Audio Magic, Spooky Season Edition

One of the more active Slack Channels at Pushkin is called “Audio Magic,” a place where our resident “audiophiles” upload some of the most intriguing pieces of sound design out there. For October, we thought this would be the perfect time to introduce you to a little taste of our audio magic channel and it gave us an excuse to find out exactly what our staff finds haunting, scary, or just downright spooky. Keep reading for some of our favorite staff picks!

Emily Vaugh, Producer

This episode (“Romeo & Juliet”) of the Snap Judgment sister-show Spooked is a real live ghost story!

Morgan Ratner, Marketing Manager – Podcasts

American Hysteria is one of the first podcasts I listened to and one that continues to interest me — host Chelsey Weber-Smith dives deep into moral panics and how they shape our understanding or misunderstanding of reality. While they don’t only cover scary stuff, the episodes on topics like haunted houses, Halloween sadism, and urban legends always teach me something new and get me in a spooky mood.

Shawn Carney, Creative Director

Mataja, a seemingly unknown musician, guitar builder, recording pioneer and Yugoslavian labor camp survivor (among other things) made some of the most vibey and haunting songs I’ve ever heard. This track, in particular, is sure to set a very spooky mood. In fact, I think it’s nearly impossible to listen to in the daytime.

Nicole Morano, PR Director

Too Scary; Didn’t Watch. Three friends. Two hate scary movies and one loves scary movies, she watches them, so you don’t have to. 

As a self-professed scaredy cat, I can’t watch scary movies, so this podcast is such a fun way to hear the plots of classic and newer, trending scary movies and the dynamic between the hosts is delightful and hilarious. I highly recommend the episodes about Fresh, Orphan, The Mist, The Killing of the Sacred Deer, and Men.

Carly Migliori, VP of Partnerships

Our talented colleague Ryan Dilley (currently producing The Happiness Lab, Bad Women, and Cautionary Tales) made the podcast Haunted back in 2017 when we were working together at Panoply. The stories are timeless and truly, truly creepy. With beautiful sound design work done by Pascal Wyse, each episode of Haunted is about a ghost sighting. My favorite is “The 100 MPH Ghost,” about a very fitting Halloween race car wreck.

Dan O’Donnell, Executive Producer, Director of Partner Production

Every Halloween we turn the lights off and listen to this. In 2020 we opted not to, because it was a little…on the nose… so, your mileage may vary. But it really delivers.

Julia Barton, Executive Editor

An audio experience that was at the Munch Museum in Norway. The black metal band Satyricon picked several somewhat morbid works for the audience and wrote a song cycle around them. It’s over now, but you can still listen to the creepy soundtrack as an album.

Isabella Narvaez, Publicist

Forbidden Woods – Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker

This track plays while you (as Link), are exploring the Forbidden Woods – an island so treacherous and full of dark magic and deadly plant-like creatures that all are forbidden to enter – in the hopes of rescuing our friend Makar, who fell into the woods and hadn’t been heard from since. As you travel through the woods, I think the soundtrack has always given me a sense of horrible dread. The sense that you’re alone, but not really alone. Someone, or rather, something is watching you. Waiting.

Mary Beth Smith, Email Marketing Strategist

Wild Thing, Season One, any episode really. Because who doesn’t love a Bigfoot Conspiracy Theory for Halloween.