2 languages
John Carpenter
From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist
John Carpenter is a director, but also writes the music for his own films. He did so at first because there was no money for a composer. He plays synthesizers and piano and works with simple, constantly repeated motifs. For Assault on Precinct 13 (1976) he made a tight electronic rhythm. The theme of Halloween (1978) is a piano motif in an unusual 5/4 time, which keeps returning and builds the tension. From Escape from New York (1981) he worked with sound engineer Alan Howarth. Carpenter names Bernard Herrmann as a model. His minimal synthesizer sound influenced much later horror and synthwave.
Listening
Assault on Precinct 13 (Main Title) · John Carpenter, 1976
Halloween Theme - Main Title · John Carpenter, 1978
Main Title · John Carpenter & Alan Howarth, 1981
Discography
Studio albums
- 1979Halloween (soundtrack)
- 1981Halloween (soundtrack)
- 1981John Carpenter’s Escape From New York (soundtrack)
- 1982Halloween (soundtrack)
- 1984The Fog (soundtrack)
- 1986Big Trouble in Little China (soundtrack)
- 1987Prince of Darkness (soundtrack)
- 1990Christine (soundtrack)
- 1992Dark Star (soundtrack)
- 1993Body Bags (soundtrack)
- 1995In the Mouth of Madness (soundtrack)
- 1995Village of the Damned (soundtrack)
- 1996Escape From L.A. (soundtrack)
- 1998Sentinel Returns (soundtrack)
- 1998Vampires (soundtrack)
- 2001Ghosts of Mars (soundtrack)
- 2003Assault on Precinct 13 (soundtrack)
- 2015Halloween (soundtrack)
- 2015Lost Themes
- 2016Dark Star (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (soundtrack)
- 2016Lost Themes
- 2018Halloween (soundtrack)
- 2020The Thing: Lost Cues (soundtrack)
- 2021Halloween (soundtrack)
- 2021Lost Themes
- 2022Firestarter: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (soundtrack)
- 2022Halloween (soundtrack)
- 2024Lost Themes
- 2026Cathedral
Other work
- 1981Escape from New York
In School of Rock
The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.
- Film Music MapNL Map
- The Dream Factory: Film Reel 5NL Reader
- The Dream Factory: Film Reel 8NL Reader
Mentioned in other articles
- Giallo and Italian horror Genre
This approach later influenced John Carpenter and synth horror.
- Horror synth (Carpenter school) Genre
John Carpenter directed his films himself and also wrote the music, partly because there was no money for a composer.
- Synthwave-revival Genre
Disasterpeace, who had previously made music for games, wrote a hard synthesizer score for the horror film It Follows (2014) in the spirit of John Carpenter.