Haunting The Atom
LightNews LightNews
banner
hauntingtheatom.bsky.social
Haunting The Atom
@hauntingtheatom.bsky.social
370 followers 590 following 350 posts
The dark stuff: words, pictures, moving images and electronic sound + maker of music videos with '80s-style goth duo Deadlight Dance.

I post about horror/sci-fi, real-life weirdness, synth music and film scores.

🔗 https://linktr.ee/hauntingtheatom
Posts Replies Media Videos
hauntingtheatom.bsky.social
Now playing is an album that always hits the spot: Repeated Viewing & Timothy Fife Explore Paranormal Sounds Of The Synthesizer, a split LP from 2019 that pays homage to library records, and channels the other side* in a pleasingly retro-electronic manner.

* Meaning both 'beyond the veil' and BBC2.
The sleeve of Repeated Viewing & Timothy Fife Explore Paranormal Sounds Of The Synthesizer. The artwork shows a large eye, in green, red and white, with clear wavy lines across the iris and pupil.
November 10, 2025 at 3:57 PM
hauntingtheatom.bsky.social
Remembering that time during the Covid lockdown when I showed up at East Croydon station at 8am to find it deserted and the announcer issuing virus warnings. In my earphones was the title track from Tangerine Dream's Phaedra, and it soundtracked the haunting, sci-fi surreality of it all so well.
Phaedra CD, from the In Search Of Hades box set, in the drawer of a CD player.
November 6, 2025 at 2:37 PM
hauntingtheatom.bsky.social
Finally saw Late Night With The Devil (it's currently streaming on C4). My verdict? It cheats with its styling - eg, multicam backstage conversations, and modern editing when the drama ramps up. But when the '70s US talk-show aesthetic is on point it's impressive, and despite niggles I enjoyed it.
A '70s-stylised art poster for Late Night With The Devil (2023), showing a TV set with red horns and a tail. The screen displays a spiralling, black-and-white design, as text underneath issues the warning: "May be disturbing to some viewers."
November 4, 2025 at 3:11 PM
hauntingtheatom.bsky.social
Erm, actually, I think you'll find...

Probably a Mail reader.
A screen grab from the BBC News site, advertising that Close Encounters Of The Third Kind is available to watch on iPlayer. The mothership hovers above Devils Tower in Wyoming. Beneath the image are the words: "Aliens are invading in this sci-fi Spielberg epic."
November 2, 2025 at 10:46 AM
hauntingtheatom.bsky.social
Last night I rewatched Whistle And I'll Come To You. I've long been impressed by the way it captures the terror of seeing something darkly inexplicable. I'm still not sure what I'm looking at in *those* scenes, even in terms of how the effects were done, so they tickle my lizard brain beautifully.
A screen grab from Whistle And I'll Come To You (1968): Michael Hordern stands on a beach, glancing back at a mysterious figure in the background. The sun is setting, casting the entire scene in silhouette.
November 1, 2025 at 1:49 PM
hauntingtheatom.bsky.social
Here's me carving a pumpkin tonight: 26 minutes compressed into 1m 18s. Warning: contains blasphemy, gloop and middle-aged sounds.

Happy Halloween to all my followers, including the man with the horns who's staring at me right now through my living-room window (my living room is two floors up).
October 31, 2025 at 9:07 PM
hauntingtheatom.bsky.social
Danny Robins leads a séance - well, a theatrical one - last night at the Royal Albert Hall. Fright Night was an entertaining mix of ghostly RAH-centric anecdotes, tongue-in-cheek supernatural fun, and orchestral music: film themes, original pieces and even some Black Sabbath. A spirited evening.
The view of the Royal Albert Hall's stage from the front row of the rausing circle: Danny Robins and six volunteers from the audience kneel around a circular table, in front of an orchestra, as a cameraman captures the scene at close range for the venue's screens.
October 31, 2025 at 3:25 PM
hauntingtheatom.bsky.social
Here's me in 2009: a zombie extra in a report by Myleene Klass about London's FrightFest.

Two years before, I'd taken part in a zombie gathering: a FrightFest world-record attempt, for which 700 people showed up. This time there was about 20 of us, but it was fun. I still have the 'bloodied' shirt.
A small group of zombies lurk behind Myleene Klass, outside the Empire cinema in London's Leicester Square. Behind them, the cinema displays a sign saying: "Welcome to Film4 FrightFest." A cameraman films Myleene as she gives her report. (Not pictured: as she speaks, the zombies start advancing - shambling slowly towards her.) A closer shot of the zombies, with a large arrow pointing at my head. (To be clear, the arrow wasn't there on the day.)
October 31, 2025 at 2:50 PM
hauntingtheatom.bsky.social
A fine night at EartH in Hackney with Fabio Frizzi and his band playing his composer's cut of The Beyond, plus 20 minutes of other goodies.

