My first attempt as a horror writer to write about music is now available for pre-order.  Drew Mulholland’s Portmanteau of Horrors is definitely made for horror fans. A 12″ vinyl cut this is a twist on the nostalgia of the sounds of horror movies. Its inspiration is drawn from classic British horror soundtracks, but it is also evocative of how sound can draw us into the most terrifying parts of our psyche.  And I got to write for the sleeve!

Last year the experimental musician Drew Mullholand asked if I’d write the sleeve for his next LP – a collection of music inspired by 1960s and 1970s horror films.  I said yes immediately.

I adore 1970s horror. If you read Death Lines, then you know I am a big fan of the wild array of British and Italian horror of that time: Dr Phibes, Woman in a Lizard’s Skin, Frightmare (which Chris and I just did a podcast about). And, as the LP says, it was a great time for Portmanteau horror. The seventies practically bred anthology horror:  Tales from the Crypt, Tales that Witness Madness, The Monster Club, Vault of Horror (and on and on).

I may be a horror writer, and a big fan of this period, but I don’t know much about music.  I’m tone-deaf. When I did the music rotation at school, the singing teacher politely asked me to do the acting section twice.  So I was nervous to get this right. I don’t know about bridges and bars and cantos. I’m pretty sure cantos only apply to opera?

My nerves disappeared when I listened to the first track.  I knew exactly what I wanted to write.  He could have asked plenty of music reviewers and professionals, but instead, he asked a horror writer and fan. I realised immediately why: because that soundtrack is so evocative for someone who loves horror films.  You feel the music in your bones. It brings up emotions, memories, and films you love. Movies that scared you. It transports you back to that five-year-old girl whose older brother put on Tales from the Crypt.

I hope I did justice to that feeling and the experience in my writing for the LP, and more than anything, I hope it gives you the same experience. How often do we  feel awash with memory and emotion these days; not quick clicks or brief laughs, but truly sink into the experience? Here’s one opportunity.