Strange Whispers

"Strange Whispers" is a musical composition by Yoko Shimomura. It is used throughout the Kingdom Hearts series.

Appearances
"Strange Whispers" is an ominous theme used primarily in cutscenes that involve either an unfortunate discovery or an encounter with an antagonist.

Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts Final Mix

 * Destiny Islands: "Connected World"
 * Olympus Coliseum: "Hades Prepares Cloud"
 * Agrabah: "To The Desert!"
 * Neverland: "Neverland," "Leaving the Island"
 * Hollow Bastion: "Riku Accepts His Darkness"

Kingdom Hearts II and Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix

 * Twilight Town (Roxas): "A Dream of Good-byes"

Kingdom Hearts Re:coded

 * Introduction and tutorial: Opening
 * Destiny Islands: "This world has been connected," "The Keyhole"
 * Traverse Town: "The Man in the Cloak in the First District"
 * Wonderland: "It's time you learned the truth"
 * Agrabah: "Maleficent's Designs"

Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance

 * La Cité des Cloches (Riku): "The Road to Dawn"

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

 * The World That Never Was: "Day 26 - Terminated," "Day 150 - Fear," "Day 353 - Resolve"
 * Castle Oblivion: "Day 255 - The Longest Day," "Day 296 - Confessions"
 * Agrabah: "Day 321 - Waning Power"

Kingdom Hearts III

 * San Fransokyo: "Enter the Supervillain"

Kingdom Hearts Union χ

 * Side Quests: "Darkness Draws Near"
 * Castle of Dreams: "The Dress"

Composition
"Strange Whispers" is approximately fifty-five seconds long in Kingdom Hearts. In Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX, it is approximately fifty-six seconds long.

In Kingdom Hearts, the piece has a time signature of 4/4 and a tempo of 108 beats per minute. The piece does not have an introduction or conclusion, allowing for smooth transitions between loops. The instrumentation is consistent between games, except in Kingdom Hearts III. The standard instrumentation consists solely of strings- namely, cello, and stringed bass. However, in Kingdom Hearts III, the instrumentation includes: a strings section, synthesizer, female vocals, and use of haunting, drone-like sound effects.

Overall, the piece has a very ominous and eerie nature. In Kingdom Hearts III the "whisper" aspect of "Strange Whispers" is more audible in that actual female vocals are used. Regardless of the game, the cello maintains control of the melody. Underneath this sinister melody is an equally as offsetting drone played by the stringed bass. Additionally, the added sound effects and synthesizer in Kingdom Hearts III only heighten the tension and unknown.