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| Background = group_or_band
| Background = group_or_band
| Alias =
| Alias =
| Origin = [[Cleveland, Ohio]], [[USA]]
| Origin = [[Chardon, Ohio]], [[USA]]
| Genre = [[Gothic horror]], Halloween music
| Genre = [[Gothic horror]], Halloween music
| Years_active = 1997 - present
| Years_active = 1997 - present
| Label = Entity Productions
| Label = Entity Productions, Monolith Graphics and Linfaldia (1998-2000)

| Associated_acts =
| URL = http://www.MidnightSyndicate.com
| URL = http://www.MidnightSyndicate.com
}}
}}
'''Midnight Syndicate''' is a Cleveland-based musical group that has been working mainly in the genre of [[gothic horror]] music since 1998. A 1997 self-titled release covered multiple mainstream genres. Their music is commonly used to provide atmosphere during the [[Halloween]] season, in [[Haunted attraction|Haunted attractions]] and in the [[Role-playing game]] industry.
'''Midnight Syndicate''' is a musical group that has been working mainly in the genre of [[gothic horror]] music since 1998. A 1997 self-titled release covered multiple mainstream genres. Their music is commonly used to provide atmosphere in both [[Halloween]] [[haunted house]]s and the gaming industry.


==Formation==
==Formation==
[[Composer]]/[[filmmaker]] Edward Douglas founded Midnight Syndicate in 1996. In 1997, their self-titled debut was released. A majority of music on the album was written, arranged, and performed by Edward Douglas. Contributors included Scott Angus, Mark Rakocy, Dennis Carleton, Jamie Barbour, Ray Portler, the rap act Dark Side, and Christopher Robichaud. Douglas coined the term “cine-fusion” to describe the album. Cine-fusion is described in the album’s liner notes as
[[Composer]]/[[filmmaker]] Edward Douglas founded Midnight Syndicate in 1996. In 1997, their self-titled debut was released. A majority of music on the album was written, arranged, and performed by Edward Douglas. Contributors included Scott Angus, Mark Rakocy, Dennis Carleton, Jamie Barbour, Ray Portler, the rap act Dark Side, and Christopher Robichaud. Douglas coined the term "cine-fusion" to describe the album. Cine-fusion is described in the album's liner notes as ''"a blending of [[film score|movie soundtrack music]] and [[pop music]]... a compilation of soundtracks to movies that do not exist. The goal of the music is to stimulate the imaginations of listeners so that they are able to transport themselves to worlds or movies of their own creation."''
The album contained an eclectic blend of musical styles which included everything from dark instrumental music (three tracks which appeared on later releases) to [[techno music|techno]], [[Rock-a-Billy|horrorbilly]], [[hip hop music|rap]], [[New Age music|new age]], [[Swing (genre)|swing]], [[Black_comedy#Musicians|humor-pop]], and [[Space music|space]]. Movie-style sound effects were employed and a multimedia show was produced to support the album.
:"a blending of [[film score|movie soundtrack music]] and [[pop music]]... a compilation of soundtracks to movies that do not exist. The goal of the music is to stimulate the imaginations of listeners so that they are able to transport themselves to worlds or movies of their own creation."
The album contained an eclectic blend of musical styles which included everything from dark instrumental music similar to their later releases to [[industrial music|industrial]], [[Rock-a-Billy|horrorbilly]], [[hip hop music|rap]], [[New Age music|new age]], [[Swing (genre)|swing]], [[Black_comedy#Musicians|humor-pop]], and [[Space music|space]]. Movie-style sound effects were featured in most of the tracks. A multimedia show was produced to support the album.


