Well, since threads for suggestions of background music has been done for Dark Heresy, I think it would be appropriate to start one for Rogue Trader as well (especially since most of us hasn't gotten a hold of our own copy, so having some song suggestions ready and waiting once we get our copy would be excellent now wouldn't it?)

I consider it a bit of a hobby within the hobby to add a musical score to adventures I GM, so I like putting a lot of thought and effort into which songs are played during particular situations within the game. My philosophy is that you should opt for musical scores from films and video games, because they usually don't have any lyrics. While lyrics can certainly be good, they tend to interfere too much with the conversation around the gaming table (and sometimes the language and topics the lyrics sing about can be inappropriate for the setting). That's why I try to scour through soundtracks from video and computer games, movies and ambience music primarily.

Now I don't know if any of you are familiar with the Eve online MMORPG (a game about spaceships and players being pilots basically). I have played it quite a few times (but am on a break from it right now), and one thing I really noticed about it was that it has a very atmospheric score (although during the largest fleetbattles most players tend to turn off the music and soundeffects as the servers tend to get bogged down by lag).

Luckily, many of the songs played in-game are available for download on eve online's website, here:

www.eveonline.com/download/music/

Now not all of these songs really fit the 40K feeling, but I think some of them really hit the spot. This is my list of Eve online songs that would work really good with Rogue Trader as well:

1. Hidden Mementos (Now this is a really moody song, it really captivates the vastness space in a threatening way)

2. I Saw Your Ship (This song would work perfectly for a bustling orbital spaceport where hundreds of space ships drop anchor and depart in the complete silence of space)

3. Last Powercell (Not sure where this one would fit in, but I guess it could be a good song for when the vessel get back to port after an ardous joruney)

4. Merchants, Looters and Ghosts (This one work for several occasions. Perhaps when viewing an awesome vista of stars and glowing space phenomena through the viewports)

5. Nouvelle Rouvenor Hero (This would almost work perfectly as the proud Imperial Navy's theme or for some other intrepid and brave Rogue Trader perhaps)

6. Omens (This one is for fantastic alien terretories in space, where the players are not really sure where they are, perhaps after a bad warp translation?)

7. Red Glowing Dust (Really serene space music, for those few treasured calm moments where PC's can reflect and contemplate over their place in the universe)

8. Rose Of Victory (This is another "return" sort of song, it kind of feels like the vessel and crew have just narrowly escaped certain death and are now giving thanks to the Emperor for their safe return)

9. Something Old, Something New (calm but slightly intimidating. Has a really doomed feel to it, perhaps a swansong of a Rogue Trader vessel sacrificing itself or facing incredible odds in order to save the galaxy from a great threat)

10. Theme Of The Universe (calm song again, but then again most of the Eve songs are since galaxies are slow moving things after all, this has an oppressive feel to it, reflecting the cold and uncaring universe, hiding a multitude of threats for brave Rogue Traders to face)

Tell me what you think everyone! I know music and it's interpretation and feel is a very individual thing, but this is how I feel about these particular songs and in what kind of situation I would use them for a game of Rogue Trader.

Now I know that they don't really fit the action category (for bombastic space battles and such). But keep a lookout in this thread, because I intend to ply through several scores to find just the right music for space battles as well. (Im also really tempted of using a few songs from Pirates of the Caribbean too, but I guess I wouldn't need to mention it anyway )

Until then, feel free to come up with your own suggestions!

Nice Those are kewl.

How about the "Ghosts of Mars" soundtrack by John Carpenter?

~Veronus

C17h19no3 (John Bergin)- One Aching Vista, Everlasting. From the Traitor General album

I kind of like the music you had links to from Eve.

I'm currently running a couple of Dark Heresy games. We tend to play at a game store so I can't set the mood like I'd like to, but there is specific music I listen to when I'm getting ready for games. E Nomine is a favorite. Since I don't speak German or Latin the lyrics don't distract me too much. I also like the 300 soundtrack.

