Silence as a tool
Also said as Audio rest, Negative space, Dropping out
Removing sound on purpose: cutting the music, or even the ambience, before or during a moment. Silence is something you can play, as long as you have made noise beforehand.
Ears adapt to loudness, so after a quiet moment the same sound lands harder. It also frightens: players know a score going quiet means something is about to change.
Say it
“Cut all the music 1.8 s before the boss's first slam, and keep only a low wind. Then let the slam hit at the same level as always.”
Not to be confused with missing audio
A deliberate rest has a shape: it comes straight after sound, for a reason. An empty scene with nothing at all just feels unfinished.