Title: Hark! The Hunt For Witches Begins
Released: July 13, 2024
Artist: Evo Numy
Sounds: dark ambient, creepy, cinematic, experimental, despair, horror, soundtrack, unsettling
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Credit: "Hark! The Hunt For Witches Begins" by Evo Numy
Title: Hark! The Hunt For Witches Begins
Released: July 13, 2024
Artist: Evo Numy
Sounds: dark ambient, creepy, cinematic, experimental, despair, horror, soundtrack, unsettling
I wanted to make a soundtrack story that would reflect the paranoia, fear, uncertainty, and pressure people felt during the Salem Witch Trials, from February 1692 – May 1693.
A single cello plays: The story starts with a man, living in a town close to Salem. All his neighbors are accusing each other of being witches and they’re being killed, one after the other. It’s only a matter time before they come after him. He decides to accuse a woman who has been recently widowed; she would be an easy target. The sounds build and create a mix of fear, anxiety, dread, hopefulness, despair, paranoia, and suspicion as he observes her every movement for weeks. He takes every precaution not to be caught; he didn’t want to be accused of being a witch.
The cellos escalate these negative feelings into the first climax: he finally finds evidence of the widow being a witch. He makes the report and the widow is taken and hung in town square that evening. A feeling of relief washes over him as he watches her hang. He has the first night of restful sleep he’s had in a long time.
A new day dawns. The man hears a knock on the door and is told to step out. The flute and trumpet play a shrill note as two men grab him and drag him into town square. An angry crowd surrounds him. He’s accused of witchcraft and is sentenced to death by hanging. A noose is put around his neck. He is not given a chance to defend himself.
He gives a passionate speech, he has not done anything, he is innocent! The widow was the real witch, not him! The crowd boos him, calls him a witch, and maniacally cries out for the executioner to hang him. His hope fades, this is the end for him, there is no escape. He accepts his fate, stares out at the crowd with defeat, and waits for the lever to be pulled.
The cellos build up again: as the executioner reaches for the lever, the man looks to the back of the crowd: starting at him with a large, evil grin was the widow. Before he could say anything, the floor gives out beneath him.