| 1 | %%% |
| 2 | %% |
| 3 | %% This page has been alphabetized. Please add new examples in the correct order. Thanks! |
| 4 | %% In addition, please make sure new examples feature some measure of context to the tracks that utilize this trope. |
| 5 | %% |
| 6 | %%% |
| 7 | |
| 8 | ->"''What we want is to create a powerful sense of dread.''"\ |
| 9 | ''*DUUUUUURRRRRRRRRN*''\ |
| 10 | "''See? The longer the note, the more dread.''" |
| 11 | -->-- '''[[GiftedlyBad Super Hans]]''', ''Series/PeepShow'' |
| 12 | |
| 13 | In music, a drone is a sustained, low, continuous sound, note or tone-cluster. Music based around drones is minimalist and focuses on texture, timbre, and in some cases harmonic sonorities, with less focus on rhythm and melody. The drone note or chord, called a "pedal point", creates tension as the chords and harmonies change over top of it, leading to temporary dissonance. |
| 14 | |
| 15 | Because the atmosphere created by this kind of music tends to be [[NightmareFuel creepy and unsettling]], it is a close cousin of the PsychoStrings and ScareChord, and the two often overlap, but are just as often very distinct: the [[Film/{{Psycho}} original psycho strings]], for instance, are not drony at all. Many drones do not use strings, rather relying on low brass instruments, woodwinds, buzzy synthesizers, pipe organ, or weird apparatuses and machines to produce their sounds. |
| 16 | |
| 17 | Drone-based music can delve into Nightmare Fuel particularly efficiently if it uses what is called "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infrasound infrasound]]," which simply put, is sound pitched so low that it's just barely above the human threshold of hearing it as an individual tone. Studies have been conducted showing that this ultra low pitched sound, while almost undetectable to people, has a strange ability to cause nervousness, and even [[BrownNote physical discomfort]], despite the listener not even being aware of hearing it. There's even some speculation that local harmonic resonance in certain areas is responsible for people perceiving those locations as being haunted. |
| 18 | |
| 19 | Frequently used in {{Horror}} stories (particularly PsychologicalHorror ones), but can show up in other genres as well, such as thrillers and mysteries, ( |
| 20 | generally as a way to highlight that, whatever the appearances are, something very wrong/unusual is going on under the fragile surface of reality. The low drone acts as musical foreshadowing. |
| 21 | |
| 22 | Not to be confused with the similarly named part of a [[EverythingsLouderWithBagpipes bagpipe]] (which however ''does'' produce a droning sound), an AttackDrone, the sound made by a [[UsefulNotes/SuperiorFirepowerBombers heavy bomber aircraft]] before it [[DeathFromAbove bombs its targets to rubble]], or a male honey bee (even though the musical element, the instrument part and the robot are all named after the animal, [[RecursiveReality which in turn is named after the onomatopoeia for the sound it makes]]). Note that old-fashioned bagpipes and the like do rely heavily on the more contemplative drone in place of a bass section. |
| 23 | ---- |
| 24 | !!Examples: |
| 25 | |
| 26 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 27 | |
| 28 | [[folder:Advertising]] |
| 29 | * The [[http://www.callofduty.com/mw3/videos/reveal Worldwide Reveal Trailer]] for ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyModernWarfare3'' overlays scenes of MonumentalDamage with a chilling, rhythmic, atonal blast reminiscent of a siren, only a couple registers lower and slower. As the film progresses, it is combined in chorus with the tone used for the Emergency Alert System in the United States. |
| 30 | [[/folder]] |
| 31 | |
| 32 | [[folder:Anime & Manga]] |
| 33 | * ''Anime/{{Mononoke}}'': When the KabukiSounds are replaced by low-droning brass instruments, you know something creepy is about to happen. |
| 34 | * ''Anime/SerialExperimentsLain'': The powerlines make an ominous humming sound, made creepier by the implication that Lain is the only one who hears it. |
| 35 | * The track ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4AcnrGlekE Blue Summers]]'' of the ''{{Manga/Trigun}}'' anime consists mostly of this. |
| 36 | [[/folder]] |
| 37 | |
| 38 | [[folder:Film -- Animated]] |
| 39 | * The leitmotif of [[NoNonsenseNemesis the Prowler]] in ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManIntoTheSpiderVerse'' is a repeated, discordant screech/roar, underscoring the impression of a high-tech predator implacably chasing its prey. |
| 40 | * In ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'', this is combined with PsychoStrings and a ScareChord for the sequence where Mei discovers her mother is spying on her at school. |
| 41 | [[/folder]] |
| 42 | |
| 43 | [[folder:Film -- Live-Action]] |
| 44 | * ''Film/TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey'': Whenever the Monolith is involved, drony contemporary classical music composed by György Ligeti (see below) is heard. |
| 45 | * ''Film/TheABCsOfDeath'': The closing credits cleverly uses dialogue, sound effects and bits of score from all of the shorts to create a dreadful ambient piece that lasts the duration of the credits. Sounds from each short pop up when the respective short's credits are on screen. |
| 46 | %%* ''Film/{{Alien}}'' |
| 47 | * ''Film/{{Antichrist}}'': With the exception of Händel's "Lascia ch'io pianga", used in the prologue and conclusion, the soundtrack consists entirely of drones. |
| 48 | * ''Film/Apollo11:'' This 2019 documentary uses a lot of drones, especially in the section leading up to the launch. This may be to give a modern audience some of the tension that would have been felt back in 1969. We know now that the mission was a success, but every step had a non trivial risk of death, and everyone involved would have been very aware of this. |
| 49 | * ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'' opens with one of these, notably replacing the bombastic music accompanying the Marvel Studios-logo. This immediately clues the audience in to just [[DarkestHour what kind]] [[HappyEndingOverride of movie]] [[AnyoneCanDie this is]]... |
| 50 | * Sinoia Caves' soundtrack for ''Film/BeyondTheBlackRainbow'' makes good use of droning notes, especially during the 1966 flashback scene with the song "1966: Let the New Age of Enlightenment Begin". |
| 51 | * ''Film/{{Citizenfour}}'' has an eerie, static-y noise that appears whenever the US government is doing something sneaky like surrounding Edward Snowden's house (and his unsuspecting girlfriend) with "maintenance vans" shortly after Snowden's leaks hit the news or detaining one of the reporters' partners for nine hours at an airport under "national security". |
| 52 | * Several parts of the soundtrack to ''Film/CloseEncountersOfTheThirdKind'' use drones reminiscent of the aforementioned Gyorgy Ligeti; e.g., the piece when the aliens emerge from the mothership at the end is similar to "Requiem", the Monolith music from ''Film/TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey''. |
| 53 | * ''Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy'': |
| 54 | ** In ''Film/TheDarkKnight'', the Joker's {{leitmotif}} is [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zyhQjJ5UgYthe a dissonant droning]] which sounds like [[InstrumentalWeapon running a razor]] across a piano string. (It was actually achieved by heavily sawing on the D note on a cello.) |
| 55 | ** In ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'', Bane's theme "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYF7RB6nsY4 Gotham's Reckoning]]" begins with a long droning note to start the film off with tension, but then the rest of the song proceeds with long-held low notes and a manic repetition of Bane's "Deshi Deshi Bashara Bashara" motif, communicating that even though the CIA feel like they're in control of the situation, they're playing right into Bane's hands. Once Bane executes his plan, the music ramps up in intensity. |
| 56 | * This is practically a CharacteristicTrope for Creator/DavidLynch, typically used to make something mundane suddenly terrifying. |
| 57 | ** The film ''Film/{{Eraserhead}}'' loves using it, and to great effect; an especially unnerving drone is played at the end, matching the equally terryfing imagery. |
| 58 | * Music/{{Goblin}}'s soundtrack for ''Film/DawnOfTheDead1978'' is full of this trope. |
| 59 | * The ominous drones denoting the presence of evil spirits in ''Film/TheEvilDead1981''. |
| 60 | * Used repeatedly in the German film ''Film/DasExperiment''. |
| 61 | * ''Film/AFieldInEngland'' uses this frequently throughout the soundtrack to signify that there is something ''off'' about the [[GeniusLoci field]] the characters find themselves in. |
