Spooky Music

[Qualidar]

The Shining and Session 9 soundtracs are great. For chanting, you need to get the names of some of those Tibetan Throat Singers.

~Qualidar~

 

[Desdichado]

I have a bizarre, near fetish-like obsession with finding creepy atmospheric music to use during games. I can't think of too many off-hand that are chant-like, though (a few tracks off of Fellowship of the Ring certainly are; maybe those'll work? Might feel to orc-like to your players though, since it's so recognizable.) But I've got tons that I use, mostly movie soundtracks.

I am appalled by folks who would play something like Danzig or other metal during a game session. Recently, I've softened my approach on things like game music and themed music ala Midnight Syndicate, and I appreciate them much more than I used to. But I still mostly keep to movie soundtracks.

 

[Mouseferatu]

I am appalled by folks who would play something like Danzig or other metal during a game session.

While I agree that I would never play metal, or anything blatantly modern, during a game, the Danzig album being referred to--Black Aria--is not metal at all. It's completely orchestral, and actually feels very much like a horror movie soundtrack.

 

[Desdichado]

While I agree that I would never play metal, or anything blatantly modern, during a game, the Danzig album being referred to--Black Aria--is not metal at all. It's completely orchestral, and actually feels very much like a horror movie soundtrack.

Ah. Well, then... cary on, carry on. Nothing to see here.

 

[Shadowdancer]

Beginning of "The Mystic's Dream" by Loreena McKennitt. It was used in the movie "Jade" and the miniseries "Mists of Avalon" to create a spooky atmosphere. Also incorporates some chanting -- makes me think of a cult's religious ceremony.

 

[Piratecat]

Midnight Syndicate has pretty atmospheric stuff too. (And by 'atmospheric' I mean 'spooky'.)

Midnight Syndicate's "Out of Darkness" may be just what you're looking for. 24 tracks, the spookiest stuff they've done from the last decade.

 

[Desdichado]

I didn't specifically set out to track you down more stuff, but I did throw on some of my rpg mp3 archive CD-R's while reviewing some stuff from d20 Past for my homebrew. The End of Days soundtrack has some really spooky stuff that has some chant-like vocals on it.

I also happened to hear some Black Hawk Down which might do the same thing, although it might be too exotic for your game. I also heard a bit of Hunt for the Red October which is pretty harsh and cold singing/chanting in Russian. It sounds very Soviet like though, and not necessarily spooky. :shrug:

If I come across anything else, I'll give you a heads-up here.

 

[Wombat]

Personally, I've always avoided Midnight Syndicate -- they always struck me as "This is to Goth what Spinal Tap is to Metal". One man's opinion

I use a lot of classical and medieval music in my games, as well as modern-medieval (Dead Can Dance, Corvus Corax, etc.).

Have you thought of passages from Night on Bald Mountain by Mussorsky? That has some lovely creepy bits!

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

There are some great suggestions here... Diamanda Galas' Plague Mass is one intense album.

I'd also recommend a lot of the early releases on Cold Meat Industry. Their newer stuff is more in the vein of Power Electronics, Martial-Folk, and Darkwave (still very good, but not what you're looking for). But it's all really, really dark music.

In particular, I'd look for early Raison D'Etre, Mortiis, Morthound, and Ildfrost.

 

[Ravilah]

I am overwhelmed.

In a good way.

At this point, I think I'm adding somewhere close to 20 songs to my iPod. Thanks everyone!

Of course, this doesn't mean you have to stop

R