Robert Egger’s The Lighthouse showcased some of 2019’s best acting. This psychological horror film also showcased some very eerie music. The soundtrack, alone, is eerie and unsettling–just like the film.

But, how does one compose a soundtrack and use such strange sounds to create haunting score? Mark Korven is a Canadian musician and composer active for the past few decades in post television and film. He’s worked on The Twilight Zone (1988) and most recently, collaborated with Robert Eggers on The Witch (2015) and The Lighthouse (2019).

Tired of the same old digital samples, Korven enlisted his friend, Tony Duggan-Smith to assemble a new kind of instrument just for Korven. It’s called “The Apprehension Engine.”

“It’s not music in the traditional sense, at all. But, the Apprehension Engine definitely evokes an emotion. So I would call it music.”

To get a sense of his process, checkout his Master Class at TIFF in 2016 about The VVitch.

What do you think? Did his music invoke a nightmare-ish feel, to you? Comment below!

Added bonus: checkout him live, playing the Apprenhension Engine in a cemetary.