Horror Show

Horror Show
EP by The Midnight
Released	October 16, 2020 (Amazon Music) March 19, 2021
Genre	Synthwave Rock
Length	23:54
Label	Counter Records
Producer	Tim McEwan Essenger
The Midnight chronology
Monsters (2020) Horror Show (2020) Endless Summer (5 Year Anniversary Edition) (2021)
Singles from Horror Show
"Neon Medusa" Released: March 3, 2021

Horror Show is the second extended play (EP) by The Midnight. It was initially released through Counter Records on October 16, 2020, exclusively through Amazon Music for streaming. The EP was made available on all platforms on March 19, 2021, following the release of Neon Medusa as a single earlier in the month.

Background and composition

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted The Midnight's plans to tour and promote their new album, Monsters. To get fans engaged with the band during the pandemic, an alternate reality game (ARG) began on September 24, 2020, and continued through October 15, 2020, with fans working together each day remotely to solve clues and discover hidden prizes. On October 13 2020, the prize was a link to an empty Dropbox folder labeled "The Midnight - New Album", and a Twitch channel by the name of "halfinlightandhalfindark" (a reference to a lyric in Last Train) was also discovered, with the channel posting a message of "WEDNESDAY 10/14 @ 12 PM EST." At that time, the EP was streamed for the first time and its title of Horror Show was also revealed. After the stream ended, it was confirmed that the EP would release on October 16 2020. The EP's initial exclusivity to Amazon Music was in part due to the company helping fund its production. During the time of the original October release, physical copies of Horror Show were available to pre-order from the band's online store, which included a download link to a digital version of the EP including the instrumentals.

The music on Horror Show is noted for having a darker sound reminiscent of that found on Nocturnal. Four of the six songs were co-produced by Essenger. The album also features a new collaboration with Nikki Flores, a cover of the 1978 Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith hit single Because The Night.

Track listing

Horror Show

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"The Stranger"	Tim McEwan Tyler Lyle	McEwan	1:42
2.	"Ghost In Your Stereo"	Lyle McEwan Micah Dalton Jeffrey Blake Simpson	McEwan Essenger	4:09
3.	"Neon Medusa"	Lyle McEwan	McEwan Essenger	5:05
4.	"Devil Make a Deal"	Lyle McEwan Luke Laird Natalie Hemby	McEwan Essenger	4:56
5.	"Good in Red"	Lyle McEwan Jesse Molloy Simpson	McEwan Essenger Molloy	4:26
6.	"Because The Night" (feat. Nikki Flores)	Bruce Springsteen Patti Smith	McEwan	3:36
Total length:				23:54

2021 Release bonus track

No.	Title	Length
7.	"Neon Medusa (Edit)"	4:13
Total length:		28:07

Credits
Additional instrumentation was provided by Jesse Molloy (saxophone on Because The Night), Maddie Rice (guitar solo on Neon Medusa), and Nikki Flores (background vocals on Good In Red and vocals on Because The Night).
Mixed By Tim McEwan. Mastered by Emily Laxar at The Lodge, NYC. Front cover by Max Löffler.

Release history and variants

Digital release history for Horror Show

Date	Edition
October 16, 2020	Standard
Initial release, which was only available for streaming/download via Amazon Music or by preordering a physical copy.
October 16, 2020	Instrumentals
Was available to download by preordering a physical copy of the EP. First The Midnight release to have vocal and instrumental versions available on release day.
March 19, 2021	Standard
General release to all platforms. Contains an edited version of Good in Red as the final track. Bandcamp release also includes the instrumentals.
May 14, 2021	Instrumentals
General release to all platforms.

Physical release history for Horror Show

Year	Format	Color/Design
2020	Cassette	Transparent Orange
This and the Translucent Grey variant were the first tape variants, both available to be preordered on October 16, 2020. Orders began shipping in January 2021. Contains the instrumentals on side B. First time an instrumental version of an EP/album received a physical release.
2020	Cassette	Translucent Grey
This and the Transparent Orange variant were the first tape variants, both available to be preordered on October 16, 2020. Orders began shipping in January 2021. Contains the instrumentals on side B. First time an instrumental version of an EP/album received a physical release.
2020	LP	Transparent Orange
This and the Smoke variant were the first vinyl variants, both available to be preordered on October 16, 2020. Both variants run at 45 RPM, the only The Midnight vinyl releases to do so. Orders began shipping in January 2021. "Kill Your Demons" is etched in the run-out area.
2020	LP	Smoke
This and the Transparent Orange variant were the first vinyl variants, both available to be preordered on October 16, 2020. Both variants run at 45 RPM, the only The Midnight vinyl releases to do so. Orders began shipping in January 2021. "Kill Your Demons" is etched in the run-out area. Some copies of this variant had a more pronounced darker color closer to black, which is reflected in an updated render.
2022	LP	Bloodshot Splatter
Third vinyl variant. Unlike the first two, this variant runs at 33 ⅓ RPM.

References

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