r/Filmmakers • u/jragsdalemusic • 18d ago

Looking for Work I’m a composer and I recently made this flute horror/thriller piece. Let me know what you think!

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633 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

69 comments sorted by

28

u/GrahamUhelski 18d ago

Feels like something in the score of Hereditary, good stuff!

6

u/secamTO 18d ago

Oh man, you should look into how Colin Stetson mics his saxophone for that (and other similar recordings). He's got mics on his throat and various internal and external parts of the horn. It's insanely inventive.

1

u/GrahamUhelski 18d ago

Oh word! Will check that out!

28

u/jragsdalemusic 18d ago

Hi! I was recently in an old music shop in NYC (Music Inn World Instruments!) and stumbled upon a wooden flute that I fell in love with. I immediately came home and wrote this little piece of music with it as a centerpiece. Oftentimes I can really fill up a piece with lots of instruments but there is a sparseness to this one that I think is effective, especially in the beginning. I’ve also been exploring using vocalizations in my scores which led to the grunting that slowly comes in later. I would be curious to hear what people think would be happening in the scene as this plays. 

I love working with different kinds of directors and have worked on short films, feature-length films, VFX Studios, podcasts, etc. If you have something you’re working on and think we would be a good fit, please feel free to shoot me a message or email me. 

Here’s my website (and instagram) if you want to hear any more examples of my work. 

jragsdale.com / instagram.com/jhrsounds

Thank you for listening! Any and all feedback welcome!

9

u/LocustFurnace 18d ago

That is excellent. Wouldn’t surprise me to come upon it in a future film. Thanks for sharing.

3

u/Vuelhering production sound 18d ago

Nice and disharmonic, and reminds me of aztec death whistles.

1

u/ThePrussianGrippe 18d ago

God those things are creepy.

15

u/all_in_the_game_yo 18d ago

Very cool. Reminds me of Johnny Greenwood or Bobby Krlic

3

u/PaliDudeBro 18d ago

Definitely has the Greenwood There Will Be Blood vibe.

Dope track. Make sure you print the stems!

1

u/jragsdalemusic 17d ago

johnny is one of my favorite composers of all time!

4

u/Rose_X_Eater 18d ago

Fucking love this.

3

u/junaclairo 18d ago

This gave me chills.

3

u/DEF_7 18d ago

Excellent. If I close my eyes a forest scene comes to mind and there is something disturbing yet unknown going on.

3

u/thelastlindsey 18d ago

This is great, I appreciate the use of real instruments vs sample libraries (although I love sample libraries too).

The music makes me think somethiing bad is about to happen. I can totally imagine this in “killers of the flower moon “ for example

1

u/jragsdalemusic 17d ago

thank you! I really try to create everything by hand where feasible and within my ability range!

2

u/chookalana 17d ago

Thank you. This is now my ringtone for my mother in law.

1

u/ahmedovelmar 12d ago

ahahahhaahhahahahahahhaha

1

u/brassclouds 18d ago

Really nice, can envision so many different scenes to this

1

u/Ohigetjokes 18d ago

You’re awesome.

1

u/thelongernow 18d ago

Fuck yeah, into this.

The flute reminds me of a Lyra 8 but not as batshit with the oscillation.

1

u/jragsdalemusic 17d ago

was just looking at Lyra 8's not too long ago.. didn't end up getting one but super tempted!

1

u/thelongernow 17d ago

I genuinely wish I still had mine. Throw it through a low pass/multimode filter to ease off the abrasive higher ends but god it sounds wild! They also have a lyra 4 now for smaller footprint and cost too!

1

u/Stepfret 18d ago

Loved it, viscerally atmospheric tension created by your talented mind. Thank you for sharing and you absolutely should be doing soundtrack work!!

1

u/Dave_C-137 18d ago

Very nice and eerie

1

u/the_windless_sea 18d ago

This is very good

1

u/SanFranJon 18d ago

Creepy and eerie. Good work.

1

u/ShamanJosh 18d ago

Hell yeah.

