BG Music for Gaming?

[ArgoForg]

I'm more or less curious how many CK's (or players) out there like to have music in the background to add to the atmosphere in their games, and if so, what do/would you play?

I have to admit that yes, I am a shameless props whore, so along with cool handouts and props, one of the things I love to have going during our games is a background soundtrack. If I know what sort of track the adventure's gonna run, I like to set up a mix with some ominous music during the dungeoncrawls, or some pulse-pounding orchestra work for the big battles. A lot of times it really gets the players hyped up!

Some of the stuff I currently use quite often:

Angels & Demons Soundtrack

The Dark Knight (OST)

Gladiator (OST)

Journeys into Darkness & Legends of Kitholan by Dronolan's Tower, which is freaking awesome, IMHO.

Lord of the Rings (all three OST's)

Stargate Atlantis (OST)

The Tudors (Seasons 1 & 2 OST)

Rome (Seasons 1 & 2 OST)

Kingdom of Heaven (OST)

Braveheart (OST)

Most OST's with "Star" in the title.... Trek, Wars, Gate, etc.

Some pieces from Sonic Legends, whose stuff is pretty good for gaming ambience.

Currently, my 30G Zen has almost 1000 songs to pull from in my Soundtrack/Gaming list, and I am always looking for more. Anyone else like to add musical flavor to their games?
_________________
- "Sorry, I just happen to prefer games where the GM is an actual arbitrator and not the wall to roll dice off to decide what happens."

[serleran]

I try to avoid music when possible at the game simply because I know it will distract the players. However, we sometimes play music before the game, like The Gnome by Pink Floyd, to set the starting mood... not often, though.
_________________
If it matters, leave a message at the beep.
Serl's Corner

[Treebore]

Look up Midnight Syndicate. I think I own all of their CD's. A lot of them are great for playing during Hollow e'en too.
_________________
The Ruby Lord, Earl of the Society

Next Con I am attending: http://www.neoncon.com/

My House Rules: http://www.freeyabb.com/phpbb/viewtopic ... llordgames

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Bruckner 9. The second movement is great for combat, while the first builds flavor.

Shostakovich 5. Anything works from here, depending on the mood. Get the Leonard Bernstein recording.

R. Strauss Ein Alpensinfonie. Great general f/x stuff. Pretty much any Strauss works, but this one's my favorite.

Mahler 5 & 6. Mahler rules. 'Nuff said.

Any English Renaissance compilations (I prefer the Canadian Brass).

Wagner Der Ring des Nibelungen without words and orchestral music from Parsifal.

I put up a list someplace a while back. I need to track it down. These represent a great starting point, though, if you want to get "Classical" stuff in there.

[Treebore]

Sir Osis of Liver wrote:
Bruckner 9. The second movement is great for combat, while the first builds flavor.

Shostakovich 5. Anything works from here, depending on the mood. Get the Leonard Bernstein recording.

R. Strauss Ein Alpensinfonie. Great general f/x stuff. Pretty much any Strauss works, but this one's my favorite.

Mahler 5 & 6. Mahler rules. 'Nuff said.

Any English Renaissance compilations (I prefer the Canadian Brass).

Wagner Der Ring des Nibelungen without words and orchestral music from Parsifal.

I put up a list someplace a while back. I need to track it down. These represent a great starting point, though, if you want to get "Classical" stuff in there.

Wagner's Flight of the Valkyries, etc... is also awesome classical music to use. Unfortunately it is so awesome players often decide to listen and get into the awesomeness rather than pay attention to the game.
_________________
The Ruby Lord, Earl of the Society

Next Con I am attending: http://www.neoncon.com/

My House Rules: http://www.freeyabb.com/phpbb/viewtopic ... llordgames

[Sir Osis of Liver]

The Ride is great stuff, but I try keeping things a bit more obscure to avoid the possibility of forgetting why we're at the table. Bruckner 3 is a great one I forgot about. If you find yourself entering a grand temple, Gregorian chant or some Bach would be good to have on hand.

[Go0gleplex]

WHAT! NO CONAN!?!
I have a Midnight Syndicate CD running around myself.
_________________
The obvious will always trip you up FAR more than the obscure.

