The Halloween sequel hits theaters on October 19, which is the same day the soundtrack will be available for purchase, but don’t you want a little taste of what’s to come from the John Carpenter–blessed retooling of his classic franchise? Listen now to “The Shape Returns,” which will dredge up a lot of those old familiar Haddonfield feelings if you’re a fan of the original film. You know that piano opener. You know those ambient synths. And now you can hear them tweaked for the direct sequel to Carpenter’s 1978 film. The composer worked with his son, Cody, and godson Daniel Davies on the score, which features a familiar Halloween sound palette that’s cleaner, crisper, and with a sharper edge than the film from decades ago. Carpenter pulled that legendary effort together in just a few days on a tight budget with some tube synthesizers, and having a more relaxed timeline to build this new score — in addition to some cool new digital tools — makes for an excellent new coat of paint on a classic machine.

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