Despite being a cheery synthpop band for most of it's time, the Human League has some disturbing songs, from it's existence as "The Future" to the indie-driven music of the original lineup.
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The Future ( 1977 - 1978)
"The Golden Hour of the Future" is a collection of songs made by the Human League in the mid 70s. Using a few analog synthesizers and a tape recorder, they were able to make several experimental songs, ranging from nightmarish un-listenable ambiance, to catchy pop songs that would find their way into later singles. From The Golden Hour of the Future, we have several nightmare-fuel inducing tracks, including...
- Looking for the Black Haired Girls, a long musical piece with demented voices, screams, and a demonic sounding hook.
- Overkill Disaster Crash, is a mess of garbled up noise, which then slides into an ominous galloping sound. It would later serve the basis for "Introducing", released as the B-side of their debut single.
- Future Religion, New Pink Floyd, and The Circus of Dr Lao sound like horror movie tracks amped up to eleven.
Human League Mk I ( 1978 - 1980)
- The track "Zero as a Limit", where Phil tells the tale of a speeding motorist hitting a pedestrian, all as the song increases in tempo and ends with a literal crash.
- Dignity of Labor part II, which is a random mix of harsh sounds and percussion effects that do nothing to dim the chaotic sounds. Word of God suggests it's supposed to be the sound of factories making Gantries out of steel for a spaceship, which is described as so in an unused liner note.
- Dignity of Labor part IV is also equally disturbing, with otherworldly noises and beeps scattered around the track, creating some sort of strange isolation between the listener and the song itself.
- Introducing, known as their most disturbing piece, came from a previous track called "Overkill disaster crash". The song starts with ominous sounds, which then cuts to random sirens and screams.
- Circus of Death is a Dark Wave piece about the genocide of the human race at the hands of a Monster Clown and his drug-addled followers.
Human League Mk II ( 1981 - Present)
- "Don't You Want Me"
can easily qualify as this, especially to anyone who's had a partner who was just a wee bit too invested in the relationship. The story of the song is that the male narrator takes credit for his ex's success, and now that she refuses to even speak to him, he's threatening to use his influence to ruin her life. Not as overtly creepy as a lot of these examples, but definitely unsettling once you get past the cheery synths. - "Life On Your Own" isn't that scary, being a melancholic song about an encounter between the narrator and his ex. The music video, however, stars Phil Oakey as the last remaining human in a a desolate London. At several points, he has hallucinations of two women watching him, implying that he's starting to go insane from loneliness.
