unsettling ambient music?

April 24, 2009 3:01 PM

Looking for something along the lines of the theme to the movie Halloween, the Dark Knight Soundtrack or the background music to this amazing commercial

Nothing with words, no thrasher metal, nothing atonal or screechy. Just soft, creepy ambient music. A clear, heavy beat might be nice but isn't necessary. Thanks!

posted by MaddyRex to media & arts (14 comments total)

You should check out Akira Yamaoka's work for the Silent Hill game series.
posted by cmgonzalez at 3:09 PM on April 24

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OFio4YANxo
posted by the_ancient_mariner at 3:11 PM on April 24

A few selections of Yamaoka's work:

Terror in the Depths of Fog, Ashes and Ghost, Breeze, In Monochrome Night, Heads No. 2, Fukuro (not actually from a game; from a bonus disc).
posted by cmgonzalez at 3:22 PM on April 24

(And that's not an error, "Breeze, In Monochrome Night" is one title)
posted by cmgonzalez at 3:23 PM on April 24

Nightmare Lodge..they even did an update of the Halloween Theme. MP3 stream

I'd also recommend O Yuki Conjugate. Here's a YouTube link to their track Sunchemical.
posted by Kafkaesque at 3:40 PM on April 24

The Caretaker (link to Wikipedia page with free downloads of all albums)

Some of The Caretaker's music has words, but there are plenty of tracks that do not, and I'd say they fit right in with your requirements. I used this as background music for a Halloween party a few years ago, and it fit right in.
posted by Shecky at 3:56 PM on April 24

I recommend most of the catalog of VNV Nation.
posted by EnsignLunchmeat at 4:04 PM on April 24

The Donny Darko soundtrack is nearly all creepy & ambient.
posted by chairface at 5:00 PM on April 24

The instrumental tracks from the soundtrack to David Lynch's Mulholland Drive would be perfect. The whole movie is very unsettling and uncomfortable, and the soundtrack matches it perfectly.
posted by jroybal at 5:38 PM on April 24

Brian Eno's On Land may be a little too ambient, but it is definitely creepy.
posted by thewittyname at 5:41 PM on April 24

Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works, vol. 2
posted by dixie flatline at 5:58 PM on April 24

Goblin and contemporary Goblin worshippers Zombi.
posted by The Straightener at 7:25 PM on April 24

You should really check out Lustmord and also Twine.
posted by everichon at 9:40 AM on April 25

Check out these movie soundtracks: Solaris, Runaway Jury, Jennifer 8, The Underneath, The Limey, Traffic, The Illusionist, World Trade Center, Syriana, and Dark Water.
posted by Kloryne at 1:33 PM on April 25