(DARK) The soundtrack of Dark perfectly accentuates the series, creating an unsettling atmosphere that never lets the viewer truly relax

Submitted by TheMediocreCritic t3_y0l1my in television

The first time I watched Dark , I was struck by the atmosphere that the series' soundtrack created. In the first couple episodes the score is ominous, dark and unsettling. It heightens the tension while nothing has really been revealed yet.

Before the big reveals are even show the music tells you something in this town is wrong. It tells the viewer you show be alert and watching.

Ben Frost masterly mixes known songs as well added a extra layer to the uneasiness and alienness of the series. The songs are ones we have heard but diffrent, darker. He mixes the familiar with th unknown to lead the viewer deeper and deeper.

Great series, great music

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt5753856/

336

Comments

You must log in or register to comment.

VintageOG t1_irsh45m wrote

Many aspect of Dark were near perfection, soundtrack included. People seem to sleep on Dark, but I was fucking loved it. If anyone is thinking about starting it, just pay close attention to names and such in season 1. It'll make they rest of the series more enjoyable if you don't have to have your brain in overdrive trying to remember names and characters.

106

TheMediocreCritic OP t1_irsharz wrote

Agreed, the show is so rewarding becauce it forces you to pay attention and rewards that attention

32

VintageOG t1_irshx3u wrote

Exactly. I can confidently say I watched that series more intently than anything else in the last decade

edit: Don't get me started on how great the casting was

12

Rickard403 t1_irsjmxp wrote

It even has rewatch value. Hard to soak it all in on 1 go around.

7

__Hello_my_name_is__ t1_irt39sz wrote

Also, the official Dark website is extremely well done and contains all the information you need without any spoilers whatsoever. Just click on the episode you've watched and you can read up on everything you might have missed.

19

theonlybutler t1_irw68nh wrote

Thanks, I loved the 1st season, but was so long between watching it and the 2nd one coming out I couldn't remember much (considering how complex it was).

4

Historical-Author-49 t1_irswe17 wrote

I loved this show so much, but I feel like it was made for me. It's one of my favorite shows ever. I'll do a rewatch at some point

11

Atharaphelun t1_irtb9d7 wrote

A lot of people make the mistake of not binging it or not paying attention to the whole episode as they're watching them (usually by being on their phone), and then they're surprised when they can't figure out who the people are and what things are happening.

Even without taking notes the show can be followed by not making those mistakes.

6

dinero2180 t1_irsth4k wrote

I loved the show but season 3 really goes off the rails by adding the other dimension.

4

Fejsze t1_irsvxq6 wrote

Specifically the one scene with the Agnes Obel song still gives me chills when I think about it

39

HomeoStatix t1_irtqynw wrote

I am literally walking down the aisle to get married to her song Familiar 🤘

5

HazyGrove t1_irvzv1i wrote

Show really grew me a love for Agnes Obel

3

HomeoStatix t1_irsk3ew wrote

Dark scratched an itch for a genre of music I didn't know I needed.

38

Rickard403 t1_irsjhxc wrote

My Favorite show. Soundtrack introduced me to several new artists. Looking forward to their next work, 1899.

27

Western_Camp7920 t1_irstmkb wrote

There is a song of 1899 Ben Frost released in instagram. It was really really unsettling.

9

Caleb35 t1_irsh6i4 wrote

You're not listening to it properly unless you put it on endless repeat

13

Aestroj t1_irsq9mq wrote

Dark was fucking fantastic

12

TriscuitCracker t1_irswj36 wrote

I was so afraid they wouldn't be able to pull it off in S3, that it would just be a gigantic jumbled mess that you couldn't make sense of.

Not only did it all come together in the last two episodes, it all came together logically, narratively and heart-achingly beautiful. It was something to see.

Can't wait for the showrunners next show 1899.

12

arca5 t1_irt3rpe wrote

Shoot 1899 into my veins, can’t wait. Dark is one of my favorite of all times.

6

The_Reno t1_irsrh5e wrote

One of the songs from Dark (I believe it's the opening credit's song) is used in the episode of Breaking Bad when Gus dies. I was just rewatching the series and I couldn't place it right away, but I knew I knew it!

