Album: 13 Ghosts
Composer: John Frizzell
Released: 2001
Description: Sometimes you need some auditory muscle while writing. Sometimes you need some non-thematic substance in what you are listening to so to help boost specific scenes, a substance that is not heavy on themes or motifs nor their artful repetition but rather music written to highlight the screen. When is said music useful for writers? Well, are you a writer that works from stream-of-consciousness or even someone writing without an outline? If so, I’ve found music without a reoccurring thematic identity particularly useful because the lack of repeated elements helps me be more fluid; I never fall into the trap of subconsciously leaning towards a particular emotion or character when a reoccuring theme hits my ears.
John Frizzell, who has worked on many horror(ish) scores, such as Ghost Ship, The Reaping, Dante’s Peak, Alien: Resurrection, Legion, is not a household name (though if you’ve seen Office Space, you’ve heard his music).
This may be due to the projects he works on garnering moderate reviews and popularity, but nonetheless his talents are always on display in his film scores. The soundtrack to 13 Ghosts, a film about a man inheriting a house full of ghosts, is ripe with enough macabre bombast, unsettling moments, and a dysfunctional family to offer a writer plenty of background music while they write. It’s non-obtrusive yet it has the ability to magnify your thoughts for the story at hand.
