'Darkstar Haunted House 'is a very special product, I admit it's not really my kind of thing, but it intrigued me a lot.
As soon as the plugin was loaded it presented itself with an interface in ASCII Artas if it were cracked software! Its appearance combined with the sounds struck me a lot, even though it is far from my musical genre. So in these cases, as a novice, I like to start from the beginning.
Let's start with the authors, James Young e Aiden Whalley they make electronic music with the name Darkstar from their first EP released in 2007.
Four albums in just over ten years of activity, "North" (Hyperdub, 2010), the single "Aidy's Girl Is A Computer" and the Human League cover "Gold", "News From Nowhere", debut on Warp in 2013 of the remaining three Darkstars. Two years later, James Buttery leaves the group, Aiden Whalley and James Young produce “Foam Island” (Warp, 2015). Five years pass and in 2020 they record “Civic James” made up of nine songs. They have collaborated with the “London Contemporary Orchestra” and composed for Sara Dunlop's, nominated for the Palme D'Or, as well as for Channel 4 and Pro Evolution Soccer 2021.
The plugin
The plugin was created in the middle of the first two UK national lockdowns and the authors have basically transformed their entire collection of samples of bass lines, vocal and loop in virtual instruments.
This plugin could be of interest to those who want to write music starting from the particular sound of Darkstar, defined as an electronic duo synth-pop.
Sound
The sounds are from film but also usable in the world of video gameThe library is suitable for both composers of scores for Cinema, TV e games, with a particular inclination a science fiction e thriller, also in combination with orchestral elements, both for producer of electronic music, From 'house to the ambient, grime, 2-step and beyond.
In fact, DarkStar collaborates regularly with film makers, we mention Cieron Magat and an episode of "Random Acts"of Channel four.
James himself declares in an interview that he was inspired by "Shadow of the Beast" and "Line of Duty", while Aiden says he used the Haunted House material to teach his son the melodies of 'My Neighbor Totoro' as they watched him together. The London night atmospheres have greatly influenced their music and are felt in Haunted House.
This collection of sounds echoes the revelation album by Darkstar entitled “Civic Jams" released in 2020 on vinyl and which, if desired, can be purchased as a bundle with the library, or separately.
Plugin interface
The plugin interface, which mimics cracked software, is intended by the authors as the chance to learn something on the fly rather than follow predestined paths. Memories of a time when samples were obtained legitimately or through CDs from people who did not have an instruction booklet and whose parameters had no meaning. You had to try them by ear!
Preset
There are 44 presets divided into five categories.
SYNTHS extension
Textured with synth layers, you go from subbass and gritty and creepy pads to beautiful synthesizers with an organ-like analog sound
- Sublow LDN 1
- Sublow LDN 2
- Sublow LDN 3
- Sublow LDN 4
- Plastic RIP 1
- Plastic RIP 2
- White widow 1
- White widow 2
- White widow 3
- White widow 4
- Slimzos from 2nd
- Slimzos from 3rd
- Ghost in your lappy
- HAUNT 4 U
- TEXT HER
- NIGHT MEMORY
- UR SMOKE
- R SMOKE
- 4 THE GRAVE
VO1CES
Icy and elaborate vocal samples, performed by Aiden Whalley (Darkstar)
- LOST DUBS 1
- LOST DUBS 2
- XTC MANTRA
- IF Serenade 1
- IF Serenade 2
- Ghost Glue 1
- Ghost Glue 2
- Ghost Glue 3
FOUND SOUND
London gnarled and textured sounds
- N253 only 1
- N253 only 2
- N253 only 3
- HAZE BOO
RVVM
Deep and lo-fi drums and percussion
- DEVIL BEATS 1
- DEVIL BEATS 2
- DEVIL BEATS 3
- DEVIL BEATS 4
W4RPD
Synths created by Spitfire with DarkStar source material
- MASS LOW 1
- MASS LOW 2
- ACID BOO
- SLEW DEM BASS
- Vauxhall Warp 1
- Vauxhall Warp 2
- Vauxhall Warp 3
- It AM 1
- It AM 2
Effects
You can control:
- Connection
- Release
- Reverb
- Delay
- Stretch of the samples
- Flanger
In addition to the slider for the expression, we find the H4UNTED HOUSE slider that takes the signal from clean to fully processed according to a “haunted” effect that is unique for each preset.
I am also available nine reverbs custom: Drum Studio, BigStudio, Plate, Hall, Church Far, Church Balcony, kiln, Big Hall e Room
Conclusions
"Haunted House are those sounds that creep in and are found in the suburbs.", as defined by Darkstar, is a plug-in that can be used in many musical genres, from contemporary electronic music to modern film, from TV to videogames.
It's a library which will certainly interest lovers of the genre (synth-pop). Those who already have their setup made up of synths and effect processors, may not be interested because they would find a creative process already beautiful and ready, even if it is possible to act on numerous parameters .
Conversely, for those who are not equipped with analog synths or were not interested in doing so, it might be useful to have a collection of sounds to experiment to try out the atmospheres of this English electronic genre.
Useful Information
Product: Spitfire Audio Darkstar - Haunted House
Distributor: SpitFire Audio
Price: € 29
Umberto Sorbo