| 62 | * The march of the SS battalion in ''Film/Fury2014'' in accompanied not just by the soldiers singing an ([[ShownTheirWork authentic]]) SS marching song in universe, but also by [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eFq6BmieQ8 a drone on the soundtrack]] to amplify the sense of fear at seeing several hundred SS marching for war while our protagonists are down to [[spoiler:five men and an immobilized tank.]] |
| 63 | * In ''WesternAnimation/HappyFeetTwo'' one accompanies every instance of the moving icebergs advancing the {{conflict}}. |
| 64 | * Used in ''Film/TheHurtLocker'' when the main character finds a cord on an IED [[spoiler:that reveals a daisy chain of about 8 more]] |
| 65 | * Used by Hans Zimmer in the score of ''Film/{{Inception}}'' to solidify the "wrongness" of the dream worlds. |
| 66 | * ''Film/{{Irreversible}}'' has a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lMArVYkqZ8 horrible techno drone]] repeat over and over in the infamous Fire Extinguisher scene, consisting of one recurring note, bent higher than lower, in a cyclical wave. |
| 67 | * The long organ notes at the beginning of Philip Glass's ''Film/{{Koyaanisqatsi}}'' score have this effect. |
| 68 | ** It led to the robots on ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' chanting the film's name anytime a film's music resorted to this trope. |
| 69 | * Music/PeterGabriel's soundtrack for ''Film/TheLastTemptationOfChrist'' had a lot of this. Peter even {{lampshade|Hanging}}d it in an interview at the time, saying that his rule of thumb while composing the soundtrack was "When in doubt, Drone." |
| 70 | * Other than the slow PsychoStrings below the opening credits, and some music performed onscreen by the characters and then under the end credits, this is ''Film/MarthaMarcyMayMarlene'''s only soundtrack. |
| 71 | * ''Film/{{Nope}}'': An ominous synth drone swells beneath the "from Jordan Peele" credit in the trailer. It is the same sound the UFO makes when it is first seen at the ranch during the film proper. |
| 72 | * For the documentary ''Film/DeNurembergANuremberg'', Music/{{Vangelis}} used several menacing/sad synth drones to convey WarIsHell and the horrors that came in the wake of UsefulNotes/NaziGermany. |
| 73 | %%* ''Film/TheShining'' |
| 74 | * In ''Film/ShredderOrpheus'', the EBN programming is accompanied by a sustained droning sound to show the brainwashing, soul-sucking effects of prolonged exposure to Hades' network. |
| 75 | * ''Film/StarTrekIVTheVoyageHome'' has the Probe make this [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-vREvJHH9Y droning WUB WUB WUB sound]] along with an inhuman electronic sounding screeching, which turns out to be [[spoiler:whale calls when played back underwater.]] |
| 76 | * ''Franchise/{{Terminator}}'': |
| 77 | ** In ''Film/TheTerminator'', a frightful metallic-sounding droning theme plays as the Terminator prepares to shoot Sarah Connor in the night club. |
| 78 | ** In ''Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay'', a terror-inducing droning sound plays in the background whenever the T-1000 makes an appearance. |
| 79 | * The use of a crescendo-going ominous drone in the very first seconds of ''Film/ThereWillBeBlood'' quickly established the strange nature of the movie. |
| 80 | * John's Carpenter's ''Film/TheThing1982'' makes heavy use of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mu8wT_pd4So minimalist drones]] to evoke apocalyptic dread. The political/sociological documentary ''The Power of Nightmares'' borrows from ''The Thing'''s soundtrack. |
| 81 | * ''Film/TransformersFilmSeries'': |
| 82 | ** Repeated drones were used in the trailer for ''Film/TransformersRevengeOfTheFallen''. |
| 83 | ** Lockdown's leitmotif in ''Film/TransformersAgeOfExtinction'' has a prominent one. Because being an ImplacableMan, HeroKiller and KnightOfCerebus all rolled into one wasn't enough. |
| 84 | %%* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EGtK9iC5p0 This short film]]. |
| 85 | * Experimental 45-minute short film ''Film/{{Wavelength}}'' has a buzzing drone on the soundtrack that starts out low (50 Hz) and goes all the way up to 12,000 Hz where it becomes a high-pitched whine. The droning noise establishes a sense of unease and discomfort that is combined with bizarre, surrealistic imagery from beginning to end. |
| 86 | [[/folder]] |
| 87 | |
| 88 | [[folder:Live-Action TV]] |
| 89 | * The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8uVaxWt8R0 Season 3 intro]] of ''Series/Babylon5'' features low sustained synth chords, combined with an echoing DramaticTimpani. |
| 90 | * The soundtrack to ''Series/{{Chernobyl}}'' is overall very subtle and understated, but uses a low, unsettling droning sound - reminiscent of the workings of the fateful power plant - as a common motif to add to the series' bleak, eerie atmosphere and the dread of nuclear radiations. |
| 91 | * ''Series/DoctorWho'': Throughout Season 11, any time they show the [[ArcSymbol crack in reality]], a quiet but deep pulsing rumble plays on the soundtrack. For a show known for gloriously melodramatic OrchestralBombing, it's impressively creepy in its subtlety. |
| 92 | * ''Series/FeelGood'': Mae experiences a sharp, staticky drone whenever they get an addiction trigger, like seeing someone do cocaine, but the first time we hear it is when Mae and George hit off at the comedy club, and Mae realizes they're going to end up in another whirlwind romance. |
| 93 | * ''Series/{{Hannibal}}'' uses one for its uniquely ominous [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3roU23gs3s opening sequence]]. |
| 94 | * ''Series/LawAndOrder'' makes extensive use of this (at a low pitch) when the (usually disturbing) key revelation comes out, either on the witness stand or (better yet) in chambers or an interview room. |
| 95 | * The miniseries ''Series/ManhuntUnabomber'' overkills the heck out of this, with many scenes involving the [[MadBomber Unabomber]] not only using a drone but also using a very shrill, almost eardrum-piercing pitch. |
| 96 | * The end music of each episode of ''Series/TheShadowLine'' is the siren drone of doom, but high pitched instead of low. It's singularly disturbing. |
| 97 | * When they were testing the BrownNote myth on ''Series/MythBusters'', the boys tripped over this trope: the myth involved a victim surrounded by stereo speakers that would play various frequencies. Although they couldn't make anybody cack their pants, both Adam and Jamie noted that when the speakers played an especially low frequency, that they felt very uncomfortable and nervous for reasons they could not explain. |
| 98 | * For some reason, TCM (Turner Classic Movies) has seen fit to accompany the rating cards before each movie they show with one. The effect is unintentionally unnerving. |
| 99 | [[/folder]] |
| 100 | |
| 101 | [[folder:Music]] |
| 102 | * Most of Music/SixteenHorsepower's output is ominous to begin with, but when David Eugene Edwards breaks out his Chemnitzer concertina or hurdy-gurdy, the ominousness gets cranked up to 11. |
| 103 | ** Ditto Music/WovenHand, Edwards' followup music project. He frequently plays drones underneath the main melody, to make these already-menacing songs even more so. |
| 104 | * Detroit goth-techno duo ADULT. use this trope to horrific effect in "Teeth Out Pt. II", which consists of heavily reverbed vocal chants over a synth bass drone. Notably, it's the first track of theirs to lack drums. |
| 105 | * Some ambient music is based around sounds like this. |
| 106 | ** In particular the dark ambient artist ''Lustmord'', who uses the aforementioned infrasound in his music to incredibly unsettling degree. |
| 107 | ** Jack Dangers' album ''Music for Planetarium''. |
| 108 | ** Most pieces by Greg Davis (an ambient artist, not to be confused with other musicians of the same name). |
| 109 | ** Both albums by Dilate. |
| 110 | * Music/AphexTwin's ''Selected Ambient Works Volume II'' has a lot of songs that incorporate this trope to [[NightmareFuel unnerving]] effect, e.g. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrdWBT3wBlQ "Tassels"]], which inspired the forementioned "City of the Dead" in ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'', but [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goDd02TTxBA "Stone in Focus"]] manages to have a drone that sounds '''''[[SugarWiki/SweetDreamsFuel nice]]'''''. |
| 111 | * Some of Music/{{Autechre}}'s ambient works, such as "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lyt_2P46x8 Parallel Suns]]", which sounds like ''Franchise/SilentHill'' ambience, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0t3sGmtFqs "Perlence Suns"]], and "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njkmO2Zi8rw Perlence Subrange 6-36]]". |
