REVIEWS
Wow, from Widran… Hi Dieter - As you know I have written hundreds of pieces in the new age/ambient/electronic genre and I have to say yours are the most interesting and challenging and fun! Especially this one which was a great way to kick off Halloween.
01. The Ringmaster (feat. Bill Russell & Sean O’Bryan Smith)
I originally made a short film as a sales piece for Deathhaus. Sean O’Bryan Smith composed music for the closing scene, which I later blended with another of my own compositions. Then I teamed up with Bill Russell, and together we gave voice to The Ringmaster—the demented host of this sonic carnival.
“Ladies and gentlemen… children of misfortune… welcome to Le Carnaval Du Macabre—a spectacle stitched from your darkest dreams and most delicious fears. Step right in… if you dare. Behind each curtain and crooked hallway, the laws of nature bend like a clown’s twisted smile. Our freaks don’t perform… they watch. Our clowns don’t laugh… they listen. And should you brave the Rotating Tunnel of Delusions… well, don’t bother finding the exit—it forgot how to exist. Enjoy the show… just don’t get lost. Some guests never find their way back—and we’ve grown rather fond of keeping them.”
— The Ringmaster
02. Running in the Woods
In the film, Deathhaus would open with a 10-minute prologue before the main titles. A young boy, Cameron, runs terrified through the woods, pursued by someone unseen—until it’s revealed to be his cruel older brother.
Here, the film’s main theme first emerges: tense, breathless, and full of dread. It’s the sound of being hunted, both by others and by your own fear.
03. Freaks on Display
A friend of mine co-owns Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group, which operates some of the biggest haunted attractions in the U.S.—including Nashville Nightmare. I was fortunate to shoot there often; even under full lights, the place stayed unnervingly dark.
This track captures that feeling: the endless hallways, the warped mirrors, and the silent onlookers who never blink. The “freaks” aren’t the ones performing—they’re the ones watching you.
04. Le Carnaval Du Macabre
For nearly six months, I obsessed over crafting a creepy melodic hook worthy of John Carpenter’s Halloween theme. This is where Shankie the Clown’s carnival motif is first introduced—part carousel waltz, part funeral dirge.
The slowed-down reprise of the main theme ties it all together, like a cracked calliope echoing through the dark.
05. Light at the End of the Tunnel
In the Deathhaus mythos, the traveling haunt would arrive in a town each Halloween, only to vanish afterward—leaving behind missing locals and whispered legends.
This piece underscores the scene where Britney and her boyfriend MK are trapped in an asylum-like hallway, hunted by Shankie. Lights flicker out one by one. A red balloon stretches over MK’s face as he’s dragged into the dark.
Britney’s screams fade into the ambient noise of the haunt as her friends unknowingly walk past her cell. The “light at the end of the tunnel” was never hope—it was the lure.
06. Parlor of the Damned
Young Cameron wanders a mortuary-like chamber, calling for his brother. A coffin waits in the center of the room. As he nears it, a laugh splits the silence—and he bolts in terror.
This track plays like a sinister waltz for the dead—music for a funeral that never ends.
07. Only Just Begun (feat. Jaymz “Mez” Banks)
Halfway through the story, I wanted to explore the origin of Edgar Shankie—the man who became the monster. I decided to rework a pop classic, “We’ve Only Just Begun” by The Carpenters, twisting its innocent optimism into something unnervingly tragic.
Actor and haunt performer Jaymz “Mez” Banks—whom I met while producing LWA: All Saints Eve—lent his chilling vocals and haunting energy to the track. Mez also portrayed Moribum Stockton, a sadistic henchman in both the Deathhaus short and the audiobook version.
08. Lri-Geht-Tuc (Lri-Geht-Tuc = “Cut the Girl” spelled backward.)
Two survivors stumble upon their friend bound on an altar, surrounded by candlelit monks chanting “Lri-Geht-Tuc.” The ritual builds to a frenzy of small, slicing motions—a thousand cuts.
Originally, this track included the chanting and choking effects, but I removed them here for a more “PG” release. The plucked piano motifs came from a rare Native Instruments sound bank—ironically used years later in several HBO shows.
09. Tunnel of Delusions
Three survivors remain. Foster pushes forward to find the exit and encounters the spinning tunnel—Shankie waiting on the far side.
This scene was meant to be a surround-sound nightmare: a swirling calliope band from hell as the tunnel spins, gears grind, and blood paints the walls. It’s chaos in 7/8 time.
10. Run
An interlude piece designed for flexibility throughout the film—heartbeat-driven tension, perfect for chase sequences or mounting panic.
11. Deathhaus
My Infected Mushroom phase in full swing. I wanted a guitar-driven EDM track for the end credits—gritty, pulsing, and unrelenting. Bill Russell delivered the final performance as Shankie the Clown, sealing the film’s descent into madness.
Thank you for taking this journey through my dark carnival of sound.
If you know anyone with a spare million dollars, Deathhaus is ready to rise—the script, previs, and soundtrack are complete. All it needs now is the green light.
EXPLORE MORE ABOUT DEATHAUS
🎬 Read the script:
Deathhaus – Screenplay (Dropbox)
🎧 Listen to the “Book on Tape” version (with full cast & music):
Deathhaus – Audiobook
📽️ Watch the Previs Short:
Deathhaus Intro (Dropbox)
📽️ Watch the Deathhaus Short:
📄 Executive Summary, Photos, etc:
