In the ever-evolving world of music and film, standing out requires something truly unique. Today, we're diving deep into the creative abyss with the mastermind behind "Obscura: Dark Synthesis" - LA-based composer René G. Boscio.

René's work, featured in projects like Amazon Studio's "EMERGENCY" and the Freeform series "THE WATCHFUL EYE", speaks for itself. But with "Obscura", he's offering something even more special: a curated collection of dark,haunting sounds, meticulously crafted to elevate your projects to a cinematic level.

Whether you're a seasoned composer looking for fresh inspiration or a budding producer eager to experiment, René's insights into the creation of "Obscura" will undoubtedly ignite your creativity. So, prepare to descend into the sonic abyss as we explore the textures, the inspirations, and the magic that went into this unparalleled sound library.

Background & Experience:

Q: What are some of your most notable accomplishments or projects in your field?

As a synth programmer and musical sound designer, I’ve worked on films like Marvel’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and TV shows like Amazon’s Reacher. As a composer, I’ve scored TV shows like Freeform’s The Watchful Eye, and the Amazon Studios film, Emergency. I’ve also contributed additional music to hit series such as The CW’s Riverdale and The Flash, among others.

Q: Have you created sound libraries or presets before? If so, what were some of the key lessons or insights you gained from those experiences?

I have. I do a lot of bespoke/custom work for other composers, and one of the things I learned early on is to make sure I’m always recording. Especially when using modular synthesizers, there are so many things that happen in the process of building a patch that can sound incredible yet disappear in the blink of an eye. So, if you start recording from the second you connect the first cable, you’ll have better luck at capturing the magic and can just focus on following the sound, knowing that it’s all being recorded.

Inspiration & Creative Process:

Q: What was the primary inspiration or concept behind this specific sound library or preset collection?

For this library I was inspired by some of my favorite composers such as Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrows, Cristobal Tapia de Veer, Saunder Juriaans and Danny Bensi.

Q: Can you walk us through your creative process when designing sounds for your scores? What tools, techniques, gear, or approaches do you typically employ?

I tend to spend quite a bit of time conceptualizing and digging for gold. I like to take a week or two to just explore sounds using a variety of hardware synths as well as deep sample manipulation both in and out of the box. I’m a big fan of granular synthesis as well as resynthesis for processing acoustic/organic sounds and creating unique textures. Some of the tools I use are a eurorack modular synthesizer, a Buchla modular synthesizer, a Prophet Rev2, the Elektron Analog Rytm, and more recently, I’ve been exploring a newly acquired 1974 Minimoog Model D.

Q: Are there any specific musical genres, artists, or sound aesthetics that influenced the sounds in this library?

The library was very much geared towards film scoring, particularly in the thriller/suspense genre, as it's one of my favorite genres to work on. I’m always inspired by the work of Nine Inch Nails and love how creative they were even back in the late 80s/early 90s combining the use of synthesizers, drum machines, and sample manipulation.

Target Audience & Applications:

Q: Who is the ideal user or target audience for this sound library or preset collection? What types of projects or productions do you envision them using these sounds in?

I’d say any composer or producer who is not afraid to expand a bit beyond the usual sounds of film music or contemporary pop. Some sounds lean to the industrial side of things, others are more electronic, and others are just plain weird. I think it’s a great library to use in darker-leaning scores, as well as songs that like to color outside the lines.

Q: Are there any specific features or functionalities that make these sounds or presets unique or particularly useful for music producers or composers?

I tried to keep the loops in relative keys and somewhat relative tempos, so that it’s really easy to mix and match between the different “tapes”. I really liked the concept of the 4-track tape as a constraint for inspiration, so each tape it’s like its own mini-song that can be remixed and mangled to your heart’s content.

Additional Insights:

Q: What are your hopes or aspirations for how these sounds or presets will be used and what impact they might have on the creative community?

The hope would be that they inspire and serve as a starting point for composers and producers to come up with music that is authentic to who they are, and in that way inspire others to do the same in their own way.