| 112 | * blowupnihilist use these in many of his works, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ekua-qFGrdo as heard here]], and on the ''Objective Nothingness'' EP. |
| 113 | * Music/BullOfHeaven. |
| 114 | * Music/CabaretVoltaire does this a lot with their earlier work, especially their first 3 albums, as well as Richard H. Kirk's final two solo albums under the moniker. |
| 115 | * Calibretto's "American Psycho" uses a sustained organ drone for an effective LastNoteNightmare. |
| 116 | * Carbon Based Lifeforms' "VLA" is just one long droning track with some distant chirping/screeching sounds that, depending on your choice of version, [[EpicRocking lasts 10 minutes (album version), 45 minutes (EP edit for music streaming services), or 1 hour (full version)]]. |
| 117 | * Music/TheCaretaker 's ''Everywhere at the End of Time'' starts off as slightly distorted old music, but resonant drones become increasingly prominent in the tracks as the series goes on, symbolizing the protagonist's memory loss. The sixth and final installment consists almost entirely of empty droning, with any actual music samples being slowed down to the point of being practically inaudible. |
| 118 | * ''[[https://dockeryemery.bandcamp.com/album/cathedrelic Cathedrelic]]'', a collaboration between ambient artists R. Lee Dockery and Smokey Emery, is comprised of two [[EpicRocking 1/2 hour-long]] drone pieces that sound like they were lifted from one of Aubrey Hodges' video game soundtracks (mentioned below). |
| 119 | * [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPzp05Q4Vf8 "Modern Ruin Part 2"]], the HiddenTrack on Music/{{Covenant}}'s ''Modern Ruin'' album (only on the CD, not the digital release), is reminiscent of the forementioned ''VideoGame/{{Quake}}'' soundtrack, as well as the otherworld hospital ambience in ''Franchise/SilentHill''. Likewise for the ambient piece "Cryotank Expansion" from their first album. The opening track of ''Skyshaper'', "Ritual Noise", starts with a siren-like drone. |
| 120 | * New-wave band Music/DanielAmos opens "¡Alarma!" (off [[Music/{{Alarma}} the album of the same name]]) with thirty seconds of buzzing synths. On ''Music/{{Doppelganger}}'', a similar synth drone connects "Hollow Man" and "Mall (All Over the World)". |
| 121 | * David Morales often likes to insert moody synth interludes into his house remixes. His remix of Shawn Christopher's 'Another Sleepless Night' rather jarringly goes from candlelight jazz to a pitch-black brooding drone. The dub omits the jazz altogether and keeps the drone. |
| 122 | * BlackMetal performer Echtra used this a lot on his first solo album. His later albums used drone, too, but usually with the intention of creating a trance-like meditative state rather than creating an atmosphere of dread. These albums also no longer resemble BlackMetal, and arguably can't be characterised as metal at all ({{ambient}} is probably a better categorisation of most of their content, though there are still a few intense passages on some of them). |
| 123 | * ''Music/{{ElP}}'': |
| 124 | ** ''Time Out of Joint (TOJ)''. |
| 125 | ** ''Accidents Don't Happen'' feat '' Cage'' & ''Camu Tao''. |
| 126 | * [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QG_gejUSYWs They Come Out at Night]] by Eschaton combines drones with DrumNBass beats. |
| 127 | * [[Music/TheKnife Fever Ray's]] "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBAzlNJonO8 If I Had a Heart]]", used as the main theme for ''Series/{{Vikings}}''. |
| 128 | * [[https://soundcloud.com/freaky-dna Freaky DNA]] uses drones throughout "Bass Armonium", and in parts of "Fog Stalker" and "Iced Cubed". |
| 129 | * Fuck Buttons prominently utilize drones in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxVZDxK02QE Sweet Love for Planet Earth]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-s79yqVNDnY OK, Let's Talk about Magic]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rGNEwyEC68 Race You To My Bedroom / Spirit Rise]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMLtqOjwbzc Colours Move]], and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXXVPlrY974 Brainfreeze]]. |
| 130 | * Folk/avant-garde project Giles Corey also has used this both to create a sense of unease (on the SelfTitledAlbum) and to create a state of trance (on ''Deconstructionist'', in whose liner notes doing this was explicitly stated as being a specific goal of the album; the album also uses binaural beats and other techniques with this in mind). |
| 131 | * Gregorian chant music often uses a vocal drone to underpin chants, sung by several choristers careful only to breathe at different times. It's either a single extended note or a slowly shifting sequence, and the effect is ''gorgeous'' (and, yes, a little creepy). |
| 132 | * PostRock band Music/GodspeedYouBlackEmperor have always used this trope a fair amount (the intro to "The Dead Flag Blues", the mid-section of "Sleep", etc.), and its prominence in their music has increased with time. Two tracks on each of their two latest albums consist almost entirely of drone. |
| 133 | * György Ligeti's compositions spanned a large array of different styles, but some of them featured really prominent drones, notably the pieces ''Requiem'' and ''Atmospheres'' (both heard in ''Film/TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey''). The former combines drones with OminousLatinChanting, and the latter features the largest cluster chord ever written, with every note in the chromatic scale over a range of five octaves being played at once — that's ''60'' different notes. |
| 134 | * Music/JohnCale tends to carry this with him wherever he goes. |
| 135 | * "You Can't Cool Off in the Mill Pond You Can Only Die" by John Fahey ([[IAmNotShazam not Blind Joe Death]]) adds throat singing for more drone. |
| 136 | * Music/KlausSchulze's debut album ''[[https://youtu.be/R8tjPGCWlTM?si=wtQXnHKTl6gvbUcs Irrlicht]]'' consists predominantly of drones played on a broken and modified electric organ against a reversed recording of an orchestra rehearsal. Ominous organ and synth drones are also heavily used in "[[https://youtu.be/knItIJIYYmQ?si=wBRNqa90IWF7dqz3?t=22m48s Conphära]]" and "[[https://youtu.be/knItIJIYYmQ?si=wBRNqa90IWF7dqz3?t=1h12m27s Neuronengesang]]" from ''Cyborg'', "[[https://youtu.be/D-caYdI6thI?si=g6XjOjxsdy9MH92d Ways of Changes]]" and "[[https://youtu.be/XO10EEUhrSY?si=QzmxNmbT-Hb8kWkx Voices of Syn]]" from ''Black Dance'', "[[https://youtu.be/wtY7B4bSVqs?si=KSMwJd_FF2-BaF9w Wahnfried 1883]]" and the reissue bonus tracks "[[https://youtu.be/esGPTzkuFNk?si=21nHSkJ5aJLNfi8O Echoes of Time]]" and "[[https://youtu.be/sQEkj0MbRC0?si=Ejwa6Ph7EolLxJzl Solar Wind]]" from ''Timewind'', and the second half of "[[https://youtu.be/skBTjWT7f6Q?si=b7vwGd_YhP-_I8gK?t=11m46s Mindphaser]]" from ''Moondawn''. |
| 137 | * ''[[http://www.archive.org/details/ac036 L'Étoile du Matin Noir]]'', an EP of dark ambient and noise music featuring many drones, released for free under Creative Commons. |
| 138 | * A lot on ''Frances the Mute'' by Music/TheMarsVolta, most prevalent on "Miranda That Ghost Just Isn't Holy Anymore". The title track, not actually included on the album, uses the trope even more prominently. |
| 139 | * Muslimgauze does this alot; but with the tribal variety of Middle-Eastern chants and beats added in to give texture. His earlier work on the other hand replicated industrial-style drones from the likes of his contemporaries. |
| 140 | * Several songs by Music/NineInchNails, including "Sanctified," "Something I Can Never Have," "Even Deeper," and the ending to "Hurt." |
| 141 | * Nordra's "[[https://sigerecords.bandcamp.com/track/remembering Remembering]]", from ''Pylon III'', combines sub-bass and synth strings drones with a repeating OneWomanWail hook. |
| 142 | * Music/NurseWithWound, especially the minimalist album ''Soliloquy for Lilith.'' |
| 143 | * OGRE & Dallas Cambpell prominently utilize Drone of Dread to horrific effect on their ''[[https://ogresound.bandcamp.com/album/all-hallows All Hallows]]'' and ''[[https://telefuturenow.bandcamp.com/album/beyond-the-infinite Beyond the Infinite]]'' albums, notably in "Tomorrow's Headline", "Lockstep", "Of Terror", and "Carve" on the former, and "Monolith I", "A Great Big Mystery", "Monolith II", "Open the Doors", "Daisy", and "Jupiter" on the latter. |
| 144 | * The intro of Music/ThePolice's "Don't Stand So Close to Me". |
| 145 | * The intro to Red Rider's still-popular "Lunatic Fringe". |
| 146 | * Music/RobertFripp and Jeff Fayman's 2000 collaboration ''A Temple in the Clouds'' uses "Frippertronics" guitar drones. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z344JWGain4 link]] |
| 147 | * Norwegian duo Röyksopp have this hidden track on their album 'Senior': [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkO_3FdnNt4]] |
