
While homebound during the pandemic, people are often turning to television and movies as a form of escapism. But creator, writer, and composer Firas Abou Fakher and the rest of the team behind the new acclaimed television series Al Shak ( the doubt ) did just the opposite, instead leaning into the very circumstances of the moment for its inspiration. The new show, available on the Middle East and North Africa's leading video-on-demand streaming platform, Shahid, was entirely created, written, and produced by a team that was working from home.
I wanted the starting point to be something familiar that everyone could recognize. The COVID-19 pandemic, which is at the heart of the mechanics of the show, is a global shared experience, Firas, who is known for his role in indie rock band Mashrou Leila, explained to For the Record.
Al Shak centers on a young woman named Samar who is isolated in her family's old house during lockdown. One day, she mistakenly logs into the wrong video chat and witnesses a murder. From there, through Samar's experience, the 10-episode psychological thriller explores themes of isolation and connection.
As with most thrillers, music is used in Al Shak to heighten and amplify the characters' moods throughout the show. The eerie and solemn soundtrack, which can be found on Spotify, also has an official copartnered, curated Spotify playlist to match. This playlist provides a unique, in-depth listening experience for fans-one that's been carefully designed to complement and support the series.
In order to create these types of playlists, Spotify's editors work alongside film and television showrunners, music supervisors, or composers to provide suggestions and guidance, as well as package the final product for fans. The copartnered Al Shak playlist, for example, was curated hand in hand with the show's team, including Firas. The playlist even took Firas' own inspiration for Al Shak's soundtrack into account.
I did a lot of research into the scores of psychological thrillers and horrors, from Bernard Hermann's work with Alfred Hitchcock to the work of John Carpenter to contemporary scores by Mica Levi, Colin Stetson, Bobby Krlic, and more, Firas said.
The playlist, therefore, includes Firas' compositions from the show's soundtrack, but also goes further, adding pieces from other composers, like John Williams and Thom Yorke, as well as songs from cult classic and more recent psychological thrillers and horror movies, like Psycho, Annihilation, and Midsommar.
The soundtrack also features a bit of whimsy-many of the sounds heard in the show are actually made from household items played like instruments. When combined with more traditional instrumentation, this creates emotional music that serves to highlight the show's thematic content.
I didn't have access to the studios, musicians, and orchestras that I usually do, said Firas. I tried to create musical instruments from the items around me that are usually seen as boring or mundane, creating drones, percussion, and even piano-like sounds from them. I wanted all this to help create the dark and lonely world our protagonist inhabits, even within a highly connected world. The tactile reality of these everyday found objects plays a big part in the world-building of the show.
Firas played on the lids of pots and pans with cello bows to create pads and drones-not that you'd ever know just from listening to the soundtrack. These could be played in a very musical way, or very menacingly, he said. I also used superball mallets to create what would become the signature sound of our antagonist by making metal trays talk.' I used lots of salt and pepper grinders, as well as wooden sticks and metal cutlery to create the percussion, and I used soft mallets on metal trays. Glass windows created a musical white noise' that I think is felt rather than heard. Several doors were slammed to create the deep thuds throughout. The neighbors were not happy.
By partnering with Spotify to create a customized playlist alongside the soundtrack, Firas can also look forward to insights our editors can provide (like unexpected regions that may stream the playlist). It's also a great avenue for discovery for fans of the show who may not know where to go after streaming the series, and for furthering artist discovery for the music community in the Middle East and North Africa.
Yet technology can't do everything. I am a big believer that the human touch in music is essential, adds Firas. Even a human bowing the lid of a pot can express the intention of a scene or a moment in a unique and powerful way.
The human touch-though something Samar's character may be missing in her life-is truly felt in every aspect of Al Shak, from its carefully crafted story to the creation of intricate homemade music to its origination during a time when many are staying home.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, today unveiled its educational presentations for the 2026 NAB Show. This year SMPTE will ...
18/03/2026
Maxon, maker of powerful, approachable software solutions for creators working in 2D and 3D design, motion graphics, visual effects, gaming, and more, today ann...
18/03/2026
Digital Alert Systems
Preview
2026 NAB Show
April 19 - 22
Booth C3452
At the 2026 NAB Show, Digital Alert Systems will showcase Version 6.0 of its DASDEC ...
