Mood music needed

[kafka47]

Need a few suggestions for the following themes:

Vargr Corsair Strike Team
Megacorp Official
Derelik
Alone in the Void
Attack
Imperial forces arrive
Arriving in a starport
Meeting an old friend
Strange Environs
Theme for Fat Trader

and anything else for the Traveller Adventure.

 

[fredofmars]

Obvious answers would be various sci-fi sound tracks like Star Wars, Star Trek, etc.

 

[Renaissance Man]

Okay, I know this is cheesy, but check out the OST to the movie Dune. It has some good "epic" sounding tracks.

Star Trek Wrath of Khan OST - Battle of Mutara Nebula. Cheese, but fine cheese. James Horner is the unsung hero of movie soundtracks.

For a more exotic flavour in the space battles, Kodo demon drummers.

You might be able to tease out something useful from the modern composers (if you can stomach them - its really a matter of taste). I'm thinking Phillip Glass, Steve Reich. But you'll have to cherry pick. Good for grand modern vistas like entering bustling starports, etc.

For more electronic technological hustle and bustle, try Squarepusher, Ultravisitor. All instumental, often cacophonous, but possibly useful.

Depending on what you need, you might want to try The Clock from Thom Yorke's The Eraser. Very intense track. Useful for anything heavy.

Speaking of erasers, try the track Eraser from NIN's the Downward Spiral for anything requiring buildup... or maybe not, all that screaming at the end will be distracting

These suggestions may be total bunk of course depending on your taste in music and the mood and flavour you're looking for in your campaign.

 

[Supplement Four]

Okay, I know this is cheesy, but check out the OST to the movie Dune. It has some good "epic" sounding tracks.

I'm a huge fan of symphonic soundtracks. I have several.

The original Dune is OK (not great, but OK). But, if you really want to hear an incredible soundtrack, consider Children of Dune. Music from the TV miniseries. It's exceptional.

In fact, you've probably heard some of it before as Hollywood uses it a lot in movie trailers before a film's music is completed.

Another great soundtrack is that of Raise the Titanic, a not-so-good 80's movie (from the Clive Cussler novel) with an incredible soundtrack. Rolling music. Majestic.

The Final Countdown (another 80's flick about an aircraft carrier that goes back in time to Pearl Harbor) is another great soundtrack. Powerful.

I could come up with many other suggestions if needed.

Don't forget that you can sample most soundtracks on Amazon.

 

[far-trader]

I have to recommend, most highly, the soundtrack from Halo 3*. It is outstanding and should provide many good fits for your needs.

The other suggestions are good too, and likely to be more easily found in your own collection or online freely. Of course there's bound to be a (evil evil thieves) bootleg version of just about everything somewhere on the internet right.

A lot of classical music is very good for setting a mood too. It's largely what it was meant to do after all.

I ran across a site once with all kinds of tracks for download listed by theme. Found it in a search for budget movie making stuff (soundtracks, stock scenes, foley tracks, and such) but don't have the bookmark any longer. Maybe a bit of google fu will find it if you seek it grasshopper.

It's kinda hard to pick specific tracks to fit your titles not knowing your tastes or campaign style and specifics. I think you'll find as many tastes as there are answerers.

* not so much Halo CE or Halo 2, many of the same tracks but the first two were done with stock synthesized orchestra and choir effects, when I first played Halo 3 I was blown away by the soundtrack (so much so a couple times that I was literally blown away in the game and killed as I was distracted by the soundtrack). I found out after (immediately) ordering the CD that the reason was because they went all out for the soundtrack for Halo 3. Live orchestras and choirs. It was obvious even to this untrained ear that the difference was huge.

 

[aramis]

Several other good things to look at:

Pretty much anything by Kachaturian, but especially saber dance (though you'd need to loop it...)

Both the 2001 and 2010 sound tracks. Especially Thus spake Zarathustra

Karaoke disks make pretty good "muzak" for when its appropriate.

 

[Rraurgrimm]

I actually use several MP3-playlists where I tried to capture some specific mood - and I have a few specialized themes for special scenes or persons.

I made rather good experiences with "Erdenstern" - they did some nice albums specially for RPGs

For Traveller background music I mostly use the soundtrack to the game X3 Reunion (regrettably no link there but You should be able to get it quite cheap by now).

Other PC game soundtracks You might use:
The longest journey
Outcast (look under Audio)
Chronicles of Riddick
Lucasarts Soundtracks (I especially like The Dig)
Lineage 2
Bill Brown music (he did the music for CSI: NY f.e.)
Planescape Torment (You will need to be a Fileplanet member to be able to download)
EVE online
Oddworld
Bioshock
Arcanum
Even some Final Fantasy Soundtracks may be useable, I actually like the Tour de Japon and 2002.20.02 concerts with full orchestra

A list with many other game soundtracks may be found here or here

What will suit Your group and the themes You would like to hear? Difficult to tell since that can only be subjective opinion. I fear You will have to listen and decide for Yourself.

