Horror Soundtracks: Music to Your Ears, Fuel to Your Fears

No other genre can manipulate its viewers with sound design like horror. From cheerfully creepy to uncomfortably intense, horror movies always keep you at the edge of your seat. Although the trends of horror music are ever-changing, there’s one thing that is for sure — you will be scared.

Written by Sruthi Arun
Illustrated by Jessica Wu

Most people have been subjected to the fear and thrill of a horror film, and if you’re anything like me, you chase that thrill. One of the most important aspects of a horror movie — more so than the dialogue itself — is the soundtrack. When combined with the right visuals, a soundtrack can determine the impact of what’s on the screen and the emotional effect it has on the audience. For the horror genre in particular, the perfect soundtrack can effectively provoke our primal fears and personal anxieties.

When considering its typical sound design, a horror film is made by creaking stairs, screeching string instruments, or a blood-curdling screech. But if utilized properly, the unexpected use of happy music can add a different layer to what the audience experiences.

Cheerful music is often used in horror films to juxtapose what is happening visually. This tactic is referred to as “soundtrack dissonance,” an effect where the music is out of place to create a strong emotional response to a scene. Such clever recycling of beloved music is a trope frequently utilized in the horror genre.

Soundtrack dissonance is seen in a multitude of older horror films. An example of this is the use of “Mr. Sandman” by The Chordettes in the movie “Halloween ll” orthe use of “TipToe Through the Tulips” by Tiny Tim in the movie “Insidious.” These movies intrude upon our personal connections with these well-known and beloved songs, attempting to upset whatever associations we might hold with them.

“Insidious” (2010 film). Photo courtesy of Popsugar

The application of these songs is meant to leave the audience terrified in the same way a clown would. Something seemingly innocent and almost comical is put in a not-so-comical situation, giving people an uneasy feeling. Like a clown posing as a human in disguise, the cheerful music, combined with the film’s visual setting, is morphed into something even more sinister.

Using joyful music in morbid settings attempts to provide an ironic counter to the surrealism of horror that precedes it. These seemingly innocent songs are given a menacing element, and the corruption of these previously admired classics is meant to strike a personal chord with the audience members.

Today, horror is being reimagined along with the music that accompanies it. The times of using old reminiscent music might be over; now, discordant music is all the hype. Newer horror movies are all about emotional and psychological horror.

Discordant music, as commonly used in new age horror films, creates a turbulent environment. Overlapping sounds and asymmetrical patterns in these soundtracks convey an unresolved aura to the songs, evoking an anxious feeling. This is the goal of horror films: to keep the audience unsure and unable to predict what is to come.

Amongst these new movies is the revolutionary “Get Out.” The film draws upon the use of string music with an overlay of whispering. In an interview with Crack Magazine, “Get Out” composer Michael Abels admitted to drawing inspiration from Hitchcock films, but with a modern twist. Like the movie, which utilizes psychological fears rather than wholly supernatural elements, the accompanying music employs sounds that reflect the natural world. The perpetual scraping and pulsing beat highlight the uncertainty towards the future events in the film, unlike the direct cue of a creepy old song.

“Get Out” features the song “Sikiliza Kwa Wahenga,” a Swahili track that loosely translates to “watch out,” and subliminally makes the audience uncomfortable.

“Get Out” (2017 film). Photo courtesy of Wired

In an interview with composer Mark Koven, he outlines the reasoning behind this new form of horror music and its place in his recent work on the film “The Witch.” The lack of a traditional melody is meant to give a claustrophobic and isolating feel to the viewers.

Other music directors, such as Colin Stetson, have taken up this technique in their works as well. Stetson’s latest work in the new film “Hereditary” draws many parallels in terms of sound composition. The droning woodwinds and eerie nature of the instruments bring audience members to the edge of their seats and creates a continuous unsettling environment.

A common tactic used in creating this perpetual blanket of uncomfortableness in horror movies is the use of the “Shepard-Risset glissando.” This is essentially a continuous upwards scale that creates an illusion that the music is getting louder when it actually isn’t. A long rising sound often implies impending doom, and this audio deception is the baseline for the new age of horror.

Looking back, I have personally felt more shaken by new-age horror than classic horror films, and I can definitely credit the soundtracks for this. If the visuals are not stimulating, the music compensates for it, and using happy music is not always effective in creating a disturbing environment. If I hear the crackle of an old record player and cheerful music of my past, I am usually unphased by it. But with new age horror, I am more likely to be shocked at a jump scare since the music unsuspectingly drones on. It seems expected for the path of music in horror to follow this trajectory and stray further from the use of lyrical melodies and more into ominous instrumentals.

“Us” (2019 film). Photo courtesy of Inverse

The most highly anticipated horror film of the year, “Us,” recently released its soundtrack at South by Southwest. The release has stirred up much conversation online about the use of a beloved West Coast hip hop song, “I Got 5 On It,” to evoke fear. Although the new age of horror tries to mimic the natural sounds of the world to loom over visual scenes, the “Us” soundtrack combines elements of old and new styles. This creates a concoction of glissandos, beats, and a cherished song that makes for something unexpected.

Maybe the age of cheesy music isn’t over for good. Maybe the trend of unsettling tones isn’t either. With “Us”, we are introduced to a culmination of horror music history with a chance that all trends will hold. Whatever it may be, it better give us some serious psychological distress, because that’s what we’ve signed up for.