| 148 | * [[https://youtu.be/cwffTykiqgM Confirm Humanity]] by multi-genre artist Soularflair resembles the ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'' PSX soundtracks as well as Mark Morgan's drone ambient pieces from the first two ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'' games. |
| 149 | * Music/{{Swans}} have done this quite frequently. Examples include "Surrogate Drone" and "The Seer". |
| 150 | * Music/TearsForFears: A deep, lingering synth drone underscores "The Prisoner". |
| 151 | * Some Music/ThrobbingGristle material, such as [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojO3XvBIT0Y "Slug Bait"]] and the legendary [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPrTUC7BDn4 "Hamburger Lady"]]. |
| 152 | * Twinker from Shrill (or is it Shrill from Twinker?) starts out with heavy brooding droning synth which it keeps for most of what is otherwise an [[https://youtu.be/gE_CvHOVnZU ear-piercing acid techno banger]]. |
| 153 | * The Music/VelvetUnderground used this a lot, especially live, which may not come as a surprise since Music/JohnCale, mentioned above, was a member. A good example is their live improvisation "Melody Laughter". |
| 154 | ** When Velvet Underground alumnus Music/{{Nico}} started writing her own music on harmonium, she used this trope ubiquitously. ''The Marble Index'', ''Desertshore'', and ''The End...'' contain particularly notable examples of it. |
| 155 | * Music/{{Wilco}}'s "Less Than You Think" contains three minutes of piano and vocals, followed by twelve minutes of drones that were generated by each member on a synthesizer. It was meant to be a musical depiction of frontman Jeff Tweedy's migraines. |
| 156 | * Music/{{Xera}}'s "Inda" starts off with a rather creepy, minute-long drone performed on a rabel. |
| 157 | [[/folder]] |
| 158 | |
| 159 | [[folder:Theatre]] |
| 160 | * The last of the six Sea Interludes in Britten's opera ''Theatre/PeterGrimes'' (and the only one not available in a concert version), "Fog", sustains one fifthless dominant seventh chord quietly for several minutes under various orchestral laments and outbursts. |
| 161 | * In ''Trouble in Tahiti'', a low held note on the cello fluctuates in volume as Dinah and Sam, not looking at each other, despair of reconciling. |
| 162 | [[/folder]] |
| 163 | |
| 164 | [[folder:Video Games]] |
| 165 | * An unintentional example is the Level 3 music in "Lollipops" from ''VideoGame/Action52''. Listening to it [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHMOorKpIKM in a ROM utility]] is scary enough, but that's nothing compared to [[https://youtu.be/lhnsNvFGjMI?t=233 how it sounds in-game]]. |
| 166 | * The AMBER headset in ''VideoGame/AmberJourneysBeyond'' does this by the low hum it emits while you're wearing it, and given that it enables you to not only see and hear where ghosts are, but also [[AstralProjection project your mind into them]], it fits this trope well. |
| 167 | * One accompanies a victory for the Imposter(s) in ''VideoGame/AmongUs'' as a sort of hopeless note following the defeat of the innocents. |
| 168 | * '' VideoGame/AnimalCrossing '' has the chilling and iconic [[https://youtu.be/sLLRM4n1f6U “K.K. Dirge”]]. The song begins with a high-pitched, quiet drone that could probably equate to a One-Woman Wail in-universe, and the ‘chorus’ consists of several low-pitched ones as well. |
| 169 | * In ''VideoGame/BabaIsYou'', whenever you lose control over all in-game objects (either by breaking "X is You" rules or creating situations where the rules no longer apply), the music cuts out in favor of a deep, windy howl. |
| 170 | %%* ''VideoGame/BlasterMaster'' has this in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cs5NOOBG2c Area 8]], which is a stark contrast with the rest of the soundtrack. -- ZCE, okay, so what scene does this play in that deserves such a contrast? |
| 171 | %% * Heard in multiple locations in ''VideoGame/{{Blood}}''. -- ZCE and which of the two games? |
| 172 | * The mission [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4b-Ad_VRYuE "Remember... No Russian"]] from ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyModernWarfare2'' has a particularly unsettling droning bass line playing throughout the whole level to emphasize the unsettling nature of the level in which you commit an act of wanton murder and terrorism. One variation of this, appropriately titled "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oplw0cCskPM Airport Stalk]]", also plays during the Terminal Spec-Ops mission. |
| 173 | %%* [[https://youtu.be/1rwAvUvvQzQ?t=9m0s "Resurrections"]] from ''VideoGame/{{Celeste}}'' [[LastNoteNightmare ends with an electronic drone leading up to a]] ScareChord. --ZCE, when does this track play? |
| 174 | * In ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'', when you enter Magus' castle there is at first no music, then when you proceed deeper into the castle [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUnr1nUSOfo this song]] plays. It is ''entirely'' a Drone of Dread, with only one violin chord and a half-laugh, half-sob sound effect repeated throughout. The battle music doesn't play when you encounter monsters, and an echo effect is added on to any sounds produced by the fighting. |
| 175 | %%* The gameplay soundtrack of ''[[VideoGame/{{Dgeneration}} D/Generation]]'' is pretty much this exclusively. --ZCE, how and why does it use this? What kind of game is it? |
| 176 | * In ''VideoGame/DarkFall II: Lights Out'', one of the places you visit is an underwater lab, and its machinery emits a steady ambient drone while you're inside it, with ocacsional bits of futuristic music to provide variety. |
| 177 | * The theme of the eponymous ''VideoGame/DarkestDungeon'', [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsW72KIOd8U "The Final Combat"]], uses this to underscore its status as TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon. |
| 178 | * ''VideoGame/DayZ'' has its entire soundtrack as this, and its ''pure, unadulterated,'' ''[[NightmareFuel terror]]''. The best part is the music always seem to come up at the worst moment, making nearly every situation incredibly tense and every player paranoid of what's around the corner. |
| 179 | %%* The final boss theme (appropriately named "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkpoI-Fchhs Crocodile Cacophony]]") from ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry2DiddysKongQuest'' combines this with a techno beat. --ZCE, how does this enhance the boss fight? Is there anything unnerving about the boss? |
| 180 | * ''Franchise/{{Doom}}'': |
| 181 | ** The soundtracks to ''VideoGame/Doom64'' and the PSX/Saturn port of ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'', both scored by Aubrey Hodges, are mostly made of this trope. |
| 182 | ** ''VideoGame/Doom3'', in keeping with the more unsettling atmosphere, has a soundtrack and ambient sound design composed largely of subtle drones. |
| 183 | ** ''VideoGame/MyHouse'', as an homage to the aforementioned "Everywhere At The End of Time", starts with the ''Doom II'' MAP 01 music "Running From Evil", but progressively corrupts it upon entering the second version of the house, ultimately degrading it into a drone ambient track titled "[[https://youtu.be/ruQVkh2MUP8?si=uBqk02vL5XWKdR2y Memory=Entryrrrr////]]" when the player enters the DarkWorld. |
| 184 | * The level "Dark Side Part Two" in ''VideoGame/DukeNukem3D'' includes TheMonolith as an homage to ''2001: A Space Odyssey'', accompanied by similar droning choral ambience. |
| 185 | * The infamously [[NightmareFuel scary]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYb9kSCkjE8 Giygas battle music]] in ''VideoGame/EarthBound1994'', which quite literally exists to unnerve the player as much as possible during the boss fight. |
| 186 | ** Before the boss fight, The Cave of the Past's theme "The Place" also fits the bill, made from a sample of 'Deirdre' by The Beach Boys of all things. It solidifies how truly alone the Chosen Four are and how hostile the land is, [[spoiler:stuck in robot bodies with no way to return to their original time until Giygas is defeated]]. |
| 187 | ** The Mother's Day Graveyard/Rosemary Manor, cave themes and the [[FinalBoss Giegue]] battle theme in ''VideoGame/EarthBoundBeginnings'' also use this, more so the second and third examples. |
| 188 | * ''VideoGame/EccoTheDolphin'': |
| 189 | ** The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKJRLA1aKAo Medusa Bay]] theme uses creepy sitar-like drones, which adds to the desolate feeling. |
| 190 | ** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyrGIgRC7NE Undercaves]] also has a droning bassline. |
