The Inevitable Music Thread

Alchemical Music tips


Some tracks that are particularly relevant to Alchemicals can be found on the score of American McGee's Alice (composed by Chris Vrenna). Many of Vrennas other tracks are also appropriate for Alchemicals, and can be found on his website - ::tweaker.net::


The deconstructed industrial music of Trent Reznor (of Nine Inch Nails - of whom Vrenna is an ex-bandmember) could also be appropriate for games that are likely to involve Gremlins or the Far Reaches.
 
If your story is based in the northern (we had a campaign set around Icehome) there is a lot of medieval/folk style music available you could use. The common denominator of these bands is their source of inspiration, and their instruments, although the latter varies wildly from authentic, handbuilt medieval style instruments to skewed sampling with rock, metal or techno infusions. The style varies a lot and I suggest shopping around a bit to find something that suits your style.


Amazon's "customer's who bought this CD also bought ..."-feature is recommended if you want to find more. Here's what I have (far from all of this is something I would use myself but your mileage may vary):


Corvus Corax, Furunkulus Bladilo, Garmarna, Gjallarhorn, Hedningarna, In Extremo, Krauka, Schandmaul, Sorten Muld, Tanzwut, Värttinä.


For settings down south I recommend Arabica - A North African Voyage into Sound. I think it's african pop music but I honestly don't know. :-)
 
Given the leaning of exalted towards anime style genre conventions


Japanese RPG soundtracks (eg final fantasy etc.) tend to work well i've found
 
Fantomas' Amenaza Al Mundo is an excellent soundtrack for Malfeas, in my opinion. In fact, it's just plain excellent in all contexts.


-S
 
I use Nightwish, from time to time.  Most of their songs have vocals, though, so if you don't like singing in the background then they probably aren't for you.  The song Roll Tide (Crimson Tide) is a good intrumental....


I like playing their song Angels Fall First whenever one of the characters ends up in Yu Shan.  It's a nice, soft song with some great instruments and the singing is pleasant.  It's nice mood music.  Heck, all of their stuff is good mood music.  Dead to the World, Beauty of the Beast, End of All Hope, 10th Man Down Theme, Gatekeeper, Nymphomaniac Fantasia, Ocean Soul, Slaying the Dreamer, The Kinslayer, Tutankhamen...their version of the Phantom of the Opera is awesome too.


I guess I just like them a bit too much...but the whole group likes having their music in the background, so I don't feel too bad about it.
 
I use Nightwish, from time to time.  Most of their songs have vocals, though, so if you don't like singing in the background then they probably aren't for you.  The song Roll Tide (Crimson Tide) is a good intrumental....
I like playing their song Angels Fall First whenever one of the characters ends up in Yu Shan.  It's a nice, soft song with some great instruments and the singing is pleasant.  It's nice mood music.  Heck, all of their stuff is good mood music.  Dead to the World, Beauty of the Beast, End of All Hope, 10th Man Down Theme, Gatekeeper, Nymphomaniac Fantasia, Ocean Soul, Slaying the Dreamer, The Kinslayer, Tutankhamen...their version of the Phantom of the Opera is awesome too.


I guess I just like them a bit too much...but the whole group likes having their music in the background, so I don't feel too bad about it.
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Agreed. Nightwish is one of the best non-true metal bands otu there. Besides, Tarja is quite pleasing to the eye.


I would not, however, use it as background music, because it has vocals (which makes for too much noise pollution in an RPG), unless it is used to emphasize some part of an important scene. I still recommend you use it sparingly, though.
 
Besides' date=' Tarja is quite pleasing to the eye.[/quote']
Ain't it the truth?  

I would not' date=' however, use it as background music, because it has vocals (which makes for too much noise pollution in an RPG), unless it is used to emphasize some part of an important scene. I still recommend you use it sparingly, though.[/quote']
Yeah, I only use it occasionally.  I've got a nice big playlist that I use which has instrumentals for any occasion, but I always manage to squeze in a Nightwish song or two every session.  Besides, all my players request it now and play it even when they're running the game.  We don't mind the vocals so much, but then we have the music on very quietly just to add some ambient sound, so you can't really make out the vocals anyway.
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Doesn't Nightwish have some songs without words in the vocals? A friend sent me an mp3 called 'Tristania' and said it was by Nightwish. Vocals like that don't seem as distracting as, say, Billy Idol wailing.


The MY HiME soundtracks have a few nice songs. A few themes of wrestlers from the WWE are pretty nice. Any of the Undertaker's themes work well for Abyssals, as might some of Kane's older ones.
 
Andrew02 said:
Doesn't Nightwish have some songs without words in the vocals? A friend sent me an mp3 called 'Tristania' and said it was by Nightwish. Vocals like that don't seem as distracting as, say, Billy Idol wailing.
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As far as I know, there´s no NIghtwish song called Tristania. In fact, there´s a band called Tristania. Either your friend or the person he got the mp3 from made some confusion, which is quite possible considering Tristania´s style is somewhat simliar to Nightwish´s.
 
