Halloween With Klayton (Celldweller) Fun & Family Edition
As the crisp autumn air rolls in and the shadows grow longer, Halloween arrives: a night of eerie thrills, candy-fueled chaos, and the perfect soundtrack for the macabre. Few artists embody cinematic darkness and futuristic dread like Klayton, the mind behind Celldweller. From crafting industrial soundscapes to building entire story worlds through music, Klayton’s work has always thrived on atmosphere. This Halloween, we dove into both his family traditions and his musical inspirations for the season.
The result? A glimpse into the mind of a producer who balances high-tech horror, childhood nostalgia, and the chaos of candy duty.
Alright Klayton, real talk: do you get more excited about the tricks or the treats? (And yes, handing out candy counts.)
Definitely the treats.
In your house, does Halloween involve full-on decorating and themed playlists, or is it more “survive the sugar rush” with the kids?
There’s definitely a sugar rush aspect, which we try to keep under control as much as possible but it’s more about the kids picking out their fav video game character costumes to run around in.
If your studio became a haunted house for the night, which of your tracks would play in each room to terrify visitors in the right way?
Well my covers of John Carpenter’s “Halloween” & Charlie Clouser’s “Hello Zep” from the Saw franchise are good starts. “When Your Walls Fall” is sufficiently creepy. I’ve done quite a bit of stuff for my FreqGen project that are soundscapes that would be perfect to bring that “Someone’s going to jump out and eat my brains” vibe.
Childhood flashback: what was your Halloween costume back then — and what would “Klayton in 2025” wear if you could go all out?
As a kid it was the cheapest stuff my parents could afford, so way less about who i was and more about being fortunate to have a costume at all. When I could choose, it was always Frankenstein’s monster, The Mummy, Dracula… The classic horror Monsters. I feel like in 2025 I’m always in my Halloween costume 24/7/365 🙂
Family edition: do your kids get involved in your music projects for Halloween, or do they just claim the candy?
When candy is involved, everything else goes to the wayside (including music – lol)
If you had to pick a monster to represent your music style — industrial, cinematic, and futuristic — what would it be? And what would its theme song sound like?
A Xenomorph embodies most of those elements for me. Again, “When Your Walls Fall” feels like a good theme song for an Alien stalking a Colonial Marine.
Halloween nostalgia check: is there a song, movie, or candy that instantly puts you in the spooky mood every year?
I really tied Flatliners to Halloween. The opening creepy choirs and Kiefer Sutherland’s opening line “Today is a good day to die…” just brings back all the Halloween feels. PS can never go wrong with a Reese’s product. Just sayin’ 🙂
Halloween nostalgia check: is there a song, movie, or candy that Build your ultimate “Celldweller Halloween Mix” — three tracks, any artist (including yourself), that absolutely have to be on it.
Ghostbusters. I mean really – who ARE you gonna call??
In the 80s, before the controversy it was Michael Jackson’s Thriller
Halloween – John Carpenter
You covered John Carpenter’s “Halloween Theme” – How did that come together?
Pretty quickly. Most times it takes me a while to bring a track into focus but that one was such a classic – I just heard immediately what I could do. I wanted to respect the track and at the same time bring my sound to it. I did that so long ago that if I were to do it again now, it would probably sound completely different. For me it captured a moment in time and I’m glad people still rock out to it.
Bonus fun: describe your ideal Halloween night in one sentence. Candy, chaos, synths, or all of the above?
Pretty quickly. Most times it takes me a while to bring a track into focus but that one was such a classic – I just heard immediately what I could do. I wanted to respect the track and at the There was a time when it would have been “Watching Flatliners with a bag full of Reese’s sticks in my hand.” Now it’s “Trying to stay awake through “The Nightmare Before Christmas” while my kids down handfuls of candy while jumping on my head.” Good times. 🙂
Halloween isn’t just about scares: it’s about creativity, storytelling, and shared experiences. Through the lens of Celldweller, it becomes a celebration of cinematic horror, musical innovation, and even the mundane chaos of family life. Whether Klayton is crafting a synth-laden soundtrack or making sure the little ones get their candy fix, it’s clear that the dark, inventive spirit of Halloween is alive in both his music and his home.
