As Halloween approaches, Radio 4 releases Deadhouse, unnerving sound experiments designed to challenge listeners. Produced by immersive event specialists Darkfield, this trilogy of audio horror shorts explores the separation of mind and body.
Designed for a single listener, lying down with their eyes closed and wearing headphones, Deadhouse transports the participant to strange, frightening and otherworldly scenes via binaural sound. These atmospheric aural creations envelope the awareness of the listener as their familiar environment slips away, replaced by mind-bending scenarios designed to challenge fears around mortality, morality and the unknown.
In Bethlehem the listener awakes in a not-too-distant future where the reality of extreme medical advances come to bear. Salem centres on a hypnotic trance where the listener can do little to withstand the malevolent instructions of a voice in their ears. In Xanadu the listener becomes aware of themselves in a body, but not a living one.
Deadhouse contains advisory content warnings and is not for the fainthearted, each of the 20-30 minute long experiences taps into a unique set of anxiety and adrenaline-inducing themes. Between them the three episodes come with warnings ranging from – but not limited to – fear of confined spaces, medical procedures and death.
Rhian Roberts, Radio 4 Commissioning Editor for Digital and Podcasts says:
“Deadhouse is a breath-taking example of the power of audio, up there with the scariest I’ve ever heard. The pieces use sound to challenge all your senses and each one is designed to be more frightening than the last. If you haven’t yet made plans for Halloween this might be the answer… definitely not for anyone who jumps when a door creaks though…”
David Rosenberg and Glen Neath, Darkfield artistic directors, add: “We are really happy to have had the opportunity to create our first ever podcast and hopefully expose our work to a whole new audience. We hope the three audio experiences are truly unsettling.”
All episodes of Deadhouse are available now on BBC Sounds at https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p09zr1dk
