The 1922 silent horror film receives a reimagined soundtrack from the minds of this American based composer duo and is available now in partnership with Lakeshore Records
(11-22-2019) - KNOXVILLE, TN - Cemetery Gates, the horror film inspired composer duo, has released a bold and synth drenched rescore of the 1922 silent horror classic, Häxan. On the heels of the iconic film’s recent 2K digital restored re-release, Cemetery Gates took the opportunity to reimagine the score by adding their 70’s/80’s horror-synth tinged touch.
Released on October 15th via Lakeshore Records, the new soundtrack is just one of many new creative projects from the ambitious and insanely busy Tennessee duo, which is comprised of writer/producers Gene Priest and Derek Jones. “Häxan is a classic horror film that those in-the-know look to for inspiration and spirit” says Priest. “We wanted to write new music for the film that you could play along with the film and it was great to bring this to life”. The music adds layers of 70’s and 80’s style compositions using analog and modular synths mixed with modern production techniques and draws inspiration from classic composers like John Carpenter, Alan Howarth, Dario Argento and rock group Goblin.
Cemetery Gates also recently released their latest album ‘Ghostnotes’, an indie/synth driven album laced with what have been described as a blend of Carpenter era atmosphere with haunting, yet indie rock type sensibility reminiscent of Death Cab For Cutie. The majority of recent and upcoming releases from Cemetery Gates will be released via Grief Thief Records, a record label and subscription service put together by the duo. “Creating quality, diverse content that we can release monthly is a huge motivator for us,” says Jones. “As you’re reading this quote, we already have multiple new releases ready and our subscribers will never run short of content to stream.”
Learn more about Cemetery Gates at their official website and stream the Häxan rescore online.
About Cemetery Gates:
Cemetery Gates and Grief Thief Records is the collaboration of friends and songwriting partners of 20+ years, Gene Priest and Derek Jones. The mission of Grief Thief is to CREATE and CURATE 70’s and 80’s inspired synthesizer based electronic horror film music. Creating horror inspired and focused music for film and television sync, trailers, and albums from soft and subtle piano tension, to full on manic audio anxiety, Grief Thief’s sole purpose is to create the most original new sounds out of the classic nostalgia we love so much.
What began as a simple collaboration between 2 artists, Skeleton Beach, and Circadian Rhythm Section, Cemetery Gates has quickly become the central focus of both creative endeavors and grown into its own new atmosphere of experimental electronic music.
About Häxan (Film):
Grave robbing, torture, possessed nuns, and a satanic Sabbath: Benjamin Christensen’s legendary silent film uses a series of dramatic vignettes to explore the scientific hypothesis that the witches of the Middle Ages and early modern era suffered from the same ills as psychiatric patients diagnosed with hysteria in the film's own time. Far from a dry dissertation on the topic, the film itself is a witches’ brew of the scary, the gross, and the darkly humorous. Christensen’s mix-and-match approach to genre anticipates gothic horror, documentary re-creation, and the essay film, making for an experience unlike anything else in the history of cinema. (via Critereon)