Showtime's Dexter, the new sounds of Halloween

By April MacIntyre Oct 9, 2010, 3:17 GMT

Showtime\'s chiller thriller crime drama "Dexter" has a soundtrack that elicits goose bumps, and is considered the coolest and hippest creepiest sounds to accompany a Halloween display or party.

Showtime's chiller thriller crime drama "Dexter" has a soundtrack that elicits goose bumps, and is considered the coolest and hippest creepiest sounds to accompany a Halloween display or party.

Now composer Daniel Licht’s music from the Emmy Award-winning, hit Showtime series "Dexter" is available to purchase.

Licht creates his nerve-wracking music with not only traditional instruments like guitars, drums and keyboards but also Pre-Colombian instruments made of human and animal bones.

The effect is spine-tingling, moving and will enliven any party. Music from Season 4 is now available on CD from Milan Records as well as through digital download at Amazon.com and iTunes.

“When I lived in New York I would visit the ancient music wing of the Metropolitan Museum for musical inspiration,” recalls Licht. “I used to peer into the ancient instruments exhibit and wonder what it would be like to play those wild looking hurdy gurdys and bone harps and whatever. I was thrilled when I got a chance to record on some pre-Colombian instruments like a sacrificial drum, bone flutes, rasps, pierced phalanges and bullroarers.

“Daniel’s music adds to the richness of the landscape,” says Dexter star Michael C. Hall. “What you appreciate when you watch the show is that Dan heightens the emotional terrain. He has such a sensitivity to what we’re doing as actors.”

For Dexter’s current season now showing Licht is introducing even more scary sounding effects.  The season five score has been infused with the sounds of duct tape and surgical instruments like scalpels, hemostats and surgical scissors.

“I had always thought it would be interesting to see what bowing on sharp surgical instruments would sound like,” says Licht. “In general any pure metal will be more resonant and bowing against a sharp edge brings out high overtones. Duct tape is just a nice percussive sound. Performing them live allows the sound to be more spontaneous and random sounding.”