| 191 | ** [[https://youtu.be/utAo36-jzas The Lagoon]], in addition to the level of the same name, also forebodingly plays in Home Bay after Ecco's family is swept away by the storm. |
| 192 | * The soundtrack for the Soul Cairn (plane of the undead) in ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'' consists of soft but held bass notes and silent ambience to create a feeling of unease in such an unnatural location. |
| 193 | ** Some night overland themes for the regular Skyrim world contain this, too. Particularly the ones meant to play near ruins or magical locations. |
| 194 | * ''VideoGame/{{Fallout|1}}'', epically with the songs composed by Mark Morgan, notably in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxdODzKtCVc City of the Dead]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2MRsa4gb98 Vats of Goo]], and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDhhT5_4gIk Industrial Junk]]. Likewise for [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lN9mKZ_UJM Gold Slouch]] from ''VideoGame/Fallout2''. |
| 195 | ** ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' has a number of original drone ambient tracks, such as [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTBDsywZ0h8 Garden of Evil (Dungeon 6)]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QsOmc6m9iU Boys & Ghouls (Dungeon 8)]](especially disturbing when heard in the Divide), as well as reusing many from the first two games. |
| 196 | ** ''VideoGame/Fallout4: Far Harbor'' has "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZePVyL2uEU The Children Of Atom]]" with it's heavy drone being punctuated by [[OminousLatinChanting ominous chanting]] to Atom. |
| 197 | * A staple of the ''[[VideoGame/FirstEncounterAssaultRecon FEAR]]'' soundtracks: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XssygWLbNY Insertion]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HU-9rroa-dc Initiation]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9L5WhE3PJog She's Afraid of You]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIYukIGZ5iQ Bad Water]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrapXSsY_Wo Armacham Rooftops]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w42MKXyW_ZA&list=PLA649359C0CB6BCB7&feature=plcp Premonition]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8vfgGU0piU&feature=BFa&list=PLA649359C0CB6BCB7 Distorted Realities]], et al. |
| 198 | %%* ''VideoGame/FarCry3BloodDragon'''s soundtrack has a number of drone tracks, notably [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bCZA39ddzg "Helo 73"]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-oPjjWRNBE "Moment of Calm"]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVtVWQg3zC8 "Dr. Elizabeth Darling"]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WC7RR_suYNo "Sloan"]], and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWAYpzxvGio "Nest"]]. --ZCE, when do these play? |
| 199 | %%* ''VideoGame/{{Fe}}'' uses the aptly titled [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRaPS8GZtLw "De Tysta"]] (Swedish for "The Silent") in scenes involving the Silent Ones. --ZCE, how does this enhance or characterize the Silent Ones? |
| 200 | * ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys'' features drone ambient which is pretty akin to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aubrey_Hodges Aubrey Hodges']] soundtrack for the Platform/PlayStation port of [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Franchise/Doom Doom]], all of this to keep the player on edge as they're stalked by Freddy Fazbear. |
| 201 | * ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'': |
| 202 | ** Several pieces in ''VideoGame/Halo2'', eg the first and last parts of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbbVBNOtRzk "Sacred Icon Suite"]], use choral drones. Of particularly disturbing note is the Gyorgy Ligeti-esque [[https://youtu.be/D_yAxrDUPIY?t=3m58s ambience]] in the dark corridors of the Flood-infested High Charity. As with the first game, the remastered ''[[https://youtu.be/rv3YtutAfIU?t=3m46s Anniversary]]'' soundtrack amplifies the horror factor. |
| 203 | ** The original ''VideoGame/HaloCombatEvolved'' has [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcqYoGP44io "Suite Autumn"]](even creepier [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxnV0u1RkCU in the remake]]), the bass drone in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cr3ViZXl5Ws The Gun Pointed at the Head of the Universe]], the middle of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VQPFpIjz18 "Truth & Reconciliation Suite"]], which also uses PsychoStrings, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDUnp0I5YJU "Lament for Pvt. Jenkins"]], and parts of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxCWvaQjpg0 "Library Suite"]] (remastered as [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSwHXY3_Vwc "Dewey Decimate"]] in ''Anniversary''). Other reworked ambient tracks in ''Halo: CE Anniversary'' that amplify the creepiness include [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dtl5IvMZ6NM "Unfortunate Discovery"]] (originally "What Once Was Lost") and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXgkXWdypAc "Bad Dream"]] (originally "Trace Amounts"). |
| 204 | * In ''VideoGame/HollowKnight'', the [[HubLevel Forgotten Crossroads]] theme changes to a much creepier drone arrangement after [[TheVirus the Infection]] takes it over. [[HornetHole The Hive]] also fittingly has a drone-based BGM. [[BleakLevel The Abyss]]'s theme is a series of very low and very slow notes. They are actually part of the game's main theme, slowed by about 500%. |
| 205 | %%** The first half of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s07rRQqmpJc "Nightfall"]] in ''VideoGame/HaloReach''. --ZCE, what's the context of when this song plays? |
| 206 | * The music in ''VideoGame/HotlineMiami'' switches to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzM23Farc8c rather unsettling droning ambiance]] after a mission is completed, helping to unnerve the player and keep them on their toes even after everyone's dead [[spoiler:which comes in handy in one mission when a van crashes through the entrance on your way out and tries to run you over.]] |
| 207 | * In ''VideoGame/TheJourneymanProject'', the underground maintenance area of the Mars Colony features a proto-''Franchise/SilentHill''-esque [[https://youtu.be/58ozFNfoF3o?t=13m34s ambient drone]] that enhances the NothingIsScarier atmosphere. The ambience in the adjacent [[https://youtu.be/58ozFNfoF3o?t=13m56s Shield Generator]], where the player has to solve a TimedMission Mastermind puzzle, is equally unsettling. The ''Pegasus Prime'' remake [[ReReleaseSoundtrack replaces the original's]] upbeat [[TheMaze Mars Maze]] theme with a similar [[https://youtu.be/58ozFNfoF3o?t=14m34s dark ambient track]]. |
| 208 | * ''[[VideoGame/KaneAndLynch Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days]]'' makes the unusual choice of having this instead of your usual crime shooter orchestral soundtrack. Created by Mona Mur, it uses a mixture of real life city noises, vintage synths, unusual software, guitar amps, and generally unsettling noise to create a sense of unease and to reflect the deteriorating mental states of its two criminal protagonists as they find themselves in increasingly chaotic situations. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6P8eTPQ3bQ&list=PLg_5TKW6bgye3vReZAPjvtpSl6eAUqY2g&index=1 Here]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxXuDm2ectQ&list=PLg_5TKW6bgye3vReZAPjvtpSl6eAUqY2g&index=2 are]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gtn7mcC0wD4&list=PLg_5TKW6bgye3vReZAPjvtpSl6eAUqY2g&index=4 some]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuFCQBQzHXw&list=PLg_5TKW6bgye3vReZAPjvtpSl6eAUqY2g&index=12 great]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxp9wikIgt8&list=PLg_5TKW6bgye3vReZAPjvtpSl6eAUqY2g&index=24 examples]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCghxNfTyeg&list=PLg_5TKW6bgye3vReZAPjvtpSl6eAUqY2g&index=7 of]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Uf5T-eDWtk&list=PLg_5TKW6bgye3vReZAPjvtpSl6eAUqY2g&index=11 the]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9TcbH910QM&list=PLg_5TKW6bgye3vReZAPjvtpSl6eAUqY2g&index=20 soundtrack]]. |
| 209 | %%* ''VideoGame/TheLastOfUsPartII'' is fond of this. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mo41PldcyT8 Exhibit A.]] --ZCE, describe it for the reader. |
| 210 | * ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'': |
| 211 | ** The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOmOzWdHzHU Fire Temple]] (v 1.0) music from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'' combines this with [[OminousLatinChanting Ominous Arabic Chanting]], somewhat reminiscent of the aforementioned "Requiem" from ''Film/TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey''. |