 

[Zob10701]

Off the top of my head:

Vargr Corsair Strike Team "Klingons," James Horner, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
Megacorp Official "Main Title," Jerry Goldsmith Basic Instinct
Derelik "The Craft," Jerry Goldsmith, Alien
Alone in the Void "The Passage," Jerry Goldsmith, Alien
Attack "Prelude to War," Bear McCreary, Battlestar Galactica: Season 2
Imperial forces arrive "The Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme)," John Williams, The Empire Strikes Back
Arriving in a starport "Course Two-Five Zero," Basil Poledouris, The Hunt for Red October
Meeting an old friend "Blade Runner Blues," Vangelis, Blade Runner
Strange Environs "Tales of the Future," Vangelis, Blade Runner
Theme for Fat Trader "Journey of the Sorcerer," Bernie Leadon (arr. Joby Talbot), The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

 

[Ishmael]

I guess it depends on the 'mood' of the game

I've grown fond of the soundtracks for "bleach" anime for mood music in games
Vargr should be non-western with heavy percussion
Tempo should match the action..thats the most important

 

[The Hinterworlds Rambler]

Vargr Corsair Strike Team = Rhythm Devils, "The Apocalypse Now Sessions" this whole record is like a vargr record should be. Georg Ligeti is also a good pick, or maybe Sun Ra.

Megacorp Official = Devo Corporate Anthem by Devo?

Derelik = There's a track on the 1984 soundtrack by the Eurythmics that would fit it pretty good if this means a wrecked ship.

Alone in the Void = Somnambulist by XTC

Attack = Classical = Prokofiev's "Time" suite
Modern = Battle in the Snow from Empire Strikes Back or
Boom by King Crimson

Imperial forces arrive = Task Force by Brian Eno

Arriving in a starport = Silver Morning by Brian Eno/Daniel Lanois, especially if we're talking up port.

Meeting an old friend = Dirt by Penguin Cafe Orchestra

Strange Environs = Somber Reptiles by Brian Eno

Theme for Fat Trader = maybe something classical but semi modern like Copeland? Stuff from "Billy the Kid" suite is good.

What do you need mood music CDs? I will make you two at 80 minutes long each and send them up there to ya. The group I grew up playing RPGs with was very into picking the right mood music. One dude even had 78s from the 20s for Call of Cthulhu. I just got all my old records out of storage and are converting them to CD. I'll make you CDs that will reduce your dice to powder!

As a lad, I had two tapes that were just for mood music for Traveller, as we were playing it a lot back then.

 

[Jeff M. Hopper]

I can only suggest a group, Tangerine Dream - take a look at the various movie soundtracks they have done and then pick up their concept album called Le Park. Probably the most versatile instrumental group that comes to mind.

 

[Vargr Breath]

Hi
How about
Warewolfs of London-Warren Zevon --Vargr Strike Team
Money- Pink Floyd--Megacorp Official
Message in a Bottle- The Police--Derelict
Space Oddity-David Bowie-- Alone in the Void

 

[Knightsky]

Alone in the Void

I've always liked "Hyper-Gamma-Spaces" by the Alan Parsons Project for jumpspace scenes in Traveller.

 

[Icosahedron]

Have you seen Andrew Boulton's animations? he has some great backing tracks for them, including Pirates of the Carribean - good attack theme perhaps?
Sorry, I'm hopeless with links - try Googling Traveller movies.

 

[Blue Ghost]

Need a few suggestions for the following themes:

Vargr Corsair Strike Team
Megacorp Official
Derelik
Alone in the Void
Attack
Imperial forces arrive
Arriving in a starport
Meeting an old friend
Strange Environs
Theme for Fat Trader

and anything else for the Traveller Adventure.

Years back, and in general, I usually played Raiders of the Lost Ark.

 

[Darkhstarr]

I use 'Mars, the Bringer of War' by Holst (from the Planets) on my site. The rest of the music from the planets are good. Also 'O Fortuna', the overture from Carmina Burana. If you are not familar, the piece was used in the movies Excalibur & The Doors. The main theme of 'Lifeforce' is quite atmospheric. I've a few mood pieces from the anime soundtracks from Vandread; Vandread Second Stage; Tenchi Muyo GXP; Cutthroat Island, Previn Conducts Korngold-The Sea Hawk, Captain, etc.; all of which are music I play when I'm working online. I recommend the soundtrack to Forbidden Planet for atmosphere.

 

[far-trader]

A tangent question to the topic if you don't mind me derailing your thread a bit...

Does anyone else worry about using recognizable scores because the players may be distracted, tending to relive the movie scene (for example) associated with a piece, either in the way they play their characters or by launching into a reverie of "what a great scene that was" and totally forgetting about the game?

Just curious

 

[aramis]

FT: THat's precisely why I don't use music most of the time.

One of my current players has earned the knickname "The king of Digression".

 

[Supplement Four]

Does anyone else worry about using recognizable scores because the players may be distracted...

I do. When I have music playing in the background, I don't usually have Star Wars or Star Trek or Superman or Indianna Jones playing. I'll pick some more obscure, less recognizable (although just as good) soundtracks from movies...to where the players might say, "Hey! What's this from?"

 

[Rraurgrimm]

Hence my use of computer game music (that may even be orchestrated) - it is far less known to my experience and enhances the mood nonetheless. And it is not neccessarily bad quality in comparison. Though of course movie soundtracks (especially those without the catchy themes) have their place, too. The themes nearly everyone knows (especially RolePlayers tend to know a lot of obscure Fantasy and SciFi themes by heart, I wonder why... ) I either avoid or use them with the full intent to lean on the scene the theme usually helps to depict. Parts from "Name of the Rose" was very great for a fantasy murder mystery f.e. and of course my old StarWars D6 campaign just needed some cheesy Imperial March/The Force theme variations at times.