Return of the Witchdoctor
RESURRECTED: Erin Johnson, aka Witchdoctor.
(Photo by Dez Only 1 Entertainment)
If the Dungeon Family story is one of modern music's great, epic tales, then it has plenty of subplots and addendum explored by few save its most ardent fans. Cool Breeze, Joi, Society of Soul ... the crew has spawned many artists that, for one reason or another, dropped quality albums that sank without a trace.
Until recently, Witchdoctor was one of those neglected voices. His debut album, A S.W.A.T Healin' Ritual, drew critical raves upon its 1998 release â€" and poor sales. Improbably, however, he then became a cult artist, issuing several albums and selling them through his MySpace page. (For the full story, read my Feb. 7 profile here.)
Now, Williams Street Records, the fledging label run by Adult Swim executives and backed with Turner Entertainment distribution muscle, has signed Witchdoctor to a recording contract. It's collecting several cuts from Witchdoctor's catalog, along with a few new tracks, and compiling them into Diary of an American Witchdoctor. The album drops Oct. 23. It's a great comeback tale that, with luck, may belie Dungeon Family's curiously unsung legacy.