The Watchers by Folklore Tapes

A new re-imagined score to the cult 1969 film The Watchers — a lesser-known gem directed by Richard Foster and shot on the moors above the West Yorkshire town of Todmorden.

Featuring 8x Todmorden based artists:
Dan B-Hill
Julie 7:12
Thorn Wych
Mark S Williamson
Radiophoric Labs
Bridget Hayden
Sam McLoughlin
Edd Sanders

Described by Kelly Loughlin as a “semi-rural folk horror,” The Watchers may feature the earliest depiction of an alien abduction in British cinema. Shot on 16mm black-and-white film by students of the Royal College of Art and running just 26 minutes, the film weaves together themes and stylistic elements that would later become hallmarks of British folk horror — as seen in works like Nigel Kneale’s Beasts (1976), David Rudkin’s Penda’s Fen (1974), Children of the Stones (1977) and Alan Garner’s Red Shift (1979).

Yet, despite its thematic resonance and creative ambition, The Watchers remains a largely overlooked gem — standing shoulder to shoulder with these classics, but still waiting to be fully acknowledged.

Folklore Tapes have created a trinity of artistic interpretations:

- Reimagined soundtrack
- A 70-page, full-colour A5 book (avaialble as a bundle with the LP)
- An immersive live stage adaptation of The Watchers (taking place at Todmorden Hippodrome 30th and 31st January 2026)

This project expands upon the film’s atmospheric legacy, drawing out its folkloric undertones and exploring the cultural and psychic landscape it inhabits.

Folklore Tapes is an ongoing research and musical heritage project covering and soundtracking the folklore, mythology and occult annals of the UK in volumes of tapes, vinyl and book. Exploring mysteries, myths, nature, occult and strange phenomena of the counties.

folkloretapes.co.uk