| 212 | *** Also from ''Ocarina'', the Shadow Temple music, which fits its undead and ghosts theme. The re-done Fire Temple music in later versions of the game replaced the Arabic Chanting in the Fire Temple with the same MIDI instrument. |
| 213 | ** In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'', the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z34PBuSjqDs final boss theme]] features an eerie droning tune in the background. |
| 214 | *** The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjXutKsizE8 Day 3 Clock Town theme]] also has ominous low tones, which makes the cheerful melody from Days 1 and 2 sound pretty darn creepy. |
| 215 | *** Two words: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfqxpBTCB6Q Ikana Valley]]. |
| 216 | ** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyKs_B3t_os Some]] of the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJy1Y_yBOQg dungeon]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7551WLQ9U8w soundtracks]] in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess''. |
| 217 | * In ''VideoGame/{{LISA}}'' '': The Painful RPG'', entering the [[NonIndicativeName Nice Neighborhood]] has you greeted with [[https://youtu.be/NNiorq5rafw Blood For Sex]], and the sight of a scientist hanging on a makeshift gallows sets the tone of the area. |
| 218 | ** [[spoiler:It also makes an appearance in TheStinger, as a [[AndJohnWasAZombie mutant]] Brad slowly crawls its way to Buddy, before a SmashToBlack]]. |
| 219 | * In ''VideoGame/LunaGame 3'', the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WER797zKJaw music]] changes to a Giygas-esque [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXTuzn7B_U8 drone]] after the [[LettingTheAirOutOfTheBand slowdown]] and white noise ScareChord. [[note]]This is actually a [[SubliminalSeduction slowed-down and reversed]] version of the Sonic Rainboom ThemeMusicPowerUp from the ''MLP'' [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E16SonicRainboom episode of the same name]].[[/note]] |
| 220 | * Some of ''VideoGame/{{Marathon}}'''s music tracks, e.g. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpBLi65LXko "Landing"]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QbuXuhUt_M "Aliens Again"]], utilize Drones of Dread for atmospheric effect in the ship's dark corridors. The Pfhor ship and derelict Jjaro ship levels in ''Durandal'' and ''Infinity'' use eerie droning alien ambient sounds for the same purpose. |
| 221 | * In ''VideoGame/MarbleMadness'', the Aerial Race music changes to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3jaA3XRwvg a pulsing single-note drone]] [[SongsInTheKeyOfPanic towards the end of the stage]] to ramp up the tension as they near the finish line. |
| 222 | * ''Franchise/{{Mario}}'': |
| 223 | ** The BigBoosHaunt theme from ''VideoGame/SuperMario64''. |
| 224 | ** The World 4 background music from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2''. |
| 225 | *** Also, the meteorites Mario/Luigi uses to fight [[BigBad Bowser.]] |
| 226 | * ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'' gives the Reapers a chilling BWWOOOAAARRMM when they arrive. It's part of the soundtrack too. The Reapers actually use this with this trope in mind. [[BrownNote The sound is there for the purpose of putting fear into their enemies]]. |
| 227 | %%* ''VideoGame/MaxPayne3'''s soundtrack, produced by the noise rock band HEALTH, has a lot of ambience that makes good use of both guitar and electronic drones. --ZCE, when do these tracks play and how do they enhance a scene or level? |
| 228 | * [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwvRYBFO3kw Amongst the Dead]] from ''VideoGame/MedalOfHonor: Underground'' uses this alongside PsychoStrings, EtherealChoir, and ForDoomTheBellTolls. Also, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th8mR_rGMMg Passage to Iraklion]], and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lu-UsPqXwdQ Rescuing The G3 Officer]] from the first game. |
| 229 | * ''VideoGame/{{Metroid}}'': |
| 230 | ** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXi8_V8qIYI Tourian]] in ''VideoGame/SuperMetroid'' features long drawn out notes as Samus makes her way to Mother Brain. |
| 231 | *** The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q16T1-qcxtw Item Room theme]] is quite eerie. Oddly doubles as a SugarWiki/MostWonderfulSound since it often plays directly after beating a tough boss and/or getting a powerful upgrade. Though certain moments like discovering the broken metroid capsule after defeating Ridley can still make the music come off as incredibly ominous. |
| 232 | ** ''VideoGame/MetroidFusion'' bases its entire soundtrack on this, with every song that isn't a boss theme, a chase theme, or background ambient noises featuring drawn-out low notes to increase the tension in every environment. Fittingly, this game is the closest the series comes to the SurvivalHorror genre, and given the series' roots in the ''Film/{{Alien}}'' series, this is almost certainly a direct homage to ''Film/TheThing1982''. |
| 233 | ** ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime'' has this in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EM2AtBJCCtA the Chozo Ruins Depths]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-nT2KkWQt8 the Space Pirate research facilities in Phendrana and the Phazon Mines]], and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHCDnuJB354 Phazon-heavy areas]] such as Mines Level 3. Nearly every Phazon environment will also feature long notes coupled with Geiger Counter clicks to emphasize how unnatural phason is. |
| 234 | * ''VideoGame/{{Myst}}'', though the TropeCodifier of the BeautifulVoid genre, has quite creepy ambient tracks at times; notably the [[https://youtu.be/kwNgtshNkJM gateway]], [[https://youtu.be/irdx23tmW2A hallways]], and [[https://youtu.be/5NwIqNCJ0ew caches]] of the Mechanical Age, the Stoneship Age's [[https://youtu.be/SqM2qJX_LjA arrangement]] of Achenar's leitmotif, and the [[https://youtu.be/990ihcF7tEs Temple]] in the Channelwood Age. |
| 235 | * ''VideoGame/NotForBroadcast'': In the third part of [[WhamEpisode Day 296: The Heatwave]] (although with no music), [[spoiler:during the time Jeremy Donaldson is talking to Andy and Jenny, a low-pitched infrasound drone is faintly heard, but over time, it grows louder and louder, indicating that security is coming for Jeremy. It's pretty kinda bad if the Disrupt ad tape is not played, but it borders on NightmareFuel if Alex Winston did play the tape. What's even more unsettling is that in the latter scenario, when Jeremy dismisses Jenny and Andy on realizing that security is coming for him, he makes a final mano-a-mano broadcast with all tapes focused on him as the drone grows louder and louder, eventually reaching its climax as he puts the gun up close toward his head and, barring Jenny's pleas to cut to the ads, caps off his FinalSpeech with his usual SigningOffCatchPhrase before [[DrivenToSuicide ending his own life with a]] {{Pretty Little Headshot|s}} to the temple.]] |
| 236 | * ''VideoGame/{{Obsidian}}'' uses this trope in two of its dream worlds with general MIDI. |
| 237 | ** The cube-shaped Bureau has a giant light bulb on one of its faces, which hums in this manner when you get close. |
| 238 | ** The second dream world uses this as background music, fitting what's meant to be a character's nightmare about an ominous [[GiantSpider Mechanical Spider]]. The [[HubWorld hub factory]] it resides in consists largely of dark bass guitar notes, overlaid with high-pitched whining tones, and climbing scaffolding around the spider plays a distorted choir as you go. As you repair the spider, this music can make the situation more and more unsettling each time you return to the hub. [[spoiler:And when you finish, the Spider [[EatenAlive comes alive and eats you]], sending you to the next dream world.]] |
| 239 | * ''VideoGame/OracleOfTao'' has mostly okay music. But a few of the songs are BrownNote material. Especially [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siB1610rjSY this one]]. If you pregnant, nursing, or hell just don't want a stomach ulcer, don't listen to this music. |
| 240 | * ''VideoGame/OriAndTheBlindForest'' uses drony ambience in the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Bpeo7Sllk0 Misty Woods]], and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SO_f2O2-CPw when Kuro is stalking Ori after the Forlorn Ruins]] to put the player on edge, the latter being combined with PsychoStrings. |
| 241 | * ''VideoGame/PizzaTower'' has the track "Meatophobia", which plays whenever you approach a level's Pillar John. Interestingly, it's actually the taunt sound effect, just slowed down to an unrecognizable degree. |