[[Image:Realm_of_shadows_cd_cover.jpg|thumb|right|''Realm of Shadows'' album cover.]]
[[Image:Realm_of_shadows_cd_cover.jpg|thumb|left|''Realm of Shadows'' album cover.]]In 1998, Douglas teamed up with gothic fantasy artist and publisher Joseph Vargo, who also filled the roles of [[Executive producer#Music|executive producer]], [[Creative director|creative director]], lyricist, vocalist, and cover art designer for the new line up. Composer Gavin Goszka also joined the group. Together, Douglas and Goszka would write almost all of the music on the Midnight Syndicate discs to come. That same year they released the band's first critically acclaimed gothic horror soundtrack, ''Born of the Night,'' followed in 2000 by ''Realm of Shadows.'' Both albums (as well as the future Midnight Syndicate releases) were featured as "official soundtracks" for Universal Studios' [[Halloween Horror Nights]] as well as being played in many other haunted attractions and major theme parks during Halloween, such as [[Cedar Point]] and [[Thorpe Park|Thorpe Park's]] Fright Nights. In addition, the heavy metal band [[King Diamond (band)|King Diamond]] featured tracks from ''Born of the Night'' as opening music for their 2001 US tour. Midnight Syndicate and Joseph Vargo parted ways after ''Realm of Shadows''.
In 1998, Edward Douglas teamed up with gothic fantasy artist Joseph Vargo to create an exclusively gothic/horror-themed album called ''Born of the Night,'' based on Vargo's gothic artwork and story concepts. Composer Gavin Goszka, formerly a solo-artist in a project called ''Lore,'' also joined Douglas and Vargo in creating a darker sound aimed at fans of gothic music, the horror genre, and haunted attractions. Douglas and Goszka wrote and performed music on the album, while Vargo served as [[Executive producer#Music|executive producer]] and [[Creative director|creative director]] of the project, wrote and performed the vocals and narrations, and designed the cover art and packaging.<ref>Peanuts, Interview with Edward Douglas, Ohio Online Magazine, December 1998</ref> Published by Vargo's Monolith Graphics and distributed through Douglas' Entity Productions, ''Born of the Night'' was released in September 1998, just in time for the Halloween season.<ref> [http://www.legionofthenight.com/sounds/Interview.mp3 1998 Radio Interview with Douglas, Vargo and Goszka] Cleveland's WERE 1300</ref><ref>Julie E. Washington, ''"Haunting Tunes Are Goth Band's Specialty"'', ''[[The Plain Dealer (newspaper)|The Plain Dealer]]'' (Cleveland, OH), October 30, 2000, Sec. arts, Pg. 1E.</ref> The album was Midnight Syndicate's first critically acclaimed gothic/horror soundtrack and proved to be an instant success, establishing Midnight Syndicate's trademark sound.<ref> [http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Loge/5488/intmidnight7.htm Interview at Krepuskulum]</ref>


In March 2000, ''Realm of Shadows'' followed suit with the same flavor of dark instrumental music and another gothic setting. Douglas and Goszka wrote all of the music for this album while Vargo wrote and performed the opening narration and theme story. Both albums were played as official soundtracks for Universal Studios' [[Halloween Horror Nights]], and used in several other major theme parks during Halloween, such as [[Busch Gardens]], [[Cedar Point]] and [[Thorpe Park|Thorpe Park's]] Fright Nights event.<ref>Jeff Niesel, "Soundbites", ''Scene Magazine'' (Cleveland, OH), October 14, 1999.</ref> The heavy metal band [[King Diamond (band)|King Diamond]] featured tracks from ''Born of the Night'' as opening music for their 2000 US tour. Afterwards, the band announced that Vargo would be focusing on other projects, while Douglas and Goszka continue to write music as Midnight Syndicate.<ref>[http://www.monolithgraphics.com/pages/vr.html?/pages/iv_dr01.html Interview with Midnight Syndicate] Peter Iorillo, ''"Something Wicked This Way Comes"'', ''Dark Realms Magazine'' (Cleveland, OH), Issue 1, January 2001, Pg. 20-23.]</ref> Edward Douglas' company Entity Productions, Inc. began distributing the CDs on a full-time basis and now reports that it is one of the largest distributors of Halloween-themed music.<ref>Carl E. Feather, ''"A little night music"'', ''Star Beacon'' (Ashtabula, OH), October 30, 2006, Sec. B, Pg. B1.</ref>
In 2001, Midnight Syndicate’s third gothic horror soundtrack entitled ''Gates of Delirium'' was released. For this disc, Edward Douglas and Gavin Goszka teamed up with two members who worked on the first Midnight Syndicate CD, Mark Rakocy (graphic design) and Christopher Robichaud (vocals). This particular album was a huge success on [[MP3.com]], where it held six spots in their Top 20 positions during Halloween that year. In 2002, Midnight Syndicate called on artist [[Keith Parkinson]] to design the packaging for their fourth gothic soundtrack CD, ''Vampyre''.


