# Let's hear those horror pieces!



## Mike Fox (Oct 1, 2019)

Can you believe it?! October is already here, and Halloween is approaching us! I figured this thread would be a great way to get into the spirit by posting your horror/Halloween pieces. I started a thread like this last year, and it was a great success. There were so many excellent and enjoyable compositions from everyone who participated, so let's make it happen again!

I'll kick things off by posting a piece I wrote about 10 years ago, but recently re-recorded with new samples (the mix isn't 100% there yet, but whatevs, this is all for fun!). This (very basic) piece was inspired by the Bram Stoker's Dracula soundtrack.

Thanks for listening! Looking forward to hearing your compositions!


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## Emmanuel Rousseau (Oct 1, 2019)

Made this one for a Gothic Storm album a few weeks ago. We were given recordings of english and american children singing nursery rhymes 

It was my first horror track ever and I had a lot of fun !









Harmony Music


Harmony Music uses SourceAudio for music distribution




harmony-music.sourceaudio.com


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## TimCox (Oct 1, 2019)

Here's a piece I just completed for a minisode in a series of horror shorts (3 - 5 minutes each). Watch out for the jump scares, lol:



And for fun, here's my halloween piece from last year:


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## bvaughn0402 (Oct 1, 2019)

I am new to publishing my own music (I don't really have any listeners), but this is part of the album I released last year. It is like a Midnight Syndicate vibe ... an instrumental "concept album" about a lady who dies and becomes a ghost ... except she doesn't know it at first ... then has to battle her demons so she can finally cross over.


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## Zero&One (Oct 2, 2019)

Inspired by @Alex Niedt Blank Page Series (thanks Alex) 

I used only BDT on this under the hour. Themed a craggy old cottage with a witch living there


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## markd (Oct 2, 2019)

Mike Fox said:


> I'll kick things off by posting a piece I wrote about 10 years ago, but recently re-recorded with new samples (the mix isn't 100% there yet, but whatevs, this is all for fun!). This (very basic) piece was inspired by the Bram Stoker's Dracula soundtrack.



Very cool!


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## laurikoivisto (Oct 2, 2019)

This was composed for a competition. Horror/tension stuff comes after 1:40 


There's short score and full score in the descritpion.


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## markd (Oct 2, 2019)

This is the music for the opening credits of a psychotic and twisted horror film.



And this is just good old horror (well, I think so! lol)!


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## VgsA (Oct 2, 2019)

Uuuh great thread! I have so many, I'll post only one though!


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## MichaelVakili (Oct 2, 2019)

Not really amazing or complex ,I just wanted to make trappy / dubstep horror with orchestra XD


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## Mornats (Oct 2, 2019)

Did this one a couple of years ago:


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## Thomas Kallweit (Oct 2, 2019)

Ok, here's one I did a while ago.
It's about online horror and especially about poisoned digital emissions and persons, who do this all the time.
Imagine that all of those are simply put in a quarantine cage.

First part musically a bit inspired by the [Rec] Soundtrack and then you have some doom-metal [2:01] with twists and noises.


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## Billy Palmer (Oct 2, 2019)

Did this as a warm up for rescoring the actual fight.
Still need to do that...


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## EgM (Oct 2, 2019)




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## BlackDorito (Oct 2, 2019)

laurikoivisto said:


> This was composed for a competition.


I may have complimented this on another thread, but if not ... excellent work!


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## laurikoivisto (Oct 2, 2019)

BlackDorito said:


> I may have complimented this on another thread, but if not ... excellent work!



Thanks!


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## markd (Oct 3, 2019)

laurikoivisto said:


> This was composed for a competition. Horror/tension stuff comes after 1:40



Very well done!


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## Mike Fox (Oct 3, 2019)

This thread is on a roll, guys! So many excellent pieces of work here. Goes to show how broad and explorative the horror genre actually is!


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## jeremiahpena (Oct 3, 2019)

I did a whole horror game score a few years back, but instead I'll share a couple of recent pieces. They're inspired by the unsettling mood my favorite book genre (weird fiction) creates, such as the Southern Reach trilogy, The Willows, or House of Leaves.

This one started by mimicking the sound of tornado sirens



And this one's more directly creepy sounding, but in a similar overlapping chromatic style.


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## Jacob Cadmus (Oct 3, 2019)

Yay I wanna join in. This is from a short film I scored last Halloween; was going for a Beltrami vibe, with a touch of 80s synth elements here and there.