'Twas the fifth time I'd seen Mr Frizzi since 2013 - each time around the end of October, and twice on Halloween itself. It's always a pleasure. #OldTraditions
Fabio Frizzi and his band - two guitarists, a bassist, a keyboard player and a drummer - stand centre stage to thank the audience at EartH, an arts venue in Hackney. Fabio has his right hand over his heart, as the other musicians clap. Behind them on a screen at the rear of the stage is some artwork from the film Zombie Flesh Eaters. The stage is bathed in orange light.
October 30, 2025 at 10:44 AM
hauntingtheatom.bsky.social
This landed today: the new 4K release of In The Mouth Of Madness, from Arrow Video. I don't believe that this splendid #JohnCarpenter film has had a physical release in the UK since the VHS days - till now I've made do with the US DVD from 2000 - so this is long overdue.
A hand holding the new 4K release of In The Mouth Of Madness, from Arrow Video, next to a lamp that's casting a yellow glow over proceedings.
October 28, 2025 at 7:55 PM
hauntingtheatom.bsky.social
I finally bought my would-be jack-o'-lantern but, man, it was carnage in Tesco's pumpkin bins at 5pm. Pulp and seeds everywhere: an absolute juicebath. After a lengthy and horribly wet search I came across a lone survivor, which I escorted to safety in my basket.
Close-up of a pumpkin with a Tesco sticker on it, saying: "Large pumpkin: scarily good to carve." The sticker also features a mysterious cartoon character, who seems to be peering out of the pumpkin, with only their eyes and hands visible."
October 28, 2025 at 7:15 PM
hauntingtheatom.bsky.social
Walking home from a gig last night I was stopped in my tracks by this object of beauty, in the window of a shop called Quirky Bits ("quality furniture bought and sold"). To get some scale look at the chair next to it - it's a big 'un! It's also the episode of Bagpuss I didn't know I needed till now.
A rather large, evil-looking skull (I'm guessing about 18 inches tall) on top of a crate that's next to a wooden chair. In the background, further inside the shop, are two smaller skulls, plus a calendar showing the date 31 Oct.
October 25, 2025 at 9:55 AM
hauntingtheatom.bsky.social
Some lovely Friday night electronica at the Rich Mix in Shoreditch (I love a venue that rhymes). Intense hypnotic soundscapes from opener @jo-johnson.bsky.social, and the soundtrack to our urban '80s future, from @warringtonruncorn.com. Plus a bonus dog, 'cos I know that social-media loves a dog.
Gordon Chapman-Fox - aka Warrington-Runcorn New Town Development Plan - on stage at the Rich Mix in Shoreditch. Behind Gordon is a large screen showing his accompanying visuals, which at this moment are a girl and a dog, both of whom are looking into the camera's lens. The stage is bathed in green light. Jo Johnson on stage at the Rich Mix in Shoreditch. Behind her a large screen is showing a swirling, colourful fluid pattern.
October 25, 2025 at 9:37 AM
hauntingtheatom.bsky.social
A pic from the late '80s of me and a friend in The Pit: a mini canyon in the woods where my friends and I would hang out, sometimes late at night. I still don't know what The Pit's purpose was. It was human-made but there were no machines around; it wasn't a work in progress. It was just... The Pit.
The view from one end of what looks like a miniature canyon, with trees looming above it in the background. On the ground, in the bottom of the 'canyon', are two large, brown, pond-like puddles. Two indistinct figures can be seen in the distance, standing next to the puddles.
October 24, 2025 at 12:31 PM
hauntingtheatom.bsky.social
Ooh, I've got one of those featuring Edmund Blake - also by @matpringle.bsky.social (I've just learned!). I picked it up at Derby station in July this year.
A red, A5, cardboard flyer for 'Dracula Returns to Derby', an annual celebration of Dracula featuring themed activities and events. The artwork shows a portrait of Edmund Blake, who played the count in a 1924 stage version of the story at the Grand Theatre in Derby.
October 20, 2025 at 2:33 PM
hauntingtheatom.bsky.social
At £23 it's not cheap, but when I think how much I sometimes pay for gigs or theatre shows it puts it into context. I spent 150 minutes there and enjoyed it.

A warning to parents: kids are allowed but I wouldn't recommend it. There's a gory murder scene that will, I guarantee, scar them for life.
A close-up of the skull of a skeleton that's tied to a stake. Its mouth is wide open, as if in terror. In the background, slightly out of focus, is a museum sign explaining witch hunts. The outside of The Vaults, a venue beneath Waterloo Station. 'The Vaults' is lit up above the entrance. Below, the doorman speaks to someone on his mobile phone. On the left is a large poster for the exhibition, asking: "Do you dare to explore the occult?" The walls surrounding the entrance are covered in graffiti (its legal and encouraged in Leake Street Arches).
October 18, 2025 at 8:52 AM
hauntingtheatom.bsky.social
Yesterday I visited Dark Secrets at The Vaults, beneath Waterloo station, for a bit of the ol' Devil worship.