18/03/2026
Setplex today announced that it will showcase its complete, fully integrated Zapflex platform for the first time at the 2026 NAB Show, introducing powerful new ...
18/03/2026
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT RELATES TO THE DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION THAT QUALIFIED OR MAY HAVE QUALIFIED AS INSIDE INFORMATION WITHIN THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 7(1) OF THE ...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking DP for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Director of Photography for Low Budget Dramedy Fe...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking Gaffer for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Gaffer for Low Budget Dramedy Feature Film- I...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking Location, Sound for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Location/Sound for Low Budget Dramed...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking Child Wrangler for Low Budget Film - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Child Wrangler for Low Budget Dramedy Fe...
18/03/2026
Calrec Redefines Broadcast Workflows at NAB 2026 with its Most Powerful Hardware...
18/03/2026
Oscar Nominated Two People Exchanging Saliva Posted with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
DaVinci Resolve Studio handle...
18/03/2026
Boston Conservatory Presents Celebrated Musical Satire Urinetown Performances for this Center Stage production will take place at Boston Conservatory Theater ...
18/03/2026
Charlie Puth Joins Switched On Pop at Berklee NYC The Berklee alum spoke with host and Berklee NYC professor Charlie Harding for a live taping, answering audi...
17/03/2026
NASA+'s Rebecca Sirmons and Brittany Brown offer unique look at live streami...
17/03/2026
The transition to IP has fundamentally reshaped professional media infrastructures. Video, audio, and increasingly metadata now circulate as independent, precis...
17/03/2026
Live sports streaming can push every element in your video delivery chain to its limit, exposing every potential weakness in seconds. When the Super Bowl, the O...
17/03/2026
Texas Athletics sought to modernize its media production, enhance fan experience...
17/03/2026
Ikegami USA will demonstrate the latest additions to its wide range of broadcast...
17/03/2026
TNA Wrestling and iHeartMedia announces a new multi-platform collaboration that will integrate iHeartMedia across TNA's premium live events, weekly televisi...
17/03/2026
The goal was to transform Hard Rock Stadium into a global leader in sports and e...
17/03/2026
Spectrum has announced the launch of its new Multiview feature in the Spectrum TV App, giving customers the ability to watch up to four NCAA men's or women&...
17/03/2026
Genius Sports deal also covers data technology, AI, fan engagement, and performance analysis....
17/03/2026
Net Insight is supporting the rollout of a new state-wide centralized operation with Rede Massa, which is an SBT affiliate, the Brazilian regional television ne...
17/03/2026
Featuring audio from practice sessions, qualifying races, and Grand Prix races, the film represents Apple's sports-media ambitions
At Sunday night's Ac...
17/03/2026
Live broadcast has always been one of the most demanding environments in media a...
17/03/2026
DirecTV is introducing several new viewing features, including a multi-screen March Madness Mix channel and an updated Sports Central mobile app hub, ahead of...
17/03/2026
Deltatre has announced a multi-year partnership with ATP Media, the media arm of the ATP Tour, covering broadcast graphics, data, and production across the 2026...
17/03/2026
The Detroit Pistons have announced a third consecutive season partnering with Sc...
17/03/2026
Fresh Finds Africa spotlights emerging artists and movements across the continent and its global diaspora, with listeners tuning in to discover new Afro-forward...
17/03/2026
Last month, more than 60,000 fans piled into Bangkok's Rajamangala National ...
17/03/2026
Vintage-inspired channel strip joins line-up
Black Rooster Audio's latest plug-in provides an all-in-one mixing tool inspired by classic analogue consol...
17/03/2026
Level and EQ voice, reverb and noise independently
The latest plug-in to join Accentize's collection is said to take a new approach to dialogue processi...
17/03/2026
UHF radio mic & IEM bandwidth at risk
Once again, the UHF bandwidth that is currently allocated to RF audio gear is at risk of being reassigned to high-spee...
17/03/2026
Last Friday, the first Plant Fire Department Training Week in Bavaria successf...
17/03/2026
New campaign from NAATI and SBS CulturalConnnect highlights how we all deserve ...
17/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
17/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
17/03/2026
3D streaming infrastructure provider Miris today announced the launch of a public beta for its new 3D asset streaming platform. Miris is building the infrastruc...