On Phonky Halloween, the Albanian duo CryJaxx injects Phonk / Trap (EDM) music into John Carpenter’s 1978 immortal Halloween theme, reanimating the classic song as a remix that will haunt the dancefloors in the evening before All Saints’ Day. The refurbishment of the original track gets expanded on the new song by a feral distorted bassline and a jam-packed stomping rhythm-section.
CryJaxx starts Phonky Halloween with an homage to one of the definitive slasher soundtracks of the past century, leaving the original sample, although slowed down and aided by distortion, to set the mood for the upcoming havoc. As it speeds up, the duo introduces more elements to the track that range from creepy whispers to impactful cinematic drums that sound like someone’s banging the door with not exactly friendly intentions.
Once the intro flows into the main-section, the transformations of the groove, rhythm, and overall structure of the sample suddenly erupt from the peripheral layers of the track right into the center. It all happens in a way that may pleasantly confuse the unprepared listener when they encounter it for the first time. However, once you start getting used to the new flow of Phonky Halloween, you quickly discover that the duo has just unleashed something that’s really hard to get away from.
It can be described as a storm of a gnarly 808-section, suffocating rap vocal samples, and classic Trap-influenced percussion, all disassembling and reassembling in new ways every time the tape-stop effect spanks the beat, signifying the next transition of the track. As a Halloween theme remix, the rawness of CryJaxx’ new song is perfectly in line with the DIY spirit of the original, and as Phonk / Trap (EDM) music, it has the violent, brain-melting energy in it that’ll easily grab the attention of any fan.