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## Robert_G (Oct 4, 2019)

TimCox said:


> Here's a piece I just completed for a minisode in a series of horror shorts (3 - 5 minutes each). Watch out for the jump scares, lol:
> 
> 
> 
> And for fun, here's my halloween piece from last year:





What is the organ in this old house? Very nice.


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## WilliamKersten (Oct 4, 2019)

Here is a horror album of mine:

https://www.productionmusiconline.com/album/Horror+Toolkit/1638/ (Horror Toolkit)


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## TimCox (Oct 5, 2019)

Robert_G said:


> What is the organ in this old house? Very nice.



Thanks! It's actually the default one that comes with Kontakt


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## Robert_G (Oct 5, 2019)

TimCox said:


> Thanks! It's actually the default one that comes with Kontakt



Which patch? There are quite a few


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## Mike Fox (Oct 5, 2019)

Robert_G said:


> Which patch? There are quite a few


I think i asked the same question last year, lol! I was surprised by how good it sounds!

Kudos to Tim for cunningly utilizing those "forgotten" types of patches.


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## TimCox (Oct 6, 2019)

Robert_G said:


> Which patch? There are quite a few





Mike Fox said:


> I think i asked the same question last year, lol! I was surprised by how good it sounds!
> 
> Kudos to Tim for cunningly utilizing those "forgotten" types of patches.



Sorry for the late reply but I had to load kontakt up to get the patch name! It's the "Organ KH GrPrplenum (Manual) *and* (Pedal)" patches!I believe I turned the built in reverb off and ran it through a cathedral IR in Altiverb but I haven't reloaded the session to check.

EDIT

Also, thanks! The full stop organ in Kontakt is absolutely _classic_!


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## bosone (Oct 8, 2019)

I made the soundtrack of this video (SFX included) after i saw it on twitter and I decided that the original music did not render justice to it!



after that, I made a lot of other soundtracks for videos made by the same author (not halloween related)!


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## Land of Missing Parts (Oct 9, 2019)

Seeing this Halloween thread pop up last week is actually what inspired me to dust off an old cover of the End Credits from Army of Darkness. Composed by Joseph LoDuca, mocked up with midi by ear.


Like the movie, it is more fantasy than horror, but still in the spirit of Halloween. :emoji_jack_o_lantern:


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## TimCox (Oct 15, 2019)

It's still Spooktober, folks.

Keep this train a-rollin!


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## J-M (Oct 17, 2019)

Great music in here...as always...here's mine!


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## BlackDorito (Oct 17, 2019)

MrLinssi said:


> here's mine!


Great stuff. I imagine people being chased by ghouls.


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## Dave Connor (Oct 17, 2019)

Here's something I did with Mike Andrews which was a lot of fun. The director wanted a retro score to go along with his silent movie. Even so we got in there with some more modern stuff as well. It was recorded in France. Afterward the conductor told me the orchestra applauded the score, saying they rarely got to play such harmonies.

From the film Paris, je t'aime:


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## lucor (Oct 18, 2019)

Here's the first and so far only 'horror-y' track I've ever written.


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## markd (Oct 18, 2019)

TimCox said:


> It's still Spooktober, folks.
> 
> Keep this train a-rollin!



Cool!


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## WilliamKersten (Oct 18, 2019)

Dave Connor said:


> Here's something I did with Mike Andrews which was a lot of fun. The director wanted a retro score to go along with his silent movie. Even so we got in there with some more modern stuff as well. It was recorded in France. Afterward the conductor told me the orchestra applauded the score, saying they rarely got to play such harmonies.
> 
> From the film Paris, je t'aime



wow, Dave that is so great - I love it! It is perfect for the silent style, delineating the action beautifully, and is so witty with the uber-romantic sections set off by the theremin. Just brilliant.


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## Dave Connor (Oct 18, 2019)

WilliamKersten said:


> wow, Dave that is so great - I love it! It is perfect for the silent style, delineating the action beautifully, and is so witty with the uber-romantic sections set off by the theremin. Just brilliant.


Thanks William! Far more time was taken on that score than you would expect since it was only a few minutes long. That is, the director came over numerous times and wanted to sign off on every other frame - it felt like. Still, that language (as you know) is a lot of fun to sink into and there wasn’t any restrictions on moving into other territory as long as it was effective. One was able to do some real writing and that’s always a welcome development.


