STONE OF MADNESS · Trailer Rescore & Sound Redesign

Self-initiated portfolio project · Official trailer for The Stone of Madness · The Game Kitchen / Teku Studios

I reworked the official trailer as an exploration of how deeply its sonic identity could be rooted in its geographical, cultural, and historical context.

Set in an 18th-century monastery turned asylum in the Aragonese Pyrenees (Spain), I wanted to move away from generic orchestral thriller conventions and build the score and sound design around the world suggested by the game itself.

The main approach was to combine traditional Iberian instrumentation, field recordings, Foley, Gregorian chant, and industrial electronics.

The rhythmic foundation is built around a 21/8 additive meter associated with the musical traditions of the region. Rather than treating the irregular meter simply as a compositional device, I used it as part of the behavioural identity of the piece.

For the percussive layer, I combined traditional frame drums and Foley recorded in agricultural environments with industrial kicks, 808 sub-basses, and synthesized impacts.

The melodic and textural language draws on gaita de boto drones, wooden flutes, and other traditional woodwinds, combined with Gregorian chant. These acoustic elements establish the historical and geographical context, while the electronic material introduces a more contemporary and unsettling dimension.

What interested me most was the relationship between these two worlds: traditional acoustic materiality and industrial electronics, rather than simply using folk sounds as an aesthetic decoration.

I'd be particularly interested in hearing how other composers and sound designers approach this kind of balance.

When working with a strongly defined geographical or cultural setting, would you treat traditional material primarily as a source of timbre and atmosphere, or would you also let it influence the rhythmic and structural language of the score?

And how do you feel about using an irregular meter such as 21/8 in a cinematic context? Can it become part of the world's behavioural identity without drawing too much attention to itself as a compositional device?

Alternative approaches and critiques are very welcome.

The original trailer's narration/VO has been retained from the official material; all other audio was replaced or redesigned for this project.