While I've been reading through my new Rogue Trader core book I've been listening to very old Enigma CDs. It seems to fit the more relaxed (not paranoid the Inqusition will tear out my soul for heresy) feel of RT.

Besides music I've also been thinking of what would be some good movies to set the mood for RT. Unfortunately the only ones that come to mind are "Event Horizon" and possibly the Pirates of the Carribean flicks. I've never seen the latter but from previews and what I've heard they look like they could do justice to the swashbuckling Rogue Trader. I just can't get past the "I'll have to have my mind scrubbed after watching a Disney film feel". There just don't seem to be many sci-fi flicks with spaceships anymore.

I just spent part of the day making a soundtrack for Rogue Trader. (got the book at Gencon and havn't been able to put it down).

Here are the albums I was using:

Aliens ( James Horner)

Aliens 3 ( Elliot Goldenthal )

Aliens vs Predator ( Harald Kloser)

Aliens Vs. Predator Requim ( Brian Tyler )

Dead Space ( Jason Graves )

Matrix revolutions ( Don Davis )

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within ( Elliot Goldenthal)

Gears Of War Two ( Steve Jablonsky )

Terminator Salvation ( Danny Elfman )

I've actually been going through and splitting the music up by Action music and exploration music.

Two songs i could realy recomend is the song Requiem for a dream by Clint Mansel and the unsung war (sung in latin) from one of the ace combat games

LOL the unsung war probably came from the unsung war, twas a tittle track. Anywho yeah seems some good choices out there so long as you stick to score and not songs, unless for whatever reason they fit the situation but can be often distracting. Personally it doesn't distract me but sometimes just having music totally ruins the group's ability to focus so I tend to keep it silent and make sure no tv or music is playing hwen we run. I digress, back on topic.

Anywho some other nice scores you can probably look into is the Sci FI Channel's Dune series, Fox's Space above and beyond, and actually for something with a similiar name Earth and Beyond (an mmo knock off of eve but simpler and more on the comical side). There is also the Silent Hill score, and Resident Evil scores (maily hte first not hte sequels) which are good and can set a chilly but fast paced mood for creeping around empty hulks and the like.

Alot of battle music can be taken from alot of old Space Opera Anime such as Dragnonar, Voltron, Gundam, and Macross as they all have that "grand" scale musical scores.

Terminus_Est said:

Oh yes, the soundtrack from Silent Hill and Resident Evil are pretty much staple musical scores for a lot of RPG's. However I have focused my usage of those score to Dark Heresy primarily. They suit the mood better for that game. But for Rogue Trader I personally wanted something different, since the feel and setting of the both games are a bit different.

Yeah I agree they are more for DH but since the games are some what inter-changeable and thre can still be moments of "your on a space hulk, or ghost ship" that they might fit.

Swashbuckle: A good band to have playing softly in the background during a fight or space battle.

Equilibrium "Blut Im Auge": Another good song for fights.

I used Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima when experiencing a warp flux in warpspace.

Also some of the choral music from 2001

I'd recoment looking into Apocalyptica, some good dramatic music there, not usefull all the time but still good

Soundtrack from the Final Liberation computer game.

Very broad in my opinion. Can easily be used for a multitude of scenerios.

LOL where Chaos Gate is Gregorian and too overbearing, Final Liberation is too techno... "We are Tallarn.... Identify yourselves!"

I also recommend some of the dark sounds from Lustmord, Sunn O))) and the likes. Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Explosions in the Sky would be fitting as well in some cases. Summoning of course (anyone has has seen Damnatus?) and Die Verbannten Kinder Evas. Maybe Therion or something alike for some herioc space battles

I listened to several of those songs that you suggested. While they are cool spacey songs, if my GM played theme music while playing I think I would kick him in the teeth. It's too distracting.

Terminus_Est said:

To each his own I guess. I find a few of them fitting for Rogue Trader.

Black Aria by Glen Danzig , its amazing for atmosphere music, check it out!!

Inquisitor Renfield said:

Certainly fits the mood of 40k, I'll give you that.