by From the bleak, zombie-infested landscapes of Black Summer to the claustrophobic minimalism of Don’t Let Them Out and the industrial menace of Spin the Bottle, composer Alec Puro has carved out a distinctive musical voice in modern horror. In this conversation, Alec pulls back the curtain on his process—how each project demands its own sonic world, why silence can be the most terrifying instrument, and how his new royalty-free music platform, Viralnoise, is arming creators with professional-grade horror sounds once reserved for Hollywood.
Each of your horror scores—Black Summer, Spin the Bottle, and Don’t Let Them Out—has a distinct mood. How do you begin building a sonic world for a new horror project?
For the most part, my approach to composing always starts at the piano no matter what the genre, including horror. I always start by trying to come up with different themes and ideas that lend themselves to the project I’m working on. I like to read the script and find out as much as possible about what the director is thinking in terms of the story and the type of soundscape they want to create.
Each horror project really dictates its own sonic world. With Black Summer, we needed this very dark atmospheric electronic soundscape that could blend seamlessly with the sound design. For Spin the Bottle, it was more industrial and synth-driven with an aggressive edge to reflect the supernatural evil the characters unleash. And Don’t Let Them Out required a completely different approach – very minimalistic and atmospheric since almost the entire film takes place in isolation with essentially one actor carrying the narrative.
Do you approach scoring psychological horror differently than action-heavy horror, like in Black Summer versus Don’t Let Them Out?
Absolutely. With Black Summer, even though there’s zombie action, I actually took the opposite approach from what you might expect and created a more minimalistic atmospheric electronic soundscape which I feel really helps enhance what’s happening on screen. The show is so engaging on its own that my goal with the music was to support and enhance that tension or anxiety without being distracting or even sometimes noticing there is any music at all.
Don’t Let Them Out was particularly challenging because the real creative puzzle was figuring out how to use the score to support these long stretches of silence and solitude without becoming intrusive. When you’re working with that much silence and space, every musical choice becomes magnified, so you have to be really intentional about when the score enters and exits.
What role does silence or minimalism play in your horror scoring philosophy?
Silence and minimalism are huge for me in horror. I work very closely with the sound designers to create a seamless soundscape between the score and sound design that doesn’t distract from what’s happening in any given scene but enhances everything in a realistic and terrifying way. The score and sound design become one at many points, which really helps build the anxiety and danger in a scene.
Sometimes the most effective thing you can do is pull the music out completely and let the natural sounds and silence do the work. When you do bring music back in, it has so much more impact. It’s about supporting the story, not overpowering it.
When creating dread musically, do you lean more on dissonance, rhythm, or texture—or a blend?
It’s definitely a blend, but texture is probably my go-to element for building dread. I try to experiment with running certain sounds through old guitar pedals and FX units to find new combinations that create cool new textures. I also love using different analog synths to find unsettling sounds that feel modern and inhuman.
In Spin the Bottle, which blurs psychological and supernatural elements, how did the music help guide the viewer’s perception of reality?
For Spin the Bottle, I wanted to create this underlying sense of dread and unease that builds throughout. The film follows this group of friends who unwittingly unleash an evil spirit while playing spin the bottle in a house with a dark history. Musically, I created a very industrial, synth-driven, atmospheric and at times aggressive score that really leans into the supernatural horror elements.
The industrial approach was key because it gave the score this mechanical, almost inhuman quality. As the supernatural elements become more prominent, the music becomes more aggressive and unsettling, helping guide the viewer’s understanding of what’s real versus what’s being influenced by this evil presence.
You created a royalty free music licensing company called Viralnoise. Can you tell us about Viralnoise and how your catalogue of music has helped creators in the horror genre?
Viralnoise is a game-changing royalty-free music subscription service I founded in 2025, designed specifically for digital creators of all kinds. The platform provides access to over 35,000+ music tracks and 30,000+ high-quality sound effects that were previously reserved for use in major TV shows, blockbuster films, big-budget advertisements, and AAA video games.
What’s exciting for all creators is that we’re giving them access to the same music and sound effects that have been used in countless major productions. This isn’t the same generic stock music that’s been circulating for years – these are premium tracks that have only been heard in major TV shows and films up until recently. Horror creators for example will have access to the Spin The Bottle score in October for use in their content royalty-free! They will be among the first to use this music in the digital space, which means their content automatically has a fresh, professional sound.
What horror music trends are you noticing in the creator space, and how is Viralnoise adapting to meet those demands?
I’m seeing creators moving away from the traditional orchestral horror sound and gravitating toward more atmospheric, electronic, and industrial textures – similar to what I’ve been doing with projects like Black Summer and Spin the Bottle. There’s also a big demand for minimalistic, tension-building cues that can work under dialogue or long suspenseful sequences.
We’re constantly adding new music weekly from our global network of 75+ award-winning composers, and we make sure to include plenty of horror tracks, industrial sounds, and those subtle tension-building pieces that modern horror creators need. You can check out some of our horror playlists here – https://www.viralnoise.com/collections/92d5d7ffa724cc00/playlists. In addition, we also provide access to track stems and alternate mixes, so creators can customize the intensity level to fit their specific scenes.
Who’s using Viralnoise’s horror tracks—are you seeing more filmmakers, YouTubers, podcasters, game developers?
It’s really a mix across all platforms. We’re seeing indie horror filmmakers who need professional-grade audio but don’t have Hollywood budgets, YouTubers creating horror content, podcasters doing horror storytelling, and game developers working on horror games. The beauty of Viralnoise is that it serves creators at every level – from someone just starting their YouTube channel to professional filmmakers working on feature films.
What do you find most creatively fulfilling about working in the horror genre versus other genres?
I love the challenge of creating tension and atmosphere through music. One of the things I like most about being a composer is that every project is different, so you get to switch it up and try new things every time you start a new project. But with horror specifically, there’s this unique opportunity to explore sounds and textures that you might not use in other genres.
The collaborative aspect with sound designers is also really fulfilling in horror. Working so closely to create that seamless soundscape where the score and sound design become one – that’s when you can create something truly special that elevates the entire project you are working on.
Do you ever watch classic horror films for musical inspiration—or do you prefer staying away from influence while scoring?
I definitely watch and listen to other horror scores, both classic and contemporary. I’m always paying attention to how other composers are solving storytelling problems through music and finding new sonic territories to explore. But when I’m actually working on a project, I try to immerse myself in the world of that specific story and find the musical through line that ties everything together for that particular project.
I think the key is understanding what’s been done before while still trying to find your own voice and approach. The horror genre has such a rich musical history, but there’s still so much untapped potential in how music can enhance fear and tension, especially with all the new technology and sounds available to us today.
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