Where it works
Suits thrillers, true crime, villains and moody fashion edits.
Building it in practice
Dark music works through the low end and what is missing. Low drones, detuned synths and minor or Phrygian melodies set the tone, while sparse arrangements and long reverb make the listener lean in. Decide whether dark should mean menacing or melancholy: menacing calls for distortion and metallic percussion, melancholy for slow piano and strings in a low register.
Prompts to try
Dark ambient drone with sub bass, metallic textures and distant percussion
Brooding trap beat with eerie choir and heavy 808
Dark techno at 130 BPM, industrial percussion and a menacing synth stab