RedMeansRecording Unleashes the Spooky Beast: The Apprehension Engine

Let’s dive right into the mind of RedMeansRecording, whose love for all things spooky is no secret. Jeremy kicks off by professing a borderline obsession with horror films, games, and books. He’s not just a casual fan; he’s the type that scours for unnoticed gems in the horror genre for an evening’s entertainment. It seems only fitting that he’d create music steeped in the eerie. Soundtracks have taken over his passion, particularly the cinematic kind. Though opportunities in the professional ghostly soundtrack business are elusive, Jeremy creates music for imagined projects that he generously shares online for all to use. He proudly advertises these eerie compositions on itch.io, building a community that thrives on spooky sound offerings.

The Apprehension Engine, a creation that’s as peculiar as its name suggests, is at the heart of this video. Introduced by RedMeansRecording, the device has made its mark on several notable horror soundtracks. The history of this unsettling instrument begins with Mark Corvin, a composer from Canada known for his cinematic work. Dissatisfied with existing tools for creating chilling atmospheres, Corvin sought a more organic approach. Enter the Apprehension Engine, with its raw acoustic draw and unnerving sounds that defy traditional musical conventions. Corvin’s exploration led him down the path of noise machines, drawing inspiration from the Drone Box #1. This shift from digitised predictability to the raw authenticity of unpredictable acoustic instruments forms the crux of this narrative. Jeremy underscores how Corvin alongside Tony Duggan-Smith, brought this eerie contraption to life, emphasising its philosophical undertones.

Here’s where things get technical. RedMeansRecording breaks down the Apprehension Engine’s formidable blueprint. It resembles an ungainly collection of instruments cobbled together in mad genius fashion. With its resonating chamber, bowed metal rulers, and hurdy-gurdy-like contraptions, it’s designed for chaos rather than harmony. Duggan-Smith’s talent for handcrafted instruments reflects in every component, from the cello-stringed hurdy-gurdy to the EBO-enhanced guitar strings. A paramount feature includes its spring reverb tank, which Jeremy affectionately describes as capable of conjuring dentist-drill-meets-chainsaw wails. This beast of an instrument thrives on unpredictability; its many piezo pickups snap each shuddering vibration into an amplifiable form. The Apprehension Engine’s mastery over eerie soundscapes lies in its detailed anatomy, each part contributing to an unsettling symphony of sound.

Why is the Apprehension Engine so spine-chilling? RedMeansRecording explains how its embrace of inharmonicity challenges conventional music. Unlike your granny’s piano, this instrument doesn’t shy away from unsettling sonics. Its sounds lack the harmonious pitch most ears find soothing, instead opting for jarring, inharmonic vibrations. The psychological effects of inharmonicity transform mere sound into an emotional response, leaving listeners unnerved. Jeremy draws parallels to horror cinema, where tension is sculpted through low rumbles and rising tones that defy harmony. He highlights how FM synthesis, known for its clangorous sidebands, similarly defies normal sonic ranges. This deep dive reveals how the Apprehension Engine’s chaotic notes tap into primal instincts, crafting soundscapes that are as fascinating as they are fear-inducing.