In 2001, Midnight Syndicate released a third gothic horror soundtrack entitled ''Gates of Delirium''. This time Douglas and Goszka teamed up with two members who worked on the first ''Midnight Syndicate'' cd, Mark Rakocy (graphic design) and Christopher Robichaud (vocals). This particular album was successful on [[MP3.com]], where it held six spots in their Top 20 positions during Halloween that year.<ref>[http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sqI=11:rf2vad4ku8w3~t00 All Music Guide]</ref> In 2002, Midnight Syndicate called on artist [[Keith Parkinson]] to design the packaging for their fourth gothic soundtrack ''Vampyre''. In 2003, the band released the first official soundtrack to the classic roleplaying game ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]''. This was another auspicious occasion for the band that helped to promote them to the gaming industry. Some of the tracks were later used in computer games ''[[Shadowbane]]'' and ''[[Baldur's Gate II]]''.
[[Image:13th_hour_cd_cover.jpg|thumb|right|''The 13th Hour'' album cover.]]In 2003, the band released the first officially licensed soundtrack to the classic roleplaying game ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]''. Some of their tracks were later featured in computer games ''[[Shadowbane]]'' and ''[[Baldur's Gate II]]''. In 2005, Edward Douglas and Gavin Goszka released their seventh CD, ''The 13th Hour.'' It featured vocal effects by Lily Lane of the horror-rock band, Lazy Lane, and another cover by [[Keith Parkinson]].


[[Image:13th_hour_cd_cover.jpg|thumb|right|''The 13th Hour'' album cover.]]In 2005, they released their seventh CD, ''The 13th Hour.'' It featured vocal effects by Lily Lane of the horror-rock band, Lazy Lane, and another cover by [[Keith Parkinson]]. In 2006 ''The 13th Hour'' won the Origins Award for Best Gaming Accessory presented by the Academy of Adventure Game Art & Design, marking the first time a music cd won the award.<ref>[http://www.originsgames.com/awards The Origins Awards]</ref>
''Out of the Darkness - Retrospective: 1994-1999'' was released in 2006 and featured re-recorded versions of tracks from ''Midnight Syndicate'', ''Born of the Night'', and ''Realm of Shadows'', along with some of Edward Douglas’ early horror film scores. Fantasy artist [[Rob Alexander]] designed the cover for this release, as well as a new cover for ''Gates of Delirium''.


''Out of the Darkness - Retrospective: 1994-1999'' was released in 2006 and featured re-recorded versions of tracks from ''Midnight Syndicate'', ''Born of the Night'', and ''Realm of Shadows,'' along with tracks from two student horror films produced by Edward Douglas in 1994-1996.
Unable to gain the support of a major record label or distributor initially, Edward Douglas began building a network to self-distribute Midnight Syndicate’s CDs in 1999. Today, his company, Entity Productions, Inc. and its partners distribute Midnight Syndicate CDs to thousands of retailers worldwide, making them one of the largest distributors of Halloween-themed music in 2006.


As stated in Haunted Attraction Magazine (see link below), the success of these CDs over the course of time has made Midnight Syndicate a standard in the [[Halloween]] and [[haunted attraction]] industries. The music has appeared in mainstream television programs like ''[[Barbara Walters]]' 10 Most Fascinating People of 2002'', ''[[The Ellen Degeneres Show]]'' and ''[[Monday Night Football]]'' in addition to haunted attractions and amusement parks worldwide that license their music during the Halloween season.
Over the course of time Midnight Syndicate has become the standard with the Halloween and haunted attraction industries.<ref>Leonard Pickel, "Midnight Syndicate - Setting the Mood for an Industry", ''Haunted Attraction Magazine'' (Charlotte, NC), June 2006, Pg. 24-28, 38-41 </ref> In addition to having the music playing in many major theme parks during Halloween, it also appeared in mainstream television programs like ''[[Barbara Walters]]' 10 Most Fascinating People of 2002'', ''[[The Ellen Degeneres Show]]'' and ''[[Monday Night Football]]'', and licensed in horror films such as ''[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0356518/fullcredits Demons at the Door]'' and ''[http://www.tempevideo.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=TV&Product_Code=TD-1101 Dead and Rotting]''.

