# Recommend me some gothic horror music!



## Mike Fox (Sep 26, 2020)

I'm currently composing a gothic horror album, but could really use some sources of inspiration!

Maybe something from the baroque era, or any soundtracks that capture this type of vibe.

Thanks!


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## vitocorleone123 (Sep 26, 2020)

Beyond the usual O Fortuna? (can't go wrong there)
Bram Stoker's Dracula soundtrack?
Danse Macabre (classical not Steven King)
Toccata & Fugue in D Minor
Dies Irae from Requiem

That's all I can think of


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## patrick76 (Sep 26, 2020)

Maybe something like Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms?


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## Farkle (Sep 26, 2020)

If you want film scores, Jerry's score to the Omen, and Roque Banos' score to the Evil Dead keep showing up on my playlists.

And, BTW @patrick76, great offering on Symphony of Psalms! One of my favorite Stravinsky pieces from his "middle period". Just dark and wild and cool!

Mike


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## wst3 (Sep 27, 2020)

To me gothic horror immediately suggests dark, and there are few scores darker than the Omen. Other scores that can inspire me (and that I just enjoy) include Thomas Dolby's score for the Ken Russell movie "Gothic", and score for Phantasm, which is a somewhat odd film, but it scares me, and the music fits! Those are the three that come to me this moment.

Another (unusual) source of inspiration perhaps, but I also like to listen to snippets from the Gothic Storm library. Dan is one of my favorite library composers (he's a bit more than that now eh?). He does dark really well.

Oddly, and mistakenly for me, I've never really thought about mining the depths of orchestral music for ideas. That needs to change!


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## dcoscina (Sep 27, 2020)

Farkle said:


> If you want film scores, Jerry's score to the Omen, and Roque Banos' score to the Evil Dead keep showing up on my playlists.
> 
> And, BTW @patrick76, great offering on Symphony of Psalms! One of my favorite Stravinsky pieces from his "middle period". Just dark and wild and cool!
> 
> Mike


Banos' Evil Dead is an amazing score. Pity he never really followed it up with work that was as inspiring... At least domestically. He's done tones of Spanish films which have great scores.


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## GNP (Sep 27, 2020)

The Frighteners? lol


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## tf-drone (Sep 27, 2020)

Hi,

perhaps:
- Dead can dance
- Sequentia -> "Spielmann und Kleriker" (if you can get yours hands on it), "Edda"
- The Hilliard Ens. performing Tallis, Gesualdo, or Perotin
- Matthew Locke
- Christopher Tye
- OST Schlafes Bruder (Brother of sleep)
- Kristen Nogues
- the genuine german folk music recorded by Bärengässlin


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## b_elliott (Sep 27, 2020)

There is also this:


OP mentioned baroque horror. How about a baroque master dealing with the dark (death)? 

For this work Bach stepped away from secular composition to write a funeral ode mourning the death of a popular princess.

At the time the shocker was no mention in the lyrics of religious salvation. The music though .... On top of that Bach sat at the harpsichord and directed the performers at a university setting. What a showman.


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## dcoscina (Sep 28, 2020)

I think Goldenthal's Interview with the Vampire and even Alien3 are both gothic in some way.


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## Loïc D (Sep 28, 2020)

Also, though the "gothic" music has its own codes (organ, choirs, etc.), I'm pretty sure you can also achieve gothic by using totally different orchestration (electric guitars, ethnic instruments, harpsichord, synth). To me, gothic opens a lot of creative options.


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## patrick76 (Sep 28, 2020)

Farkle said:


> If you want film scores, Jerry's score to the Omen, and Roque Banos' score to the Evil Dead keep showing up on my playlists.
> 
> And, BTW @patrick76, great offering on Symphony of Psalms! One of my favorite Stravinsky pieces from his "middle period". Just dark and wild and cool!
> 
> Mike


It is one of my favorites as well. My composition professor recommended it to me in college to study. Now that I think of it, he really made some outstanding suggestions in regards to pieces that I would like and should study.


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## Trash Panda (Sep 28, 2020)

Bloodborne OST


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## Zanshin (Sep 28, 2020)

These might be my two favorite Elfman soundtracks, I think they fit here quite nicely:



and


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## Mike Fox (Sep 28, 2020)

Zanshin said:


> These might be my two favorite Elfman soundtracks, I think they fit here quite nicely:
> 
> 
> 
> and



Some of my favorites!


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## Mike Fox (Sep 28, 2020)

In terms of theory, what are some keys/scales you guys recommend for writing this type of stuff?


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## Consona (Sep 28, 2020)

Time to rewatch the great old hammer horror movies.


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## Mike Fox (Sep 29, 2020)

Consona said:


> Time to rewatch the great old hammer horror movies.


Wo! Which Hammer film is this? That cheetah speed zoom up is epic!


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## MartinH. (Sep 29, 2020)

Mike Fox said:


> In terms of theory, what are some keys/scales you guys recommend for writing this type of stuff?



I don't remember which one, but they mention one in this talk I think:



dorian or phrygian maybe? 

I need to watch that talk again!


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## José Herring (Sep 29, 2020)

Some many great mentions. My favorite is Kilar's Dracula.

Here's another one from a forgotten piece of crap movie that had probably one of the best scores of the genre. Had the privilege of listing to it in the theaters in NYC. Can't remember the movie at all, but I remember the score.


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## José Herring (Sep 29, 2020)

Of course the classic needs no introduction


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## Mike Fox (Sep 29, 2020)

José Herring said:


> Some many great mentions. My favorite is Kilar's Dracula.
> 
> Here's another one from a forgotten piece of crap movie that had probably one of the best scores of the genre. Had the privilege of listing to it in the theaters in NYC. Can't remember the movie at all, but I remember the score.



