Those ghosts in the machine really wont leave my computer. It must be warm and inviting in there. On the positive side of things though it means I have had more time to sift through the tidal wave of podcasts to find something unsettling to recommend.
I would take a guess that most of us reading this know of a bizarre podcast called I Am In Eskew. If you havent then stop reading and go give it a listen. It is mental. The Silt Verses is created by the same people, Eskew Productions, who are John Ware and Muna Hussen. The show follows two characters, Carpenter and Faulkner, as they travel the length of a river in search of their deity and his lost followers. It is a world in which god’s are easily manifest and have flourished in the backwaters of America and have become intertwined into the everday life of the population and authority has had to step in to control the worship. The makers describe the show as a Folk Horror audio drama and so far I would not disagree. I am three episodes in and the themes of ritual and sacrifice is interwoven deeply into the fabric of each episode.
Unlike many other audio drama podcasts I have listened to the Silt Verses has episodes that clock in at anywhere between 40 to 60 minutes. The production value is really high quality and the voice acting is the same. Lots of effort has been put into these and it really shows as the episodes begin subtle world building that you will hardly even notice until the scene is over. You then question why you thought sacrificing a stranger on the river bank to appease its deity sounded like normal practice. It is high strangeness in a very familiar and comfortable place.
It has great reviews too, with even the BBC singing its praise, so when you have a moment find them on whatever platform you listen to podcasts on and give them a subscribe. Thanks.
Folk Horror Revival & Urban Wyrd Project ⨘ 