Composer Chase Bethea on Crafting the Sound of Caribbean Noir for "Duppy Detective Tashia"

June 11, 2026 - 23:00

Chase Bethea recently sat down with Deadline to discuss his latest project with Spritewrench Studios, the audio-driven detective game "Duppy Detective Tashia." The game draws heavily on Caribbean folklore and noir storytelling, and Bethea's score is central to building that moody, atmospheric world.

Bethea explained that the challenge was blending traditional Caribbean music elements with the tense, shadowy feel of classic film noir. He wanted the music to feel like a character itself, one that could shift between the supernatural and the gritty reality of the detective's world. To achieve this, he incorporated instruments like the steelpan and the cuatro, but processed them in unexpected ways. He layered these sounds with deep, rumbling bass lines and sparse, haunting piano melodies, creating a soundscape that feels both warm and unsettling.

The composer emphasized that the "Duppy" in the title refers to a ghost or spirit in Jamaican folklore, and the music had to honor that cultural root while serving the mystery. He avoided typical horror tropes, instead focusing on a sense of melancholic dread. The result is a score that feels humid, slow-burning, and full of secrets, much like the best noir films. Bethea noted that working with Spritewrench allowed him to take risks, pushing the boundaries of what a game soundtrack can do when it fully commits to a specific cultural and emotional palette.