I still need to finish the book. I got like 80% through, then just stopped for whatever reason.

Great piece of music, btw!


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## robcs (Sep 29, 2020)

José Herring said:


> Some many great mentions. My favorite is Kilar's Dracula.
> 
> Here's another one from a forgotten piece of crap movie that had probably one of the best scores of the genre. Had the privilege of listing to it in the theaters in NYC. Can't remember the movie at all, but I remember the score.




don’t forget this other cue from the same movie. More than a passing nod to Verdi, but you can’t go wrong for gothic horror if you throw in a few bars of Dies Irae


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## José Herring (Sep 29, 2020)

robcs said:


> don’t forget this other cue from the same movie. More than a passing nod to Verdi, but you can’t go wrong for gothic horror if you throw in a few bars of Dies Irae



It's an awesome score for sure! I remember it so well from the movie and I only saw it once. 

I will say that the movie just didn't leave an impression. I literally have no recollection of what the movie was about other than some dude dressed in all black shows up in the middle of some street and goes all "Carrie" on the town. Was he suppose to be the devil?


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## Jorgakis (Sep 29, 2020)

from almost baroque era:D


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## musicboyy (Sep 29, 2020)

Christopher Young's Hellraiser and Hellbound: Hellraiser 2?


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## robcs (Sep 29, 2020)

José Herring said:


> It's an awesome score for sure! I remember it so well from the movie and I only saw it once.
> 
> I will say that the movie just didn't leave an impression. I literally have no recollection of what the movie was about other than some dude dressed in all black shows up in the middle of some street and goes all "Carrie" on the town. Was he suppose to be the devil?



In the original Stephen King story, he's "just" a very powerful demon. But in the movie, Gaunt is supposed to be Satan himself


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## José Herring (Sep 29, 2020)

robcs said:


> In the original Stephen King story, he's "just" a very powerful demon. But in the movie, Gaunt is supposed to be Satan himself


Ah, no wonder. A powerful demon makes sense. The whole devil thing I wasn't buying it. 

I'll need to read the book.


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## Noeticus (Sep 29, 2020)

HERE IT IS...................!!!

DARK SHADOWS.....


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## Fenicks (Oct 17, 2020)

Surprised no one has mentioned the score of Penny Dreadful yet. It captures every facet of gothic horror, from the tense and frightening to the tragic and mournful. I'd love for Abel Korzeniowski to score a Dracula movie.


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## Consona (Oct 21, 2020)

@Mike Fox How is the work on this project going?


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## Mike Fox (Oct 21, 2020)

Consona said:


> @Mike Fox How is the work on this project going?


Slow! But i'll post something.


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## Consona (Oct 21, 2020)

Btw, not exactly gothic, but Soundiron has a sale including their Theremin, which I can say sounds great.
A must have for an old-school horror score. 

And there are also Sick libraries in their Halloween sale, with all kinds of zombie, ghost, scary, gory sounds. Someone could find that suitable for their horror scoring.


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## Mike Fox (Oct 21, 2020)

Consona said:


> @Mike Fox How is the work on this project going?


Here's a short clip of one of the tracks I'm working on. I'm in the middle of a move, and buying a house so I haven't had much time to compose. Eek!


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## MartinH. (Oct 21, 2020)

Mike Fox said:


> Here's a short clip of one of the tracks I'm working on. I'm in the middle of a move, and buying a house so I haven't had much time to compose. Eek!




Sounds great, looking forward to hear more . Good luck with the house and move!


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## Mike Fox (Oct 21, 2020)

MartinH. said:


> Sounds great, looking forward to hear more . Good luck with the house and move!


Thank you!!!


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## Magunga (Oct 21, 2020)

A couple classics,

Arnold Schoenberg - Veklarte Nacht (Transfigured Night)
Kurt Weill - Zaubernacht (Magic Night)

And then one of my personal top 5 pieces of all time, Alfred Schnittke's Concerto Grosso 1



If you have limited time listen to the fifth movement, but the whole piece is brilliant, dark, and dripping with melodrama. Alfred Schnittke is like if a composer fell asleep in 1860 and woke up in 1960, using baroque/classical material but subjecting it to avant garde methods of development.

[edit: FYI the 5th movement starts at 18:50 in the video]


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## Consona (Oct 22, 2020)

Mike Fox said:


> Here's a short clip of one of the tracks I'm working on. I'm in the middle of a move, and buying a house so I haven't had much time to compose. Eek!



Man, this is nice! Looking forward to hear more!


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## Mike Fox (Oct 22, 2020)

Consona said:


> Man, this is nice! Looking forward to hear more!


Ya'll are too nice! 

But thank you!!!


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## cug (Nov 3, 2020)

The Silent Films Live show was online this year and their "Halloween Uncanceled" video is still up on YouTube. The scores are all excellent but for Gothic sounds check out the new scores for Nosferatu, Der Golem and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Nathan Barr's Fox Wurlitzer organ is amazing!


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## Consona (Nov 3, 2020)

cug said:


> The Silent Films Live show was online this year and their "Halloween Uncanceled" video is still up on YouTube. The scores are all excellent but for Gothic sounds check out the new scores for Nosferatu, Der Golem and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Nathan Barr's Fox Wurlitzer organ is amazing!



Wooow, this is fantastic! I love this cinematic era, and it's so refreshing hearing some actual music in films again.  My favorite score was Barr's Golem, wow, I'm really impressed how perfectly he captured all the moments. Bravo!


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