| 242 | %%* In ''VideoGame/PN03'', the FinalBoss's {{sc|aryScorpions}}orpion [[OneWingedAngel form]] uses this. --ZCE, Is it meant to be unnerving, or...? |
| 243 | * ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'': |
| 244 | ** ''[[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver Pokémon Yellow]]'''s version of [[GlitchEntity Missingno]] causes the battle music to become dead static. Not quite a drone, but close and creepy as hell. |
| 245 | ** As for deliberate musical uses, the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyAp8JhtNCI Distortion World theme]] in ''Platinum'' features a lot of drone. |
| 246 | ** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0Db9NDkTUQ Kyogre's theme]] in ''[[VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire Sapphire]]'' can be described as "wow, things look pretty bad right now". [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzeGusU8z_s Groudon's theme]] in ''Ruby'' can be described as "''the sky is on fire and we are all going to die''". |
| 247 | ** ''VideoGame/PokemonSuperMysteryDungeon'' has [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoaajiqf1Pc Mystery of the Fossils]] which has a drone as the bass which is paired off with an OminousMusicBoxTune. It plays out during two of the story's {{Gut Punch}}es that both involve [[TakenForGranite Pokémon being turned into stone]]. |
| 248 | * ''VideoGame/Portal2'' combines this with a OneWomanWail in the track ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcBVf5Nq-To [=PotatOS's=] Lament]]'' |
| 249 | * In ''VideoGame/ProjectFirestart'', one plays occasionally to add tension to the otherwise still ambiance, such as when Jon first arrives on the Prometheus. |
| 250 | * ''VideoGame/{{Quake}}'' has a soundtrack featuring many creepy drones, composed by [[Music/NineInchNails Trent Reznor]]. |
| 251 | %%* ''VideoGame/RType FINAL'' uses ambient drones in its [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7FCYonbJnM first]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-r_3SAZJkLU second]], and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VyoMbi17AY fourth]] stages. --ZCE, what's the context of these stages? |
| 252 | * The ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' games like to use this, for example: |
| 253 | ** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBqPnAU-H2A "The Second Floor"]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9iB1BaRkcU "Wandering Alone"]], and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xe0qPBAJkA "The Underground Laboratory"]] in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2''. |
| 254 | ** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B30yfyfr0y8 "Feel the Tense"]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9EO1wOltC0 "Never Give Up the Escape"]] from ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil3Nemesis''. |
| 255 | ** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlomKOtqTZU&feature=channel_video_title "Deathtrap"]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-L9b-5SWYY "Lost in Darkness]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXsOk9-OCdw "Narrow and Close]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2bOoIdHF9M "Rush of Fear"]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygxkpHZwegw "Rush of Horror"]] from the ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil'' remake. |
| 256 | ** ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'', while more actionized, still has a plethora of scary drone pieces, especially [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uyBy8_QeMU Ruined Village]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhdzNj9Ja_k Noche]](heard when first encountering a Plaga), [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XeBKPYFWCI Bitores Mendez]](combined with PsychoStrings), [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXp3vlp7tDo Cold Sweat]](combined with HeartbeatSoundtrack), [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qS8DWlbaRZM Novistadors]], and *cough* *cough* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWwJBmzHPr8 Regenerador]]. |
| 257 | * ''VideoGame/RigidForceAlpha'' has [[https://youtu.be/hD4GAWQ-vGM "Suspense"]] when approaching a boss for the purpose of building suspense. |
| 258 | %%* ''VideoGame/{{Sanitarium}}'''s soundtrack makes great use of droning sounds. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pDfsgwF1Ak Listen]]. --ZCE, when do these sounds play and how do they enhance the scene or level? |
| 259 | * ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'': |
| 260 | ** ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiI'' when the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sw_QZBFJiA music]] plays for the Terminals which acts as save points, starts with a long drone and repeats with a single tune that adds in the eerie soundtrack. |
| 261 | ** Used for macabre effect during the first couple of blocks of EldritchLocation Tartarus in ''VideoGame/Persona3'', since the party is venturing into the unknown in a place crawling with metaphysical manifestations of the human psyche. The effect goes away as they climb more floors and more and more instruments are added to the piece, and by the time they reach block 6 it's a complete composition. |
| 262 | ** ''VideoGame/Persona4'' features the glitchy, distorted, hard rock boss theme "A New World Fool", representing [[spoiler:the damaged, twisted psyches of the characters who have the song as their theme: Taro Namatame and especially the true Killer and big bad, Adachi]]. |
| 263 | * ''VideoGame/{{Signalis}}:'' That low humming noise that you can sometimes hear in the background isn't your system fan. It's the game. Yes, it is a SurvivalHorror game, why do you ask? |
| 264 | * This is the entire basis of the award-winning sound design in the ''Franchise/SilentHill'' series. When there isn't all that scraping crashing metal or absolute silence, there's usually low drones of things along the lines of, for example, deepened breathing sounds on [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlYuwa-gDRo the streets of the fog town]] in the original game. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekPaYGVLifY "Black Fairy"]] from the [[VideoGame/SilentHill2 second game]]'s otherworld hotel, with its [[VideoGame/EarthBound1994 Giygas-style]] distorted drone chords accompanied by a periodic [[SinisterScrapingSound screeching sound]], ranks as one of the most horrifying music pieces in video game history. On a similar level of horror is the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvR5n4nZGwg glass armonica drone]] that accompanies the lethal red light at the end of the [[VideoGame/SilentHill3 Borley Haunted Mansion]]. |
| 265 | %%* ''[[VideoGame/Spectre1991 Spectre VR]]'' has several tracks with drony synth pads, notably [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lcZ9scBJgo "Cyber 1"]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT4PQStutgU "Jaws 1"]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twBewsWAR3s "Chant"]], and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaeQNolQRZc "Submergence 1.1"]]. --ZCE, when do these play? |
| 266 | * In ''VideoGame/{{Spore}}'', when you encounter the [[EnemyToAllLivingThings Grox]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRaJUdaaXHs this song]] plays in their planets. It's an eerie mix of mechanical sounds accompanied by singing that (depending on your perspective) is either goofy or disturbing. |
| 267 | %%* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZVzlugQxvs "Prologue"]] from ''VideoGame/SuperCastlevaniaIV'', especially the beginning. An SNES game, no less. --ZCE, Is there anything particularly unnerving about the prologue that the drone enhances? |
| 268 | * ''VideoGame/SyphonFilter 2'' uses this in the ambient score for its [[https://youtu.be/ufsBMrDkjf4?t=11m36s Airbase]] [[https://youtu.be/ufsBMrDkjf4?t=35m55s levels]], both being tense insta-fail {{Stealth Based Mission}}s playing as the virus-infected Lian Xing, and the first starting as a NoGearLevel where Lian is clad in only a hospital gown and [[TimedMission has a limited time to find an adrenaline booster]]. The first ambient track is used again when Gabe Logan infiltrates the Agency Biolab, also sans equipment. Ditto [[https://youtu.be/pelnTHSFwh8 Aljir]] [[https://youtu.be/E6RzmDCVgiw Prison]], the last mission where the player controls Lian before [[FromBadToWorse her condition worsens]]. |
| 269 | * ''VideoGame/SystemShock2'' has dark ambient hums and occasional thumping noises lining almost every bit of the Von Braun and Rickenbacker spaceships. Sometimes it's obviously coming from computers or industrial machinery nearby, but other times...you can't really tell at all what's making those noises. And to top it all off? Even the ''main menu'' has a low electronic drone to it. |
