My intentions are to give the mini-series a retro/ nostalgic feel, much like the Netflix series 'Stranger Things'. As such, I have decided to look into the style of music found within Stranger Things as well as several soundtracks from films of the 1980s.
These included:
Stranger Things (2016) by Kyle Dixon/ Michael Stein
Titles Music:
The Stranger Things soundtrack goes for a minimalist aproach. It is hardly ever loud, allowing for a more subtle build of emotions throughout the series. Synthsisers are used heavily. The sound produced heavily resembles a modern take on what the 80s would sound like, meaning it doesn't quite sound the same and is almost cliche. However, it is effective in building tension and works well with emotional scenes as well as with the visual design, suiting the Stephen King- inspired visuals with I would hope to emulate in my own project.
The Keep (1983) by Tangerine Dream
Opening Theme/ the Journey:
The soundtrack of the failed film adaptation of The Keep was composed by Tangerine Dream and was one of the few praised aspects of the film itself. The instrumentation is mostly synthesiser based with use of the classic 80s drum sound accidentally created by Phil Collins when working on Peter Gabriel's third solo album. Throughout the soundtrack, a vocoder can be heard, almost giving an alien/ demonic presence within the music. The music itself induces dread with very simple repetitive sounds that slowly build to create tension.
This opening track was actually arranged by Brian Eno (known for his work with David Bowie in the late 70s) and David Byrne (known for being frontman of Talking Heads). The drums fade in quietly, already building up tension, then the synthesisers continually barrage the listener with three distinct notes, almost as if in panic. I feel that I could incorporate something like this within my own soundtrack examples.
Halloween III: Season Of The Witch (1982) by John Carpenter/ Alan Howarth
Opening Credits:
The 'Black Sheep' of the Halloween films also retains that notion when it comes to its soundtrack. Gone are the creeping pianos which are replaced by droning synthesisers. This is another minimalist soundtrack which doesn't intrude on the film and helps in order to heighten the horror.
The Terminator (1984) by Brad Fiedel
Title Music:
The original version of the Terminator theme, again, mostly consists of synthesisers. The main melody itself is haunting and has an almost tragic sound to it, considering the events that take place within the film. There is a subtle drumbeat that loops throughout the theme and is repeated throughout the soundtrack. This drumbeat would be altered slightly for the second film which uses a more orchestral variation of the theme. The never stopping drumbeat could be interpreted as a representation of the machine (i.e. the Terminator) which will never stop until it has successfully carried out its objective.
Escape From New York (1982) by John Carpenter
Main Title:
Though this isn't from the horror genre, the style of music sounds very similar. Synthesisers are very prominent again and the instrumentation itself sounds simple and minimalist again. However, I do feel the main title theme in particular seems a bit rushed in the production. Some of the instruments, particularly the bass and drums, don't seem to match in sequence properly, causing some uneven listening.
Something I could have guessed easily going into this research was that synthesisers would be very prominent. I feel that using both minimalist and building approaches for different types of scenes would work well for my own soundtrack and would allow a broader examples for me to use in my own portfolio. The visual design will also heavily play into how the music will sound as well, the two aspects will play off each other.
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