Multimedia

Things I’m Enjoying Right Now

Rabbitology | Music

A sketch portrait of the artist Rabbitology, playing a banjo.

I’m simply addicted to the sounds of Rabbitology. I love the combination of ethereal vocals, deep bass line, layered folk instrumentals, and uncanny lyrics. They are all my favorite folk horror impulses made manifest as sound.

Particular favorites include “Stranger,” a collab with the fabulous and strange medieval-folk duo Small Fools, and “Wolf House,” a visceral red riding hood reimagining.

Routine | Video Game

I admit I didn’t understand a lot of the story, but the actual gameplay is fantastic. For such a short game, the dangers go much deeper than those advertised. The setting has a satisfying retro-scifi feel, and is built with plenty of hidey-holes for escaping enemies. Two things really impressed me about the gameplay:

  1. The enemies: With only one exception, there are no heavily scripted enemy introductions. Instead, they join you quietly, building tension as the almost complete lack of music creates space for your own fears, and at-times critical sound design. In addition, the enemy AI works differently for each creature, meaning that places you could count on to hide in earlier in the game might not be enough to keep you safe later.
  2. Puzzle Progress: The gameplay could be reduced to the classic find-key-open-door-rinse-repeat, but the puzzles or investigations necessary to create or find your “keys” feel satisfying without belaboring the point.

Ultimately, a short, terrifying game best played with headphones and the lights off.

A screenshot from the game Routine
A screenshot from the game Routine
A screenshot from the game Routine

The Glendale Archives | Videos

This Youtube channel is joining the list of other excellent analog/found footage-style short film creators. The series (still nascent) takes place after a kind of apocalypse, in which our narrator seems to be the only human remaining on earth. Videos take the form of vlogs, with simple updates about cooking, travel, or philosophical rambles. Nevertheless, the horror is lurking in the background, as he always has to look out for nesters.