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## Thomas Kallweit (Oct 18, 2019)

I have one more track to offer on the topic. Atonal and more on the terror side.
This had some bad background which caused this. A sadistic animal killer did some disgusting things here in the region over years.


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## WilliamKersten (Oct 18, 2019)

Dave Connor said:


> Thanks William! Far more time was taken on that score than you would expect since it was only a few minutes long. That is, the director came over numerous times and wanted to sign off on every other frame - it felt like. Still, that language (as you know) is a lot of fun to sink into and there wasn’t any restrictions on moving into other territory as long as it was effective. One was able to do some real writing and that’s always a welcome development.


I can see how it would take a lot of time. I was blown away by this - it is the best film scoring I have heard in years, including anything in the theaters. Fantastic skill and imagination. Did you do the orchestration as well as composition? A silent movie is the hardest kind of film to score. The music becomes a character instead of background. But you know that - this is truly masterful.


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## WilliamKersten (Oct 18, 2019)

Dave Connor said:


> Thanks William! Far more time was taken on that score than you would expect since it was only a few minutes long. That is, the director came over numerous times and wanted to sign off on every other frame - it felt like. Still, that language (as you know) is a lot of fun to sink into and there wasn’t any restrictions on moving into other territory as long as it was effective. One was able to do some real writing and that’s always a welcome development.


Also, that is such a great short film. Totally engaging from beginning to end with a hilariously appropriate ending the audience can't help wanting. What a wonderful project to be involved in. And your music completes it perfectly.


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## Dave Connor (Oct 18, 2019)

WilliamKersten said:


> Here is a horror album of mine:
> 
> https://www.productionmusiconline.com/album/Horror+Toolkit/1638/ (Horror Toolkit)


Very nice William. Like the harmonic twists and turns, orchestration and classic vibe on everything. Looks like a lot of work you did there and they’re all different!


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## WilliamKersten (Oct 18, 2019)

That's nice of you Dave, thanks. However I am still shaken by your work on this short. I've been walking around thinking about it all afternoon. You blew me away. I just love this style and you perfected it. Also you ought to be proud of that accolade by the orchestra - especially by seasoned pros who are so tired of the banal junk they usually are forced to play. To have them applaud your work is the ultimate compliment.


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## Dave Connor (Oct 18, 2019)

WilliamKersten said:


> I can see how it would take a lot of time. I was blown away by this - it is the best film scoring I have heard in years, including anything in the theaters. Fantastic skill and imagination. Did you do the orchestration as well as composition? A silent movie is the hardest kind of film to score. The music becomes a character instead of background. But you know that - this is truly masterful.


Thank you very much William. Yes I did the orchestration. The electronics, theremin (ondes martenot) as well as significant orchestral writing is Mike Andrews. I generally mock-up exactly as I would orchestrate. I handed the midi file to a copyist who put it into Finale and no doubt had to distribute the upper strings (divisi) when I used ensemble patches and that kind of thing.


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## WilliamKersten (Oct 18, 2019)

Was that a live ondes martenot or digital? It sounded great either way and became a crucial part of the scoring.


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## Dave Connor (Oct 18, 2019)

WilliamKersten said:


> Also, that is such a great short film. Totally engaging from beginning to end with a hilariously appropriate ending the audience can't help wanting. What a wonderful project to be involved in. And your music completes it perfectly.


You’re too kind. The director is Vincenzo Natalie. A brilliant and very sweet guy. He did the film Splice which was scored by the conductor of our short. Btw, the body on the ground is Wes Craven. The film won an award at Cannes that year and is very unusual with 12 directors doing shorts (including the Cohen Bros.) Also, the entire film Paris, je’ t’aime is scored by one composer with the exception of our segment.


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## Dave Connor (Oct 18, 2019)

WilliamKersten said:


> Was that a live ondes martenot or digital? It sounded great either way and became a crucial part of the scoring.


Sorry folks, please keep posting - really enjoying the work here!

The Ondes was overdubbed afterward with a real one by a player Mike hired and directed. It was never a part of the mock-up or score. We also did prelays. I think the glock is from my midi for example.


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## WilliamKersten (Oct 18, 2019)

Whoah, Wes Craven? Amazing! 

I absolutely love the Ondes Martenot. The most mysterious, beautiful instrument with an infinitely complex timbre. Your use of it here is inspired. It makes the transition from weirdness to normal instantly identifiable. 

Anyway, congratulations on this fabulous work!


