NPR

The Scary Sound Machine That Is 'Trying To Set People A Little Bit Off-Kilter'

Film composer Mark Korven, known for his soundtrack to The Witch, commissioned an instrument called the Apprehension Engine to create scary soundscapes.
Mark Korven plays the Apprehension Engine, a frankenmachine that's designed to make spooky sounds.

Note: This piece is better heard than read. To hear this review and the specific musical moments it references, listen at the audio link.

Mark Korven specializes in making scary sounds.

Creaking doors, clanking chains, bloodcurdling screams: Those are his repertoire as a composer for film and TV soundtracks. He's helped spook up everything from The Twilight Zone and sci-fi cult film to the recent horror blockbuster, .

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR4 min readAmerican Government
Gaza Protestors Picket White House Correspondents Dinner, As Biden Ribs Trump
The war in Gaza spurred large protests outside a glitzy roast with President Joe Biden, journalists, politicians and celebrities Saturday but went all but unmentioned by participants inside.
NPR2 min readWorld
Hamas Releases Video Of A Second American Being Held Hostage In Gaza
Hamas has released a video showing two captives, one of them an American, as part of an effort to prove that the two men are still alive. It was the second video of a U.S. citizen released this week.
NPR3 min readAmerican Government
Trump's Immunity Arguments And The Experiences Of The Justices Who Might Support It
Five of the six conservatives spent much of their lives in the Beltway, working in the White House and Justice Department, seeing their administrations as targets of unfair harassment by Democrats.

Related Books & Audiobooks