I'm still upset about David Bowie.

"You better hang on to yourself."

OK. 2017:

I finally released the Air Hunger EP, get it while its here. Limited to ??? copies, first dozen orders come with a badge. The newest Air Hunger tracks with different singer and different bassist are getting mixed this month. Very excited about those and the plans we have for them.

Lock Howl's first album will be released on limited cassette. Scottish Gothic Rock with elements of dramatic Black Metal as produced only by the British Isles.

Coming soon is an album of meditative and heavy esoteric music from Silence and Strength. This will also be a limited cassette release.

If you didn't hear Veil Vitric's demo from last year, then here -->Veil Vitric Bandcamp
It might not be an official Occult Whispers release but I know I'll be distributing it when it comes out on cassette.

Last but not least, Slimy Member have recorded an LP and its GREAT, that will be my next vinyl release.  Listen to their other records here.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fine, let's talk about 2016. Order of Night decided to release their EP themselves, which I am helping to distribute in the store. Gast more or less called it quits before recording their album, and I'm very upset. I almost released a cassette EP from a great Russian Gothic Rock band called Blood Money but they have seemed to dropped off the earth. 

If you haven't been to the store, check it out.
And please feel free to visit the Bandcamp site. 
Please get in touch if you would like to trade or for wholesale.
My distributor, Ebullition, said last year was one of the worst for stores and independent/underground labels. That's a real bummer. If you like records, then make sure you buy records.

Send me your band, I want to hear it.

Plans for 2016

New year, huh? We'll fucking see about that.

OK- Kreativ In Den Boden's "Ars Goetia" will be out in February. 4 tracks: 3 dark electro tracks to enchant and 1 24-minute meditative tribute track to Elphias Levi. I'm very privileged to produce this excellent 12" EP for the world to absorb, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
I've set up a pre-order for the LP here-> Pre-order Ars Goetia It will ship in February, and has a lower price now than when it comes out.
******
The Air Hunger debut 7" EP is mastered and will be the next vinyl release. I know I've been talking about this record for over a year, but I expect it to be out by summer and in limited quantities.
******
I've curated the first "dark punk" compilation cassette and artwork for that is forthcoming from my good friend Jimmy Mercy.
Bands include: (in alphabetical order)
Air Hunger
Annex
Arctic Flowers
Blue Cross
Cemetery
Crimson Scarlet
Eerie
Masses
Pawns
Rule of Thirds
Sierpien
Spectres
A few of the tracks are unreleased, but many of them have previously been released. I want to document the current scene before it disappears. I'm also taking submissions for volume two, however I have already asked over half of the bands for that.
******
After the compilation cassette, the Order of Night EP is the next tape release. Chicago gloom, please listen-> Order of Night
Gast are going to record a debut album soon and I'm proud to say that I'll be releasing that record from one my favorite US dark punk bands. If you haven't heard them yet and anguished, gloomy punk is your thing, then go to the Occult Whispers bandcamp and listen to their demo.
Wastelander from Michigan have also approached me about releasing their new LP, which is very exciting. It might not be Goth, but it will be exceedingly dark and definitely post-apocalyptic.
******
I have also been offered some split releases with a good friend's label, and if those pan out then I'll be posting about them.
******
I'm getting new stuff for the distro every week, so keep an eye on the Occult Whispers bigcartel page.
******
A few words for bands looking for labels to release their records- If you approach a label asking for someone to release your music, make sure you're prepared to do just as much work as the label will to promote your band. Your music has to be the best it can be: don't ask someone to spend $2000 to put out a record that you recorded live on your phone. Production doesn't have to be slick and polished, but it has to be appropriate. Songwriting is also crucial, so make sure you put effort into making each song memorable. Once you have good songs, rehearse them until you're tight and TOUR. TOUR TOUR TOUR. Don't ask a label in a different country to release your record if you have no intention or no resources to play there. Make sure you understand what format sells in the country or continent you are trying to be released. CDs will not sell in the US. Europe seems to prefer CDs. Many people in the underground will buy neither of these formats and will only download music for free. Keep that in mind.
Music should be free, but unfortunately records are not. If you like to listen to new music on vinyl, buy new music on vinyl. The Underground is thriving, let's keep it that way.  
******
I want to hear your band. Please send me links.                  

Annex 7" // Yuputka album +more

Released Annex's "Silencio" EP last week. 100 copies on purple vinyl w/badge and 200 on black. Really an excellent single that I'm very proud to have released. Order it at the webstore

Uploaded some new titles to the bancamp as well- Yuputka's "Cluster" and the Gast demo.   Listen to them here.