I would not' date=' however, use it as background music, because it has vocals (which makes for too much noise pollution in an RPG), unless it is used to emphasize some part of an important scene. I still recommend you use it sparingly, though.[/quote']
Probably my fault for starting a thread proposing scores, and then including Reznor in there without being as specific - I was mainly thinking Quake 1 and The Fragile.


The reason I still suggest vocals is that Reznor samples his own voice like an instrument, and so there are not really any suprising words ot phrases to interrupt the flow of play.


On another note - might I suggest Phillip Glass and also the Kronos Quartet? They have worked together on occasion, but are both wonderful for creating a "there's something not-quite-right" feeling in the back of your skull.
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As far as I know' date=' there´s no NIghtwish song called Tristania. In fact, there´s a band called Tristania. Either your friend or the person he got the mp3 from made some confusion, which is quite possible considering Tristania´s style is somewhat simliar to Nightwish´s.[/quote']
Although different enough that I like Tristania but not Nightwish. It's funny how the little things make the difference. I never even though of comparing the two. :-)
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Relic said:
Although different enough that I like Tristania but not Nightwish. It's funny how the little things make the difference. I never even though of comparing the two. :-)
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I have to admit I´m not very acquainted qith Tristania´s style... As far as I know, their greatest similarity is that they both play Symphonic Metal, and both emphasize lyrics feminine vocals. But that and a few songs heard are as far as my knowledge of them goes.


I would say they´re quite interesting for an Abyssal scene's soundtrack.
 
For Abyssal tunes, there's always Danzig's classic, Black Aria, short though it might be.


-S
 
You guys should also take a gander at http://www.ocremix.org/ as they have quite a number of mp3s that you can download without any problems... that are remixes of soundtracks.


A handy resource as there are quite a number of good remixes in here.
 
When we had a campaign set in the North-East, the entire group really enjoyed the Ravenous soundtrack. It worked really well with the Invisible Fortress scenario our chronicle was loosely based on. Enough cannot be said of a soundtrack with song titles like, "Let's Go Kill That Bastard".


Some other appropriate Soundtracks, depending on what Exalted type the chronicle involves, would be Lord of the Rings, Final Fantasy VII, Interview with the Vampire, Last of the Mohicans, Star Wars (if you can get past the constant flashbacks to the movies that some of the songs induce), and Conan the Barbarian (most of it by Basil Pouledouris. Anyone wanting to listen to possibly the greatest and most under-used battle song in existence should download "Battle of the Mounds"). I  know I personally, like most people in my experience, prefer songs without lyrics, or at least where the lyrics are either non-English or play a secondary role, so I would avoid more of the metal stuff as a general rule.
 
I usually use music from Final Fantasy 8 and a little bit of 5 & 6.  However, in our last session, our circle was at a coronation of a king that they had instilled.  The players were expecting something appropriate for that.  What they got was the "Darth Maul" music when the doors open, you know what I'm talking about.  I used it to introduce an Abyssal.  The first one this group has seen in a year of playing time.  They all jumped out of their seats at once.  Oh the look on their faces.  I SOOO wish I had a digital camera at the time.  Music in games rock.
 
Haku said:
You guys should also take a gander at http://www.ocremix.org/ as they have quite a number of mp3s that you can download without any problems... that are remixes of soundtracks.
A handy resource as there are quite a number of good remixes in here.
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you are always pimping that site at the exact moment i wish i had bookmarked it.
 
Spook said:
Haku said:
You guys should also take a gander at http://www.ocremix.org/ as they have quite a number of mp3s that you can download without any problems... that are remixes of soundtracks.
A handy resource as there are quite a number of good remixes in here.
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you are always pimping that site at the exact moment i wish i had bookmarked it.
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That's because I'm a nice person who uses psker powers for the good of the Imperium.
 
Maryuoh said:
Ahem, it's The Imperial March.
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Actually it's titled "Qui-Gon's Noble End".  It's track 15 on the Episode 1 Phantom Menace soundtrack.  Some of the music is based off the "Duel of the Fates" score.  They play it when the amidala and her retinue are leaving the hanger and the doors open to reveal Darth Maul.  They also play a piece of it when Qui-Gon and DM are going at it with a helpless Obi-Wan watching as DM runs Qui-Gon through.
 
Oh, and as always (and people are likely going to crucify me for this but...) anything New Age, and Ambient - Enya, Enigma, Delerium...


*Watches everyone turn away in disgust*


Nonono, hear me out.


Never overuse any band - people will get so over it, but splicing a track from the above into a custom score can be useful as down-time, background, inoffensive music, provided it's not a jarring change of pace.


That being said, more people need to hear Prodigy vs. Enya - Sail Away & Smack My Bitch Up.


One of the best remixes ever. Seriously.


...not that my opinion means anything now...
 
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