Baron Grignak Hammerhand of the Pacifica Provinces-

High Warden of the Castles & Crusades Society

[Omote]

Sometimes. Sometimes it can set the mood, or when I'm feeling it I play music in the background. I'm not currently running any long-term campaigns where I might need to, but in the past I have used:

*Various video game music (particularly the Legacy of Kain / Soulreaver series, Lunar, Vagrant Story, etc )

*Kingdom of Heaven OST

*Robinhood Prince of Thieves OST

*various Harry Potter OSTs

*The 13th Warrior

*various Nox Arcana

*various Midnight Syndicate

*various anime OST (Lodoss, anything Yoko Kanno)

I tend to pick music that has no vocals or sinply chanting and the like. The music is turned down really low only to just be ambient at most.

~O
_________________
> Omote's Advanced C&C stuff <
Duke Omote Landwehr, Holy Order of the FPQ ~ Prince of the Castles & Crusades Society

[Ogre]

Dvorak is worth checking out, his "new world symphony" has influenced a lot of film composers

The 4th movement here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtE3P8Z15Pk

Seems to be clearly an inspiration to Jaws and LOTR soundtracks.

[Ogre]

BTW, I don't play music for RPG's, but sometimes will for miniature war gaming.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Dvorak is good stuff too. I avoid Dvorak 9 just because of the familiarity factor. Glinka, Borodin, Rimsky-Korsakov and, of course, Rachmaninov all have some great stuff for gaming. The de Meij LotR Symphony is good too.

[ArgoForg]

Wow, I'm pleasantly surprised (although I guess I shouldn't be) with all the classical love! I loves me some Dvorak and Shostakovich (Leningrad Symphony is one of my faves, and the Bernstein/Chicago Symphony version is great. Brass section with teeth, there.) I shamefully don't have enough Mahler to be able to point him out in a lineup. That's something I need to take care of sometime.

I have only heard small snippets and bits of Midnight Syndicate or Nox Arcana, but they seem to have a lot of love here, too, and I'm always open to new experiences. Is their stuff orchestral, new age, or modern instrumental? And does anyone have any particular album/CD/track suggestions from either/or I should try out for starters? (I know Midnight Syndicate did the Dungeons and Dragons CD, for instance, but I don't know if that should be my first stop or not.)

Omote, it's been long years since I've watched Lodoss War. I've used some tracks from the Chrno Crusade OST and liked them quite a bit, and pulled some tracks from JRPG's-- mostly Final Fantasy series. Are you talking the OST to Record of Lodoss War, or is there another series? And is it pretty good?
_________________
- "Sorry, I just happen to prefer games where the GM is an actual arbitrator and not the wall to roll dice off to decide what happens."

[alcyone]

See also:
http://www.freeyabb.com/phpbb/viewtopic ... llordgames
_________________
Sir Aergraith Aethelmar of Cyrswud, CaCS,OotF

[Omote]

ArgoForg wrote:
Omote... Are you talking the OST to Record of Lodoss War, or is there another series? And is it pretty good?

I am talking about the original OVA OST. This OST had 3 CDs, and some of it was japanese vocals that didn't really mesh well. However, I'd say at least 40% of the OST was perfect for BG gaming music.

As for classical (outside of the normal, big composers) that I have found to be really great for RPGs is - Mikhail Mikhailovich Ippolitov-Ivanov who did a series of orchestral pieces called the Caucasian Sketches. These suites are great for sweeping movements and feel like RPG music. Another, in particular, is the amazing Procession of the Sardar which just rocks for outdoor setting RPG theme music.

~O
_________________
> Omote's Advanced C&C stuff <
Duke Omote Landwehr, Holy Order of the FPQ ~ Prince of the Castles & Crusades Society

[Aladar]

I would like to add Holst's "The Planets" for background music.
_________________
Lord Aladar

Warden of the Welk Wood

Baron of the Castles & Crusades Society

The Poster formerly known as Alwyn

Senior Gamer - Member of the Senior RPG Tour

"NEMO ME IMPUNE LACESSIT - At least not in Yu Gi Oh"
http://www.cncsociety.org/

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Aladar wrote:
I would like to add Holst's "The Planets" for background music.

Yeah, The Planets would be another good one. Again, though, gotta be careful to get one of the more obscure movements, although Mars would certainly be good for a fight.

I might think about using something like the anonymously composed gypsy music used in Amadeus (as Salieri was strolling through the Prince-Archbishop's digs looking for Mozart for the first time) in some kind of tavern sequence or something like that.