"Cluster" is a full length album from Chicago's Yuputka, lush electro with ethereal vocals. While we all love cold electronics, its refreshing to hear something with depth and substance. An exclusively digital release.
The Gast demo was originally released by Identity Crisis records, but OW has offered to digitally distribute it because I liked it so much. The band is going to record a full length LP and I'm proud to say Occult Whispers will help release it in 2016.

Kreativ In Den Boden's "Ars Goetia" LP is at the pressing plant right now. The Air Hunger 7" is still in the works. I've also decided to do a series of cassette/bandcamp compilations and I'm curating volume 1 right now- they're going to be killer.

As always, I look forward to hearing new music everyday. If you're in a Trad Goth, deathrock, darkpunk, dark electro, or even gothic metal band, please send me links to your music. I'm also interested in non-genre music with occult and left-hand path leanings. occultwhispers at hushmail.

Hopefully these updates will become more frequent.
I also hope your Samhain was all divination and communion with the dead. 

New Bandcamp uploads

I've uploaded some new stuff to the OW bandcamp: the new ANNEX EP "Silencio" that should be available this summer as a 7" vinyl, and a digital re-issue of "Dreams are not Dreams" from ONYX SYSTEM. 

More news on the ANNEX record as it becomes available, I'll post when I approve the test presses. I'm considering a pre-order. Maybe.

I've been talking to friends for several months about offering digital downloads of new releases and re-issues, and "Dreams are not Dreams" is the first of these to come to light. There were only 50 copies of this album released on cassette. The LP version never came out, and it's been roaming dark corners of the internet ever since.
Both of these releases are SO good, listen to them here: Occult Whispers Bandcamp

Salome's Dance//Sierpien split cassette available now.

This one is so good. 3 tracks from each band, some of their best work yet. Salome's Dance might be the gloomiest of all the current dark punk bands, and their side of the tape proves it. Sierpien complement the SD side by offering 3 ultra-catchy songs in the anarcho/positive punk spirit- the perfect combination of '82 style songwriting and 2014 style production.
Listen (and download) on the bandcamp page.
Get a cassette copy in the OW Webstore.

2014 could have been worse, but I'm glad its over.

So many friends and allies suffered and struggled in 2014. Many in the United States are waking up to the realization that they are not living in a post-racial society, not at all. There is still systematic oppression in our section of the "free world" and the police are agents of the state, above all. Enough.

I've got a great release schedule so far for 2015. The SALOME'S DANCE/SIERPIEN split cassette is at NAC right now, and will be out in January or February. SALOME'S DANCE also digitally released their full-length album on their Bandcamp page  a few months ago, and I will try to get that LP version out as soon as I can. AIR HUNGER is a long-distance international project for which I'm playing guitar (also featuring much more talented members who will be revealed as the project comes to light, I can't give away all the secrets at once), and I'm really excited that we will be releasing a two song 7" single, hopefully in the second quarter of this year.

Last, but DEFINITELY not least, Occult Whispers will also be releasing a 7" from ANNEX out of Mc Allen, Texas sometime this summer. Go listen to them. I'm very much looking forward to putting that record out, they're excellent. 
There's a few more offers I'm considering this year, and I hope to be able to be involved in all of them, including another POSSESSOR record and the spoken word incantations of Charnel House.

After waiting quite long enough, I've uploaded some of the OW releases to Bandcamp. You can now download Possessor's "Electric Hell" and the Salome's Dance demo for free. There are a limited number of free downloads Bandcamp allows each month, so first come, first served. I'll put up any of my releases which are OK with the bands. I'm also considering exclusively digital distribution of some new releases, since some people just don't have an interest in physical copies of music anymore. Welcome to the future.

As always, if you're in a dark, noisy, or interesting band- I want to hear your music, please send it my way. occultwhispers at hushmail.

Take care of each other.

POSSESSOR "Electric Hell" Cassette out now!!

I know I'm a little late on this one, but a few weeks ago I had the privilege to release the first album from London's finest occult doom overlords, POSSESSOR. This cassette is 9 tracks of fuzzed out incantations, in the vein of your favorite esoteric UK doom bands, with Possessor's own twist and incredibly appropriate production.

Order the tape from the webstore here: Buy It Here
No cassette player? Are you fucking serious? You can get the CD version from UK friends Reverb Worship here.