Midnight Syndicate has also had an impact in the hobby gaming industry. In 2006, Midnight Syndicate's ''The 13th Hour'' won the Origins Award for Best Gaming Accessory presented by the Academy of Adventure Game Art & Design. This marked the first time a roleplaying soundtrack or music CD won the award.


==Future projects==
==Future projects==
Midnight Syndicate has teamed up with Snap Kick Productions to score the upcoming horror film, ''[[Sin-Jin Smyth]]''. Additionally they recently signed on to score [[Robert Kurtzman]]’s film, ''[[The Rage]]''. In 2006, Edward Douglas will begin pre-production on the horror suspense film he will be directing, ''The Dead Matter''. Previously filmed in 1996 with a very small budget, ''The Dead Matter'' was co-written (with Tony Demci), directed, and scored by Edward Douglas. Demci and Douglas have rewritten the script for the new film.
Midnight Syndicate has teamed up with Snap Kick Productions to score the upcoming horror film, ''[[Sin-Jin Smyth]]''. Additionally they recently signed on to score Robert Kurtzman's film, ''The Rage''. In 2006, Edward Douglas will begin pre-production on the horror suspense film he will be directing, ''The Dead Matter.'' Previously filmed in 1996 with a very small budget, ''The Dead Matter'' was co-written (with Tony Demci), directed, and scored by Edward Douglas. Demci and Douglas have rewritten the script for the new film. Meanwhile, Gavin Goszka announced that he will be returning to his solo-project, Lore.


==Discography==
==Discography==
Midnight Syndicate Discography:
Midnight Syndicate Discography:
* 1997: ''Midnight Syndicate''
* 1997: ''Midnight Syndicate''
* 1998: ''Born of the Night''
* 1998: ''Born of the Night''
* 2000: ''Realm of Shadows''
* 2000: ''Realm of Shadows''
Line 48: Line 46:
* 2006: ''Out of the Darkness (Retrospective: 1994-1999)''
* 2006: ''Out of the Darkness (Retrospective: 1994-1999)''


==Print References==
==References==
<references/>
* Carl E. Feather, ''"A little night music"'', ''[[Star Beacon]]'' (Ashtabula, OH), October 30, 2006, Sec. B, Pg. B1.
* John Horton, ''"Scary music writers accomplish ghouls"'', ''[[The Plain Dealer (newspaper)|The Plain Dealer]]'' (Cleveland, OH), October 17, 2006, Sec. Main, Pg. A1.
* Leonard Pickel, "Midnight Syndicate - Setting the Mood for an Industry", ''[[Haunted Attraction Magazine]]'' (Charlotte, NC), June 2006, Pg. 24-28, 38-41
* Heather Adler, "Haunted Memories", ''[[Rue Morgue Magazine]]'' (Toronto, ON), October 2005, Pg. 131
* Jason Bracelin, ''"Scream Kings"'', ''[[Cleveland Scene|Scene Magazine]]'' (Cleveland, OH), May 25, 2005, Sec. Features, Pg. 10-13.
* Peter Iorillo, ''"Something Wicked This Way Comes"'', ''[[Dark Realms Magazine]]'' (Cleveland, OH), Issue 1, January 2001, Pg. 20-23.
* Julie E. Washington, ''"Haunting Tunes Are Goth Band's Specialty"'', ''[[The Plain Dealer (newspaper)|The Plain Dealer]]'' (Cleveland, OH), October 30, 2000, Sec. arts, Pg. 1E.


