29. May 2025

LUMINA

Metamyther’s Sonic Shadows: Crafting Horror with Synthesizers

, , , , 

Step into the haunting soundscapes crafted by Metamyther as he peels back the layers of his eerie horror soundtrack creation. In his latest video, we delve into the surreal auditory world where Nord Drum 3P and Sequential Trigon-6 breathe life into shadowy drones and unsettling textures. This exploration promises to captivate composers, synth enthusiasts, and horror aficionados alike.

The Art of Sonic Shadows: An Introduction

Metamyther invites us on a journey through the sonic underworld, revealing the alchemy behind creating music for the surreal horror short ‘You’re Not Sorry.’ This five-minute piece is more than just a film—it is a canvas for Metamyther’s auditory paint strokes, where sound devours silence and transforms it into visceral experience. Each note and drone is meticulously crafted to evoke the psychological turmoil of a woman spiraling into madness. This exploration, as he describes, is about inspiring fellow composers to harness the unsettling power of music in film. Through a multitude of cues and granular textures, Metamyther paints the vast emotional landscape that is the hallmark of his craft.


Before the Nightmares: Setting the Stage

Before a single frame flickers to life, Metamyther crafts an auditory realm guided by the filmmakers’ vision. He speaks of the process of gathering soundscapes, much like collecting shades of dusk for a canvas yet to be painted. With an abundance of eerie drones and dark textures from his archives, the sonic narrative begins to take form—each element a character waiting to emerge from the shadows. Metamyther, in a seamless dance between past and present, creates music for scenes yet unfilmed—flexible threads that the director could weave into the physical reality of the shoot. Metamyther’s process is as much about anticipation as it is about creation; as these sounds pulse within the fabric of the developing film, they align with the filmmakers’ desires for sonic unease.

"Ahead of filming, the filmmakers and I talked about the general vibe they wanted for the soundtrack."

Rough Edges and Happy Accidents: Composing to the Picture

"Ableton can actually work with video files, it's not the greatest interface, but it's definitely serviceable."

Upon receiving the rough cut, Metamyther embarks on the delicate dance of aligning sound to moving image. In Ableton Live, a digital realm where visual and auditory collide, he sculpts each sound to resonate with the film’s unsettling pulse. The process is not without its challenges—tempos drift like specters against the grid, and sometimes a serendipitous twist leads to a ‘happy accident,’ as sound takes on an unexpected but beautifully chilling form. These moments are where true artistry shines, transforming discord into coherence and bridging the chasm between what is seen and what is felt. Through meticulous layering and adjustments, Metamyther crafts an auditory landscape that not only supports but amplifies the film’s haunting narrative.

Eerie Drones and Resonant Spaces: Building the Sonic Environment

In crafting the sonic environment of ‘You’re Not Sorry,’ drones play a pivotal role—becoming sentinels of unease that watch over the unfolding drama. Metamyther employs the Nord Drum 3P and Onoroi modules to create drones that exhale fog and fractured light, each note a fingerprint of cinematic tension. Meanwhile, the PSP PianoVerb adds a metallic edge, conjuring the sound of echoes passing through liminal spaces. This isn’t merely about filling silence, but about creating a resonant space where the film’s emotional undertones can dance and distort. The layers that Metamyther piles one upon the other serve as a testament to his ability to anticipate and articulate the nuanced dialogue between sound and image. With the hardware’s visceral presence, the sonic ghosts of the past whisper along the film’s surface.


From Club to Cataclysm: Synths and Textures in Motion

As the narrative shifts towards chaos, Metamyther deploys synthesizers to morph the film’s soundscape from a throbbing club beat to a nightmarish crescendo. Using the Sequential Trigon-6 and Arturia Prophet VST, he builds a multi-layered base where deep bass roils beneath ethereal synths. His creation is fluid yet structured, a storm of sound that mirrors the protagonist’s descent into madness. At the heart of this sonic maelstrom, the Generate plugin plants seeds of chaos that bloom into cinematic textures—sonic nebulae that resonate with the protagonist’s unraveling mind. Metamyther’s signature sonic storytelling shines through, as each element is not played but rather, we drift inside it—immersed within a darkly compelling narrative.

"Putting an aggressive low-pass filter on the entire track makes it feel like the music is coming from far away."

Latest articles


Watch on YouTube:

Sponsored links:

If you purchase via these links, we may earn a small commission – at no extra cost to you.

Nord Drum 3P
🔗 Check price on Amazon
Sequential Trigon-6
🔗 Check price on Amazon