'C.S.I.' Tunes

(CBS)  Every week, the cast and crew of "C.S.I." find themselves immersed in bone-chilling tales, made even more haunting by the music that accompanies each scene, reports The Early Show co-anchor Julie Chen.

While "C.S.I." is famous for its high-tech gadgets, the music on the show is also cutting edge.

"We try to choose the edgiest, coolest, hippest music," says the show's executive producer, Anthony Zucker. "As we watch these shows in the editing room, we sort of talk about, 'Let's put some interrogation-type music there or some great string.' Anything sort of eerie and creepy."

From techno to tribal, Zucker knows the magic of finding the right sound.

He says he can see the television character Grissom looking at different bugs and different gestations of the bugs and add the music and sounds naturally.

Series stars Gary Dourdan and Jorja Fox are also music lovers. A lunch break often turns into a jam session. But, the music isn't just fun. It's therapeutic, because it provides the cast an escape from the disturbing drama.

"Some of the stories are based on real life stories," says Dourdan. "That's haunting."

"If I read the scripts before I go to bed, I have nightmares," says Fox. "And usually by the end of the season, when we get ready to break, it's all about 'PG' — happy entertainment."

Fox says the two actors listen to music to get in the mood for the dark series.

"Sometimes I listen to some really heavy hip hop," says Dourdan, who explains the aggressiveness can help get him into the mood to act in the drama.

"I listen to rock 'n' roll music," says Fox. "But, I love everything. I love soul. I love Blues. I love Motown. My character's from San Francisco, so I can't deny the whole sort of late Sixties, summer of love thing."

Dourdan says he and Fox sing on set, as well.

"I'm a horrible singer," says Fox. "I don't know why he's encouraging me to sing."

"She's great," counters Dourdan.

"But I love to sing," says Fox. "The problem is that I love it and I do it all the time."

The music of "C.S.I." is now available in stores as a compilation CD. And for those who can't get enough of Dourdan, he's hard at work on his own CD to be released later this year on his record label, "Metisse."

To watch "C.S.I." tune to the CBS network Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET