What is the story of that ominous sound in all the movies?

October 22, 2017 6:32 PM

I recently saw Blade Runner 2049 and loved it but I couldn't help but be struck by the heavy use of that deep ominous sound effect that was also part of Arrival and seems to be in lots of movies and trailers these days. Is there a story behind that sound? Has someone written an article on it? Named it?

I don't really have the vocab or the knowledge to describe but it was a the dominant sonic effect in Blade Runner 2049. Sort of a deep loud long vhoooooomp is the best I can do.

posted by srboisvert to Media & Arts (11 answers total)

Is it this noise? Because it started with Inception.
posted by Grandysaur at 6:35 PM on October 22, 2017

Yes. That is pretty much it. Know any details?
posted by srboisvert at 6:37 PM on October 22, 2017

It's kind of a Hans Zimmer thing, and everyone imitates Zimmer nowadays, partially since movies are often cut together with temp music that the composer then has to match afterwards to some degree... and the temp tracks in use tend to be the same shit in many films.

In 2049, though, the usage is a bit weird, as it almost seems to be a diagetic sound effect inside the movie. I couldn't figure out quite whether it was soundtrack or note, which I'm guessing is the idea.
posted by selfnoise at 6:38 PM on October 22, 2017

Here's an article on the BRAAAAAM noise.
posted by kdar at 6:39 PM on October 22, 2017

Interesting, it's more of a whommp-psh-psh-psh-psh to me. Sorry, have nothing else to offer but that.
posted by karmachameleon at 6:40 PM on October 22, 2017

Ah..

braaams

Thanks for the lead Grandysaur.
posted by srboisvert at 6:40 PM on October 22, 2017

By the way, it sometimes sounds to be like an extremely slowed down version of the "Orchestra Hit", which was popular among many a child with a synthesizer in the 90s.
posted by selfnoise at 6:42 PM on October 22, 2017

Not only does everyone seem to imitate Zimmer, a lot of the younger generation of film composers work with him. Fortunately he's a good composer, because his influence is real.
posted by lhauser at 6:45 PM on October 22, 2017

Here is yet another even longer article about BRAAAMs.
posted by theodolite at 6:58 PM on October 22, 2017

THAT is what that noise is!

I ended up seeing a bunch of languid art films this past weekend, in a shopping mall multiplex. Occasionally, from the theater next door, I'd hear this low rumbling.

It added some weird tension to the films! Like, there's robots or volcanoes on the horizon, that are going to swallow up this couple having a leisurely picnic at any moment.
posted by spinifex23 at 12:18 PM on October 23, 2017

Yo, horn section!
posted by mlis at 4:50 PM on October 23, 2017