a close second place for best in the mix. Dark, stalker vibes.

Si Begg

Never seen this movie. I'm guessing it's a rom-com. I just came across one of the tracks because I was trying to track down Kawatin's catalog of work.

"Mothership (Kawatin Remix)"

I actually used this as track 1 of my Druggist playlist. Such a great opener.

Sounds From The Ground

Every once in a while, this normally chill duo puts out a dark track.

"This Land"

For a beatless summer chillout album, this one had a couple of unsettling tracks on it.

"The Long Curve"

I listened to this track over and over when I was writing the sequence where Eric his hiding in a tree, monitoring the entire neighborhood.

Space Manoeuvres

Space Manoeuvres is one of the aforementioned Quivver's other monikers.

"Part 3 (Breaks Mix)"

It doesn't get any better than this. Dark, driving breaks, and creepy Kiefer Sutherland voiceover.

"Pentexplorer"

Quivver is the master of the dark spoken word sample.

Team Sleep

I mentioned this earlier in The Matrix Reloaded [Soundtrack], but Team Sleep features Deftones frontman Chino Moreno on vocals.

"Ataraxia"

Tricky

"Christiansands"

I found this song too restrained when it first came out. But now I love its tense, creepy vibe.