10

ciaranciaranciaran t1_irt8npv wrote

That foreboding vocal track is by an ensemble called roomful of teeth, and the piece of music (Partita for 8 voices) was written by Caroline shaw and won the Pulitzer for music. (If I’m not mistake. She’s the youngest person to ever win it)

Dark opened me up to a whole new genre of music and I’ll be forever be grateful.

9

flipperkip97 t1_irskhlo wrote

Started watching this recently and I just finished S2 yesterday. Definitely one of my top 10 favourite shows (for now). You're totally right about the soundtrack too. It has a lot of creepy vibes, especially in the first season, even though most of the stuff that happens isn't actually that creepy when you think about it. The music really helps build that atmosphere.

7

Nato7009 t1_irsvoxx wrote

Dude I won’t spoiler anything but another amazing thing about this show is the actually knew where they were going and weren’t just throwing shit at a wall and hoping an interesting concept would drive the show forward. If you liked it so far your gonna keep liking it

6

arca5 t1_irt3nbv wrote

The creators have a new show coming out soon called “1899.” Really looking forward to it.

3

Nato7009 t1_irt98zu wrote

That is awesome. Dark is one of the most well thought out shows I have seen in a long time. A show that didn’t just either drone on purposelessly, or worse leave a cliffhanger and get cancelled after a season or two, was a breath of fresh air

3

arca5 t1_irtavda wrote

It’s coming out really soon, hopefully next month. I know at least one actor from Dark is going to be in it. Typing from phone and don’t want to look to much into it.

2

Driew27 t1_irt7i7f wrote

Dark is a much better show now that the entire series is out. My first watch through as the seasons dropped were so confusing trying to remember so and so after a year off from the show. But rewatching the show now and being able to binge it at once makes the sooooo much stronger.

6

bdog556 t1_irtjtjk wrote

Music is a very important part of a well done show. Dark did such a great job of creating unease and tension with great OST. A great score serves as icing on the cake of great shows like Game of Thrones, Lost, Black Sails, and Succession.

6

Exevioth t1_irujun9 wrote

My body is a cage was a flawless choice for that one scene.

6

W1tham t1_irt8k7o wrote

Raury - Gods whisper, many times on repeat.

5

zachtheperson t1_irtecbu wrote

Absolutely loved it, especially the ending songs. When DDIWDD came on at the end of that one episode I lost my shit as I never would have expected a song like that on the soundtrack.

3

Careless_Choz_Monnie t1_irtxm04 wrote

Same man that was so cool to hear. I saw him touring Gliss Riffer a few years ago. Best concert I've ever been to (besides the times I've seen Animal Collective, nothing beats that for me)!

1

Careless_Choz_Monnie t1_irtxde3 wrote

I was a huge fan of Dan Deacon before Dark came out. Hearing "When I Was Done Dying" in the show was soo cool. All the other songs are great too. I found Agnes Obel through Dark and love her catalog of music!

3

chocbotchoc t1_iruzd2m wrote

"Ein Mensch - Ein Schmetterling" is so hauntingly lovely.. it runs in so many scenes and I'm so surprised it's just that one track. does come back in "Anderer Mensch - Anderer Schmetterling" tho..

Bloc Party - The Pioneers (M83 Remix) was perfect epic also. I still listen to them every day. Ben Frost's soundtracks are so bittersweet and beautiful.

2

sara-ragnarsdottir t1_irv3y2y wrote

Dark has hands down my favorite soundtrack so far. It's not only beautiful and incredibly atmospheric, but they also managed to make it fit 100% with what was going on in the scree; it's actually quite rare for the action and the soundtrack, especially when it's not instrumental, to blend so well in a TV show

2

robreddity t1_irvi2f6 wrote

Ever notice how every scene has somebody going "Ich... " before trailing off?

2

thelongernow t1_irw0fnp wrote

Ben Frost did a killer job with the score. Huge influence on what i want to make with sound design and composition when i started getting into that 2 years ago

2

Bright_Beat_5981 t1_irua7xz wrote

Exactly what i didnt like about the show. Shows are suppose to have a rythm and different tempo, not 30 hours straight of the same stressing feeling. Not even a movie should be like that.

−4

ChiefBr0dy t1_irvpmwb wrote

Personally, I thought the music was awful, to the point I had to stop watching. It was so obnoxious and heavy-handed to the point of being intrusive.

−5