Cleveland-based Midnight Syndicate — the duo of Edward Douglas and Gavin Goszka — have been making their dark ambient “haunted” music for almost 30 years. In that tome, they’ve carved out a niche creating music for amusement parks, haunted attractions and other spooky, Halloween-adjacent uses. Locals may know them from the shows they’ve done at Cedar Point during its HalloWeeks.
Now the group has released a new studio album called Plankett’s Grove, available on physical media and streaming platforms. It’s not specifically Halloween-themed but the 18-track orchestral album is, they says, “designed to transport listeners into a shadowy realm of gothic mystery and dark fantasy,” filled with the brooding, moody melodies that can accompany an imaginary film you create in your own head. Building on nearly three decades of pioneering “soundtracks to imaginary films,” Plankett’s Grove delivers the signature blend of orchestral composition, haunting melodies, and immersive sound design that has defined the group’s legacy.
“Our last full-length release was inspired by a themed 19th-century European nightclub, so we thought we’d take things in the opposite direction for this one and set it in a world that is far more rural and secluded,” says Goszka about the new album. ““Plankett’s Grove is set near the town of Illswich. Rather than making the town abandoned, where the listener’s task would be to uncover the mysteries of what once was, we decided it might be interesting to keep this location very much active and alive, although not without its own share of dark secrets.”
Douglas adds, “We asked our fan community, Legions of the Night, where they’d like to see us go next, and that definitely helped make the decision. Folk horror is a treasure trove of creative inspiration with so many directions you can go. It made exploring this new section of the Midnight Syndicate world both rewarding and exciting.”
Go HERE to learn more or to access the album.