1

u/Soundja 18d ago

really cool, reminds me of 'the beast' by johan johansson, one of my favourite film composers

1

u/uwill1der 18d ago

This would make a great score for a Robert Eggers adaptation of "the Piped Piper". The last note followed by blood curdling parental screams as the children fall into the river. Title Card.

1

u/Q-ArtsMedia 18d ago

....And then the Monster gets ya.... Nicely done.

1

u/sovereignxx12 18d ago

Oooob I love

1

u/dorianvasco 18d ago

That vibe makes me shaking and crawls down my back. Awesome!

1

u/Sicki3star 18d ago

You frightened my dog from his sleep and out the room so A+ from me him?… not so much

1

u/Amaro_ 18d ago

Nice

1

u/abgrafix 18d ago

Chilling

1

u/SolidusSandwich 18d ago

Incredibly well done

1

u/ExcellentSun3849 18d ago

This is awesome! Never stop making music and experimenting with sound. There’s loads of creators out there who would be very lucky to have you score for them. Seeing and hearing your work is just what I needed to get me out of my own lazy way.

1

u/cockchop 18d ago

It is the nerves before battle

1

u/[deleted] 18d ago

did you record this with the mics that are pointing towards the piano?

1

u/jragsdalemusic 17d ago

I didn't record this piece with those mics in that position (that's just where I currently keep my mics when recording piano) but I did use those mics for recording pretty much all of this. Lauten Audio La120s, really affordable and great mics, if a little noisy!

1

u/Miltage 18d ago

I feel so uneasy right about now.

1

u/NahManNotAgain 18d ago

This is definitely movie worthy. Got chills listening to it.

1

u/Bushdocktor98 18d ago

Wow, this sound amazing. I had goosebumps from. hearing it :o

1

u/fogwalk3r 18d ago

so cool! i can hear the character faces zooming in at the end

1

u/gizzardsgizzards 18d ago

flute horror?

1

u/ExZachlew 18d ago

Amazing stuff. I’m a filmmaker based out of Long Island. Id love to work together sometime!

2

u/jragsdalemusic 17d ago

thanks! always welcome to reach out!

1

u/Velvetnether 18d ago

Really great.

Sounds a bit "classic", as you very probably got inspired by some recent horror films scores, but you did a great job creating something of that caliber.

You're on the way to create awesome soundtracks !

1

u/JackMiof2 18d ago

Sick!!

1

u/filmmakerPortal 18d ago

Nice, which daw you use?

1

u/CheeseBro27 18d ago

I dig it

1

u/HallAble2654 18d ago

Engaging. Intense. Suspenseful. WELL DONE!!

1

u/appcfilms 18d ago

Excellent

1

u/Salt_Area6719 17d ago

Very few instruments with the vocals, it's very affective, I love it. Composers always amaze me with what they can do.

1

u/PurpleBullets 17d ago

Thanks I hate it

In a good way!

1

u/DustySonOfMike 17d ago

Very Primal, nice work!

1

u/HauntedHouseFF 17d ago

Incredible piece and it gave me chills!!

1

u/MrMoviePhone 14d ago

That’s fantastic.

1

u/ahmedovelmar 12d ago

cool shiiiii

1

u/Earth_Worm_Jimbo 18d ago

Oh buddddy! Hair on the back of my neck stoop up! Great work! Adding your contact to the Rolodex!

-1

u/1m0ws 18d ago

i feel like it is to fast for me and the flute could drone out much longer. it feels to short paced for me for this instrumentals. i'd like to have more a void of black silence which got cut through by this.
overall great setup and feels nonehtless. gives horror and tension.

0

u/catsaysmrau 18d ago

My honest feedback, please accept it as constructive and not destructive.

Textural and effective for tension buildup but a bit derivative. It feels a bit more like sound design underscore. The layered flute instrument comes off a bit too much like a train whistle to me. I’d suggest a single layer without extra trills muddying it up, and a line with slightly more movement in it than just a long sustained note/texture. The mix is fine, but could use a little work too. Not a fan of the drum sound, and I’d personally prefer a bit more reverb and sort of glue.

Hope that helps!