Spectre

by John BushAn appropriately shadowy entity with several albums for WordSound and production spots for Prince Paul and Techno Animal, Spectre is the Nosferatu of underground horrorcore, channeling the more isolated tones of industrial-dub and illbient into hip-hop productions of an intensely paranoid nature. Inspired by the rich legacy of horror films and dark industrial pioneers like Skinny Puppy as well as the old school of hip-hop, the rapper/producer debuted by hosting The Ill Saint Presents Subterranean Hitz, a seminal illbient compilation released on WordSound in 1996.Spectres first album, The Illness, dropped later that year (sample track title: Spectre Meets the Psycho Priest in the Temple of Smoke), also on WordSound. Between LPs he kept quite busy, making appearances on Prince Pauls Psychoanalysis LP, the second volume in Virgins Macro Dub Infection series, Techno Animals remix album Vs. Reality, and Unitone Hi-Fis Rewound & Rerubbed. Spectre also released RuffKutz, a 90-minute mix tape spotlighting his new label, Black Hoodz, with tracks by Dr. Israel, Sensational, Mr. Dead, and the Jungle Brothers. Sophomore LP The Second Coming was released in late 1998; The End followed in early 2000.