When it comes to interesting and atmospheric scents, my mind goes first and foremost to Etat Libre d'Orange and Comme des Garçons. But I'm not sure if they (or anyone else I'll talk about going forward) will fit into "under 150$" category if you intend to go for full bottles. Perhaps if you'll find them at a discount or buy secondhand?
My favorites from CdG are 
Rouge – candied ginger and fresh beetroot with bits of black earth still stuck to its skin; and 
Amazingreen – an overgrown post-apocalyptic brutalist landscape. But CdG have a lot of curious offerings for a variety of unconventional tastes.
My ELdO faves are 
Divin'Enfant – a vibrant powdery mess of everything you may find at a small town amusement park, from cotton candy to instant coffee and vomit; and 
Jasmin et Cigarette – cat piss infused run down apartment of a gorgeous chain-smoker woman. I think Jasmin et Cig is among my top 5 most worn fragrances at this point, lol.
ELdO have a lot of fun compositions, and the ones I ended up liking were the opposite of what I expected to enjoy from them, so based on my experience – I'd recommend just grabbing a big discovery set and trying everything to see if something unexpected clicks. On the aquatic side of things in particular, maybe take a look at 
Sous Le Pont Mirabeau. I think it's actually included in their big discovery set, which was around 50$ plus shipping last I've checked.
While we're on the topic of off-kilter aquatics, my favorites from that genre are 
Dans le bleu qui pétille and 
né il giorno né l'ora.
Dans le bleu qui pétille is my favorite aquatic in general – cold morning at the sea; murky, rancid seafoam; putrid smoke from the open air fish market at the shore; the scent of lit mosquito coils. The full bottle is a bit over 150$, but you should be able to get it as a part of a cutesy Matin Lutens 3x10ml discovery set which is around 70ish $ as far as I'm aware. Which is even better, imo, because that way you'll also get to try clean girl aesthetic witch hut of 
Point du jour; and 
Parole d'eau, which on me smelled like toothpaste, lol.
When I bought my Matin Lutens discovery set, the old version used to include 
L'Eau Serge Lutens, which smells like those scenes in the movies where the main character has a flashback to his dead wife smiling at him under brightly lit white bed covers. Might be a fun addition if any shops or resellers near you still have that old version in stock.
né il giorno né l'ora is a more classic type of aquatic, and the full bottle is super expensive, but if you ever manage to get at least a decant, I recommend giving it a try. I added it to my collection very recently and am still trying to grasp what I think about it, but in general it smells like a city by the sea. Humid salty air infused with a myriad of scents coming from the open windows as you walk past apartment buildings in the evening. Another fun thing about it is that its note pyramid looks like it was accidentally put on its head. It is not! The citrus really opens up later than the rest of the notes. If we're talking about scent as an art form, this is a great example of it in my opinion.
Another somewhat off-kilter brand I personally come to enjoy is Marc-Antoine Barrois. If you're looking for something abnormal, the first thing that comes to mind is 
Aldebaran – tuberose, paprika and maté. Personally I found the mix to be horrid, but it sure is unique and memorable, I'll give it that. 
Ganymede Eau de Parfum might be more wearable while still retaining an air of horror and unease about it. Leather, medicinal herbs, gauze and iodine. Smells like a 19th century hospital and freshly cleaned wounds.
My favorite from them is 
Encelade – rhubarb jam, roughout leather and wilted prairie on a summer eve. Makes me feel like a happy wild horse. But each of their selection has something interesting and refreshing to say. Just a matter of what you personally are more into. And if you happen to like any of their offers, the 30ml bottles should be just under your preferred 150$ threshold ദ്ദി ( ᵔ ᗜ ᵔ )
TX365
Fleurs de Sel
Wood Sage & Sea Salt 
Salado
Un Jardin après la Mousson
Encre Noire 
Oud Minérale
Xyrena 66
Aqua 358 Thunderball
Finlandeol
Suopursu