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## Dave Connor (Oct 18, 2019)

Your cues are excellent William, each one tells a story yet you design them to give editors what they need. As I said you cover a lot of informed ground and of course very modern. Love the nods to Elfman, Herrmann and Carpenter - Mounting Fear! Cheers my friend.


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## Dave Connor (Oct 18, 2019)

WilliamKersten said:


> Whoah, Wes Craven? Amazing!


 Yes he directed one of the segments in the film and visited our set.


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## Haakond (Oct 19, 2019)

So fun to listen to these horror pieces!
This is one I wrote earlier this year:


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## Dave Connor (Oct 19, 2019)

Haakond said:


> So fun to listen to these horror pieces!
> This is one I wrote earlier this year:


Very nice. Really liked that.


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## Kevin Fortin (Oct 19, 2019)




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## BradHoyt (Oct 19, 2019)

Here's a tune based on a creepy doctor in the Steampunk/fantasy mystery novel "The Affinity Bridge" by George Mann.


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## Haakond (Oct 19, 2019)

BradHoyt said:


> Here's a tune based on a creepy doctor in the Steampunk/fantasy mystery novel "The Affinity Bridge" by George Mann.




Got really Burton/Elfman vibes from this. Loved it!


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## Sarah De Carlo (Oct 20, 2019)

My simple atmospheric/percussive one.
(Congratulations to all, I listened to really fantastic things in this thread. )


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## TomislavEP (Oct 21, 2019)

Personally, I didn't had an objective need to write a horror piece thus far, at least not in a traditional sense, but here is the closest thing I have for now.


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## BlackDorito (Oct 21, 2019)

Dave Connor said:


> Here's something I did with Mike Andrews which was a lot of fun


Dave - totally loved the sophisticated modern-horror musical gestures ... and the video ending was fun!


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## Mike Fox (Oct 28, 2019)

You guys make me jealous! There's some straight up talent in this thread!

Well, Halloween is this week folks, so let's cram as many horror pieces into this thread as we can, shall we?

I'll post a couple more tracks I did last year.







Big thanks to everyone who participated! Happy Halloween!


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## Thomas Kallweit (Oct 28, 2019)

Hey Mike,
thanks for the thread! Liked actually "eye of the parasite" - really a honest horror scenario you brought up, or better "terror" - well done. And I can really imagine well how this suits in a suiting scene.


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## Mike Fox (Oct 28, 2019)

Thomas Kallweit said:


> Hey Mike,
> thanks for the thread! Liked actually "eye of the parasite" - really a honest horror scenario you brought up, or better "terror" - well done. And I can really imagine well how this suits in a suiting scene.


Thanks Thomas!


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## markd (Oct 28, 2019)

Mike Fox said:


> I'll post a couple more tracks I did last year.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Very intense tracks Mike! Love it


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## markd (Oct 28, 2019)

ok, well I'll post a few more too then 

this is inspired by the SAW movies:


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## Mike Fox (Oct 28, 2019)

markd said:


> Very intense tracks Mike! Love it


Thank you so much! Glad you like them!


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## Zero&One (Oct 28, 2019)

Eye of the Parasite is pure terror. That's some sick and awesome stuff there, love it!


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## bvaughn0402 (Oct 28, 2019)

Here's a new track I worked on for this year.


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## Mike Fox (Oct 28, 2019)

James H said:


> Eye of the Parasite is pure terror. That's some sick and awesome stuff there, love it!


You're too kind! Thank you!

The Dead Space score by Jason Graves was the inspiration for that.


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## Mornats (Oct 30, 2019)

I thought I'd do one for this Hallowe'en and especially for this thread. I'm finding that Heavyocity's Intimate Textures works really well with Spitfire's Studio Strings.


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## Vladimir Bulaev (Oct 31, 2019)

This is the creepiest thing I've ever done:


And a much calmer song that I ever hope to record and finish the full orchestra, but for now, as a dirty sketch:


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## Haakond (Oct 31, 2019)

I made one more, a bit more Danny Elfman-vibe on this track.


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## jkonthetrack (Nov 2, 2019)

First time posting here. I mainly do beats with a cinematic feel but always into the horror stuff.


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## gargamon (Nov 4, 2019)

My first post here. And my first production from start to finish (I've only recorded as a mere musician before).


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## tebling (Nov 5, 2019)

Missed Halloween, but better late than never!

Here's something I just finished using nothing but Metropolis Ark 3:


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