==External Links==
==External Links==
*[http://www.midnightsyndicate.com Midnight Syndicate band website]
*[http://www.midnightsyndicate.com Midnight Syndicate band website]
*[http://www.myspace.com/midnightsyndicate Midnight Syndicate on MySpace]
*[http://www.myspace.com/midnightsyndicate Midnight Syndicate on MySpace]
*[http://www.legionsofthenight.com Legions of the Night] (operated by Midnight Syndicate for fans and haunt listings)
*[http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:rf2vad4ku8w3~t00 All Music Guide]
*[http://www.originsgames.com/awards The Origins Awards]
*[http://www.legionsofthenight.com Legions of the Night (Midnight Syndicate fansite)]
*[http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/midnightsyndicate/ Midnight Syndicate Yahoo group]
*[http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/midnightsyndicate/ Midnight Syndicate Yahoo group]

====Interviews====
*[http://www.hauntedattraction.com/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_page&PAGE_id=37&MMN_position=61:41 Haunted Attraction Magazine]
*[http://www.horrorchannel.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=3683 Horror Channel]
*[http://www.flamesrising.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=625&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0 Flames Rising]
*[http://www.clevescene.com/Issues/2005-05-25/news/feature.html Scene Magazine]
*[http://www.legendsmagazine.net/108/intmidn.htm Legends Magazine]
*[http://www.monolithgraphics.com/pages/vr.html?/pages/iv_dr01.html Dark Realms Magazine]


[[Category:American musical groups]]
[[Category:American musical groups]]

Revision as of 01:53, 8 December 2006

Midnight Syndicate

Midnight Syndicate is a musical group that has been working mainly in the genre of gothic horror music since 1998. A 1997 self-titled release covered multiple mainstream genres. Their music is commonly used to provide atmosphere in both Halloween haunted houses and the gaming industry.

Formation

Composer/filmmaker Edward Douglas founded Midnight Syndicate in 1996. In 1997, their self-titled debut was released. A majority of music on the album was written, arranged, and performed by Edward Douglas. Contributors included Scott Angus, Mark Rakocy, Dennis Carleton, Jamie Barbour, Ray Portler, the rap act Dark Side, and Christopher Robichaud. Douglas coined the term "cine-fusion" to describe the album. Cine-fusion is described in the album's liner notes as "a blending of movie soundtrack music and pop music... a compilation of soundtracks to movies that do not exist. The goal of the music is to stimulate the imaginations of listeners so that they are able to transport themselves to worlds or movies of their own creation." The album contained an eclectic blend of musical styles which included everything from dark instrumental music (three tracks which appeared on later releases) to techno, horrorbilly, rap, new age, swing, humor-pop, and space. Movie-style sound effects were employed and a multimedia show was produced to support the album.

File:Realm of shadows cd cover.jpg
Realm of Shadows album cover.

In 1998, Edward Douglas teamed up with gothic fantasy artist Joseph Vargo to create an exclusively gothic/horror-themed album called Born of the Night, based on Vargo's gothic artwork and story concepts. Composer Gavin Goszka, formerly a solo-artist in a project called Lore, also joined Douglas and Vargo in creating a darker sound aimed at fans of gothic music, the horror genre, and haunted attractions. Douglas and Goszka wrote and performed music on the album, while Vargo served as executive producer and creative director of the project, wrote and performed the vocals and narrations, and designed the cover art and packaging.[1] Published by Vargo's Monolith Graphics and distributed through Douglas' Entity Productions, Born of the Night was released in September 1998, just in time for the Halloween season.[2][3] The album was Midnight Syndicate's first critically acclaimed gothic/horror soundtrack and proved to be an instant success, establishing Midnight Syndicate's trademark sound.[4]

In March 2000, Realm of Shadows followed suit with the same flavor of dark instrumental music and another gothic setting. Douglas and Goszka wrote all of the music for this album while Vargo wrote and performed the opening narration and theme story. Both albums were played as official soundtracks for Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights, and used in several other major theme parks during Halloween, such as Busch Gardens, Cedar Point and Thorpe Park's Fright Nights event.[5] The heavy metal band King Diamond featured tracks from Born of the Night as opening music for their 2000 US tour. Afterwards, the band announced that Vargo would be focusing on other projects, while Douglas and Goszka continue to write music as Midnight Syndicate.[6] Edward Douglas' company Entity Productions, Inc. began distributing the CDs on a full-time basis and now reports that it is one of the largest distributors of Halloween-themed music.[7]