| 270 | * Used commonly throughout the ''VideoGame/{{Thief}}'' series in certain segments of its ambient/atmospheric music. Particularly in scary missions. |
| 271 | %%* ''VideoGame/TreasurePlanetBattleAtProcyon'' uses low-pitched, long sustained sounds in the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cziyTPAFmv4 Ironclads' theme]]. --ZCE, how does this characterize Ironclad? |
| 272 | %%* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNPtlrCVwUk Oblivion's theme]] in ''VideoGame/{{Turok}} 2: Seeds of Evil''(N64 version only). --ZCE, how does this play off of Oblivion? |
| 273 | * ''VideoGame/TwistedMetal'': |
| 274 | ** "[[https://youtu.be/5G8tohQg-Pk Stalk 'n Roll]]", the ambient track that plays in the Warehouse District Warfare and River Park Rumble stages of the first game when not in combat, is a drone-backed AntiChristmasSong medley more suited to a SurvivalHorror game, in contrast to the heavy metal that makes up most of the soundtrack. |
| 275 | ** Most of the ambience in ''VideoGame/TwistedMetalBlack'' fits this trope, but [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_GqM98ymcg Snowy Fields]] is the epitome of terrifying drone. |
| 276 | * ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' has [[https://soundcloud.com/angrysausage/toby-fox-undertale-22 You Idiot]] which plays as [[spoiler:Flowey gloats over the player before his boss fight.]] |
| 277 | ** Also, during the [[OmnicidalManiac Genocide]] route, the music that plays when [[VillainProtagonist you]]'ve killed everyone in an area, "[[ArcWords But Nobody Came]]"[[spoiler:, actually "Your Best Friend" ''massively'' slowed down]] and [[spoiler:[[HeartbeatSoundtrack the "music" that plays when the Fallen Child speaks to you]]]]. |
| 278 | ** Chapter 2 of ''VideoGame/{{Deltarune}}'' has "[[https://tobyfox.bandcamp.com/track/digital-roots Digital Roots]]", a droning sound that plays when Kris explores the basement of Queen's mansion alone [[spoiler:as part of a quest leading to the chapter's {{Superboss}}]]. |
| 279 | * In ''VideoGame/{{Vanquish}}'', the Romanov-Gs' OneHitKill super missiles [[SoundCodedForYourConvenience emit a droning sound]]. |
| 280 | * The opening menu music for ''VideoGame/WarcraftIII: The Frozen Throne.'' |
| 281 | * The scary or suspenseful tunes in the ''VisualNovel/WhenTheyCry'' series use this often, like in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32YZCMPyVbE Depressive Paranoia]] or [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X76lu7TCvOg Stupefaction]]. |
| 282 | * ''VideoGame/TheWitness'': As there is no score, the environments will give off subtle ambient cues -- and some of the plot-heavy areas fall squarely into this trope. |
| 283 | %%* The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1dy-KWl4bo Suspense]] music in ''VideoGame/Wolfenstein3D'', although it's only FM synth MIDI, has a drony bass section. --ZCE, when does this play and how does it enhance the atmosphere? |
| 284 | * Creator/YasunoriMitsuda's soundtrack for ''VideoGame/{{Xenogears}}'' has two of these: "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_nr-Tj4dtU The One Who Is Torn Apart]]" and "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGEElC7aQAQ Omen]]". There's also "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hou83lJWShA Jaws of Ice]]" which mainly focuses on two slowly-alternating tritone drone notes for a particularly unsettling effect. |
| 285 | * Several of the background songs from ''VideoGame/YumeNikki'', like the appropriately named [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoxM-QT4xsc "Hellish Hum"]]. |
| 286 | * ''VideoGame/{{Ys}}'': |
| 287 | ** The Platform/TurboGrafx16 CD arrangement of "[[https://youtu.be/G-xLS7W5vNY?si=ah7Rk-c7wRhJDOMc Beat of the Terror]]" from "'VideoGame/YsIAncientYsVanishedOmen'' features a droning ambient synth pad that enhances the creepy atmosphere of the AbandonedMine. |
| 288 | ** ''VideoGame/YsIIAncientYsVanishedTheFinalChapter'' has a rare {{chiptune}} example in the form of [[https://youtu.be/RCBMY8RqgUE "Pressure Road"]], which plays in TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon prior to breaking [[BigBad Darm]]'s spell on the Twin Goddesses. |
| 289 | [[/folder]] |
| 290 | |
| 291 | [[folder:Web Animation]] |
| 292 | * ''WebAnimation/RabbitGames'': Ominous droning music plays when the player puts butter in the bowl in "Cooking Rabbit". |
| 293 | [[/folder]] |
| 294 | |
| 295 | [[folder:Webcomics]] |
| 296 | * The track [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6A91UB3QkdE Crystamanthequins]] from ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'' is mostly defined, early on, by a harsh, droning note intermixed with a heavy drumbeat and high-pitched synth wails, although the drone dissolves towards the end. In the comic itself, it's used for [[http://www.mspaintadventures.com/?s=6&p=004478 [S] Make Her Pay]], which depicts the most significant points in the troll CycleOfRevenge. |
| 297 | [[/folder]] |
| 298 | |
| 299 | [[folder:Web Original]] |
| 300 | * Used in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAltdSthd28 this]] adaptation of a ''Manga/FuanNoTane'' segment. |
| 301 | * The injury list for WebVideo/UrinatingTree's "This Week In Sportsball: NFL Week Two Edition (2020)" eschews the usual {{Taps}} in favor of a piece of ambient music that incorporates this. Considering the list consisted of forty-five injuries (eleven of which were [[GameBreakingInjury season-enders]]) and two deaths, Taps would've been insufficient in terms of both tone and duration. |
| 302 | * Le Matos's [[https://lematos.bandcamp.com/album/exode-original-web-series-soundtrack soundtrack]] to the sci-fi horror web series ''[[https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5M3ElB4D8i-OsQQGV-QU6g_zSSdlRNDA&si=ahLLh0V6cwXSRksO EXODE]]'' utilizes this trope to terrifying effect. |
| 303 | [[/folder]] |
| 304 | |
| 305 | [[folder:Western Animation]] |
| 306 | * This trope is part of the appeal of the Hypnotoad from ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}''. Interestingly, it was originally just a placeholder sound until they found something better, but they decided it was just so ''wrong'' sounding that they had to keep it. According to David Cohen, the name for that particular sound effect in the editing machine is "Angry Machine". ALL GLORY TO THE HYPNOTOAD. |
| 307 | %%* Used with Creator/AdultSwim's sign-off bump, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJsbGxd9Luc "The Dawn Is Your Enemy"]]. |
| 308 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' adds it to the soundtrack during season 2 with the Northern Water Tribe's invasion of the South Pole, among other instances. It also has an in-universe example: [[spoiler:dark spirit Vaatu's [[WaveMotionGun Wave Motion]] EyeBeams]] go accompanied with a thrumming bass roar, similar to the ''Franchise/MassEffect'' example above. |
| 309 | ** In Book Two's finale, the drone also features prominently in the soundtrack during [[spoiler:the [[OneWingedAngel Dark Avatar's]] attack.]] |
| 310 | ** The drone appears again in-universe during book four when [[spoiler:Varrick's experiment with a spirit vine produces a similar blast of energy. His tech is weaponized against his will by [[DespotismJustifiesTheMeans Kuvira]] for her conquest and then mounted on a [[HumongousMecha 25-story mech]].]] It's heard [[WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer many]], ''[[BeamSpam many]]'' times during the series finale two-parter. |
| 311 | * [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KUlbPV_BeM Aku's theme]] from ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'' is this trope, occasionally stopping for humorous moments. |
| 312 | * The {{Leitmotif}} of each of the members of [[BigBadDuumvirate The Diamond Authority]] of ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' is [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtDSwFTjcfk a distinct rising and falling synth rhythm that slowly builds in volume before ebbing away again]], showing their cold and stoic demeanor. [[https://twitter.com/surasshu/status/685538183501721600 It's made to sound "non-musical"]] and manages to be both relaxing and chilling, landing into this trope, as a result. |
| 313 | * Appears various times in ''WesternAnimation/ThomasAndFriends'', particularly in the more electronic-sounding early episodes. Combined with PsychoStrings in Season 2's "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ooi0ZlQxDJE Ghost Train]]" |
| 314 | [[/folder]] |
| 315 |
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