The exhibition houses a large collection of objects, covering the history of the macabre, and is nicely atmospheric. Lots to read too, though not much about where exhibits were sourced.
From the exhibition's signage: "Simulacrum of Satan on the throne: Life-size representation of the Devil, originating from Northern Italy and used during Black Mass rituals." The creature, which is holding a staff, resembles a long-horned goat with wings and a semi-human body. Behind it on the wall is a red pentagram. Me standing beside a sepia-tinted painting of the Devil, as depicted on an oversized tarot card. The Devil is in goat-like form and is carrying a lit torch. I'm looking a bit perturbed (so what's new?).
October 18, 2025 at 8:52 AM
hauntingtheatom.bsky.social
Last night I rewatched The Eclipse, an Irish ghost story from 2009 - my fourth viewing in 10 years. First time I saw it its jump scares sent me through the roof. But it's its subject that I find most haunting and which has me returning to it. Lovely piano/choral score too, by Fionnuala Ní Chiosáin.
A hand holding a Blu-ray of The Eclipse (2009) above a wooden table. The film's cover shows its three main characters in a splintered collage of pictures, and lists the actors who play them: Ciarán Hinds, Iben Hjejle and Aidan Quinn. There are also two press quotes: "A beautiful...ghost drama..." from The Hollywood Reporter, and: "Eerie...amazing...sweetly moving and really creepy," from the Washington Post.
October 14, 2025 at 2:05 PM
hauntingtheatom.bsky.social
Been playing by a pylon on the edge of town. It stole my kite but I think I'll leave it. #PublicInformationFilms
Me underneath/inside a pylon. The photo is taken from below my shoulders and shows my top half, with the pylon's structure above my head.
October 13, 2025 at 2:38 PM
hauntingtheatom.bsky.social
Today's purchase is the freshly reissued Crush by OMD, featuring a bonus disc of goodies. Cover me, I'm going in...

...but not before trimming around the label on the cellophane and slipping it inside the packaging, as nature intended.
A close-up of a hand holding an unopened OMD CD - the Crush: 40th Anniversary Deluxe Reissue, which was released this week. Just the corner of the set, showing a red label on the cellophane, is in frame. In addition to the artist and album title, the label says: "Remastered and expanded + extensive notes. 2nd disc includes seven previously unreleased tracks + B-sides and remixes."
October 11, 2025 at 6:38 PM
hauntingtheatom.bsky.social
"What does music mean to you?" asks the Musical Museum. And the people reply.
A display of visitors' handwritten notes, all answering the question: "What does music mean to you?" A note headed "Music is..." Underneath, someone has written in black pen: "Everywhere and everything. Age 7/5". Below is a hand-drawn heart, along with the word "cimbols" and two drawn cymbals. A note headed: "Music is..." Underneath, someone has written: "Nirvana and Metallica" A note headed: "Music is..." Underneath, someone has written: "TRUMPETS THEY ARE THE BEST!"
October 5, 2025 at 12:56 PM
hauntingtheatom.bsky.social
Hanging out with vintage synths and their 'do not touch' signs at the London Synth Show, a compact Korg-run event held yesterday at the Musical Museum in Brentford. Lots of stuff to play with too, of course (hello, Opsix mkII - I hope we meet again), plus talks, including Queen's Spike Edney.
Me standing in front of a Korg Mono/Poly synthesizer (released in 1981) that's on display at the Musical Museum. An ARP 2600 synthesizer, plus keyboard, on display at the Musical Museum. White patch cables hang from it in loops. A sign sits on top of it that reads: "I am a museum exhibit! Please do not touch" A Korg MS-20 synthesizer (released in 1978), on display at the Musical Museum. An oscilloscope sits on top of it. Perched on the keyboard is a sign saying: "I am a museum exhibit! Please do not touch" A vintage sign from the Musical Museum that reads: "Be a performer not merely a listener. We shall be pleased to demonstrate how easy it is to play the Player-Piano with absolute self-expression"
October 5, 2025 at 10:28 AM
hauntingtheatom.bsky.social
Shops' pumpkins are calling to me but I'll resist for as long as possible. Here's one I bought a few years ago in mid October, and retrieved from the cupboard on Halloween. Naturally I performed a satanic ritual over its corpse, but it was no good: it was gone. Don't be me, folks. #BestBefore31stOct
A horribly mushed-up pumpkin, sitting on top of a carrier bag on a kitchen floor. The front of the pumpkin has flopped down, revealing seeds spilling out of its gooey insides.
October 1, 2025 at 12:49 PM
hauntingtheatom.bsky.social
At the matinee of #Uncanny: Fear Of The Dark, in Brighton yesterday, doing my best 'Team Sceptic but I love an unsettling mystery' face (aka my normal face, aka 'cheer up, mate, it might never happen'). Enjoyed the show. The gang were, as ever, good fun, and the staging was a delight.
A bloke in a woolly-looking hat (actually polyester) stands in a theatre lobby, in front of a poster for Uncanny: Fear Of The Dark. The poster shows presenter Danny Robins wearing his trademark red anorak, standing on a green-tinged suburban street after dark, as lights flare behind him.
September 28, 2025 at 12:23 PM
hauntingtheatom.bsky.social
"A nice drop of the ol'..."

I was in the area today and couldn't resist a snap.
A London street sign, high on a lamp post, that reads: "Kensington Gore, SW7: City of Westminster." In the background are some lush green trees, and a large white cloud in a sunny, blue sky.
September 12, 2025 at 6:08 PM