The Contrarian

Digital Only:

iTunes | eMusic | Amazon MP3

The Contrarian is the alter ego of Washington, DC-based musician/producer/writer Casey Rae-Hunter.

Having assumed many guises over the years, Rae-Hunter has now settled on a creative process he calls “Illuminated Musicks,” the details of which he is not at liberty to divulge.

Based on early 20th-century weird fiction (HP Lovecraft, Arthur Machen, Algernon Blackwood, etc.), Eldritch Musicks delivers top-shelf “haunt-rock” that, while entertaining, also offers a glimpse into an eerie world of symbol and derangement. With its uncanny atmosphere and guitar-driven authority, Eldritch Musicks calls to mind classic Blue Öyster Cult and other masters of occult musical mojo.

In fact, the idea for the record came out of a conversation between The Contrarian and Sandy Pearlman — renowned producer/manager and the mastermind behind Blue Öyster Cult’s finest albums. Pearlman suggested that there had not been a credible rock record concerning Lovecraft’s Mythos in at least two decades. Always up for a challenge, The Contrarian decided to make one.

The Contrarian engineered and produced the recording and also performs all instruments and vocals. Additional sonic materiel is supplied by The Ten Thousand Things, who contributed four lush and unsettling “eldritch drones” to the project.

Eldritch Musicks is available as a limited-edition CD with artwork from Jared Metzner (The Cancer Conspiracy), as well as digitally through all major online retailers. Physical product is available exclusively at this site. Here’s what you get:

• A glorious CD copy of Eldritch Musicks

And a link to download:

• Lyrics to all the songs on the album in “eldritch font”
• “The Cove” — a short story with exclusive illustrations
• A behind-the-scenes video shot at Sounds of the Baskervilles studio in Washington, DC
• The Contrarian: Eldritch Podcast — a track-by-track exploration of the album’s themes and the inspiration for the songs. Just like getting drunk with The Contrarian in real life!

You know you want to. . .