In 2001, Midnight Syndicate released a third gothic horror soundtrack entitled Gates of Delirium. This time Douglas and Goszka teamed up with two members who worked on the first Midnight Syndicate cd, Mark Rakocy (graphic design) and Christopher Robichaud (vocals). This particular album was successful on MP3.com, where it held six spots in their Top 20 positions during Halloween that year.[8] In 2002, Midnight Syndicate called on artist Keith Parkinson to design the packaging for their fourth gothic soundtrack Vampyre. In 2003, the band released the first official soundtrack to the classic roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons. This was another auspicious occasion for the band that helped to promote them to the gaming industry. Some of the tracks were later used in computer games Shadowbane and Baldur's Gate II.

File:13th hour cd cover.jpg
The 13th Hour album cover.

In 2005, they released their seventh CD, The 13th Hour. It featured vocal effects by Lily Lane of the horror-rock band, Lazy Lane, and another cover by Keith Parkinson. In 2006 The 13th Hour won the Origins Award for Best Gaming Accessory presented by the Academy of Adventure Game Art & Design, marking the first time a music cd won the award.[9]

Out of the Darkness - Retrospective: 1994-1999 was released in 2006 and featured re-recorded versions of tracks from Midnight Syndicate, Born of the Night, and Realm of Shadows, along with tracks from two student horror films produced by Edward Douglas in 1994-1996.

Over the course of time Midnight Syndicate has become the standard with the Halloween and haunted attraction industries.[10] In addition to having the music playing in many major theme parks during Halloween, it also appeared in mainstream television programs like Barbara Walters' 10 Most Fascinating People of 2002, The Ellen Degeneres Show and Monday Night Football, and licensed in horror films such as Demons at the Door and Dead and Rotting.

Future projects

Midnight Syndicate has teamed up with Snap Kick Productions to score the upcoming horror film, Sin-Jin Smyth. Additionally they recently signed on to score Robert Kurtzman's film, The Rage. In 2006, Edward Douglas will begin pre-production on the horror suspense film he will be directing, The Dead Matter. Previously filmed in 1996 with a very small budget, The Dead Matter was co-written (with Tony Demci), directed, and scored by Edward Douglas. Demci and Douglas have rewritten the script for the new film. Meanwhile, Gavin Goszka announced that he will be returning to his solo-project, Lore.

Discography

Midnight Syndicate Discography:

  • 1997: Midnight Syndicate
  • 1998: Born of the Night
  • 2000: Realm of Shadows
  • 2001: Gates of Delirium
  • 2002: Vampyre: Symphonies from the Crypt
  • 2003: Dungeons & Dragons
  • 2005: The 13th Hour
  • 2006: Out of the Darkness (Retrospective: 1994-1999)

References

  1. ^ Peanuts, Interview with Edward Douglas, Ohio Online Magazine, December 1998
  2. ^ 1998 Radio Interview with Douglas, Vargo and Goszka Cleveland's WERE 1300
  3. ^ Julie E. Washington, "Haunting Tunes Are Goth Band's Specialty", The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, OH), October 30, 2000, Sec. arts, Pg. 1E.
  4. ^ Interview at Krepuskulum
  5. ^ Jeff Niesel, "Soundbites", Scene Magazine (Cleveland, OH), October 14, 1999.
  6. ^ Interview with Midnight Syndicate Peter Iorillo, "Something Wicked This Way Comes", Dark Realms Magazine (Cleveland, OH), Issue 1, January 2001, Pg. 20-23.]
  7. ^ Carl E. Feather, "A little night music", Star Beacon (Ashtabula, OH), October 30, 2006, Sec. B, Pg. B1.
  8. ^ All Music Guide
  9. ^ The Origins Awards
  10. ^ Leonard Pickel, "Midnight Syndicate - Setting the Mood for an Industry", Haunted Attraction Magazine (Charlotte, NC), June 2006, Pg. 24-28, 38-41