Another year, another Pathogen album releasing in time for spooky season! In years past I have released the albums in September or October because I... I like to do that, I suppose. Spooky season in 2023 will be marked by my fourth LP titled, Return To Halloween Town.
Return To Halloween Town is a sequel to the first album I released, Halloween Town Massacre. The gist here is that each song is referencing a horror movie, character, reference, or something of that nature. I reference a lot of science fiction as well as forcing in some not-so-horror related stuff (John Wick and Scooby Doo for example on this album.) This album is, to me, maybe something like a better realized version of my first album. It features a more cohesive sound in terms of the beats I chose which was something I wanted to make sure I did. I am often trying to write on beats that are hip hop mixed with other genres and often choose to have styles that are all over the map in most of my projects. I just like different sounds and want to push myself as an artist and keep seeing what I think I can sound good on and challenge what I can do and how I can sound. This time, [similar to my most recent release an EP called, EDM (sort of)] I chose beats that almost exclusively were able to function as spooky or horror stuff so I could fully realize the concept of "Halloween Town."
The engineering is miles better than my first album as I did not have to do the work on a single track. My frequent collaborator and business partner (and friend <3) Kaesen Samson completed one along with a former collaborator, Schleem Pink!, completing three of four tracks before dropping off the face of the Earth. The rest of the album was engineered by Artesano. I have been working with Artesano (and Schleem) since early 2022. Both of them have been absolutely key in helping me find my sound and creating more enjoyable tracks (you can like the concept or lyrics or beat of a song all you want, but if the mix is trash.... It's not easy to keep coming back to it no matter who's song it is.)
I think my writing, delivery, and flow have improved so much and you can clearly hear it if you listen to this album and then the first one in any capacity! I am excited for the world to hear what I have been cooking up since September of last year! This is by far my best work overall and I have had a lot of help from some great friends and collaborators. Lupe Dragon was able to provide some beautiful and haunting vocals on two of my favorite tracks on the album, very excited to release those as Lupe was supposed to be on a song that I scrapped from my second Christmas EP, Spread The Cheer: The Acheron Variant. So, kind of a long time coming!
Keep an eye on my Instagram profile for more updates for videos from the album, upcoming shows, and more info on this album. I will be posting a video on my YouTube channel explaining the songs in some depth shortly after release day! Be sure to check out the shop if you're interested in a classic Pathogen shirt and keep your eyes peeled for a new design!