Horror Show

Horror Show

[Horror Show EP cover] Horror Show is the second extended play (EP) by the_midnight. It was initially released through Counter Records on October 16, 2020, exclusively through [[WP>Amazon Music|Amazon Music]] for streaming. The EP was released to all platforms on March 19, 2021. 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.

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Background and composition

The effects of the [[WP>COVID-19 pandemic|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, the prize was a link to an empty [[WP>Dropbox|Dropbox]] folder labeled "The Midnight - New Album", and a [[WP>Twitch|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. The EP's initial exclusivity to Amazon Music was in part due to the company helping fund its production.

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 [[WP>Bruce Springsteen|Bruce Springsteen]] and [[WP>Patti Smith|Patti Smith]] hit single because_the_night.

Track listing

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Credits
All songs produced by Tim McEwan and Essenger except for The Stranger and Because The Night, which were produced by Tim McEwan. Additional production on Good in Red was by Jesse Molloy.
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.