My group likes to have some appropriate background music as we play, for WHFRP 2nd Ed we had things like the LoTR soundtrack and such playing, im trying to put together a playlist for Rogue Trader but im not too familiar with the right kind of music.

I imagine techno / industrial rock would be good background music but i dont really know any, any one got any good suggestions for background music?

Cheers

If it's mood you're shooting for then I'd stay away from industrial rock music. Electric Guitars really belongs more back in the 80's version of Warhammer 40K.

What you want to be looking at is stuff from different dark ambience musicians (this includes a lot of electronic work) along with gregorian monk choir's and such.

Although if you're looking for the swasbuckling feel of Rogue Trader you might want to check out some other movie soundtracks (Pirates of the Caribbean anyone?).

Although this is just my personal philosophy and it might not sit well with everyone, I'd also stay away from songs with lyrics in them. Trying to run an actual game can be pretty tricky when you're constantly being interrupted by a singer in the speakers who might or might not be singing in the same language as yours. (of course choir's are an exception to this because the full force of many voices in concert tend to produce a much more softer and non-intrusive sound than one singer)

Varnias Tybalt said:

Beat me to it! My group's Explorator was kind enough to provide me a data-slate filled with movie soundtracks and going through them I'd say Hans Zimmer's PotC, parts two and three especially, have great dark fantasy feel to them.

As for electronica, I'd recommend checking out E Nomine and E. S. Posthumus, both which combine EBM dance beats to gothicesque choirs.

Do consider gathering two or more different playlists and switching between them depending on the mood your attempting to set for the scene. One ambient playlist for casual interaction, one more epic for combats and perhaps a "horror" one as well for tension.

cheers guys, good advice.

If anyone else has any good suggestions for music, keep 'em coming

Captain Bosun said:

You should know that threads regarding this topic has been started before, both here on the Rogue Trader messageboards and the Dark Heresy messageboards. Might be worth browsing a little and find those. They contain a lot of useful suggestions.

I´ve made quite big list in other topics, but I´ll just highlight what I´m using the most (well, I think almost all the time) and it´s soundtrack for Gears of War 1 and 2. This music is grimdark, epic, and gothic, you should definitely check it:-)

Personally I use the Dawn of War II soundtrack for ambience, and the Final Fantasy fighting and victory music for lulz.

using the advice from this thread and the other music threads i searched for after having it being pointed out, i have ended up with 3 playlists (creepy, exciting and general).

I've made up the playlists mainly from:

Gears of War 1 &2 OST

Dawn Of War OST

Halo 1,2&3 OST

E Nomine

E.S Posthumous

Pirates of the Caribbean 1,2&3 OST

Mass Effect OST

Nox Arcana

Aswell as the odd other track from various movies such as Dark Knight and Terminator. I'd really advise Nox Arcana for spooky stuff and Mass Effect for general background music

Try the Hunt for Red October soundtrack; it was very inspriational while writing for RT

-Tim

A lot of dark ambient/drone/black metal musicians suit the game well. One in particular that I use to evoke the feeling of the dark empty void is a band called Darkspace.

Because this is Rogue Trader, someone has to mention

Just how do you get hold of these computer game soundtracks anyway?

I have GoW for the xbox, but is there a way to extract mp3s from this?

I strongly recommend the soundtrack to "Master & Commander". I am using a lot of themes from this amazing movie. And although it IS a period piece, there is fantastic combat and exploration peices within this album. The heavy war drums and percussion peices are, by themselves, worth getting this great sountrack. Kind of evocative of the Battlestar Galactica space combat music.(modern version of course.)

- Removed by Moderator -

Darth Smeg said:

The DoW II soundtrack is available for free off the Steam network.

As for other OSTs, some get released as special edition discs, some are available from local stores, some are available for free download. Just gotta look hard enough.

CROM! No one has mentioned the soundtrack to Conan The Barbarian yet?

Also:

General Music:

Albums-

X-1999: The Motion Picture Soundtrack

Dead Can Dance: The Serpents Egg,

The Cheiftains: Reel Music

The Cheiftains: The Long Black Veil (may be a matter of taste)

Medeval Babes: Underntide

Carbon Based Lifeforms: Hydroponic Garden

Any of the Mystera or Gothic Spirits collections are usually good, though Mystera is a little more upbeat, and Gothic has some dark electric guitar work. So it may be up to taste there,

Vangelis: Bladerunner (1994 release)

OCREMIX - The Dark Side of Phobos (Doom Remixed)

Individual Tracks:

Nightwish - Nemo (Orchestral Version)

Pentangle - Lord Franklin (album: Cruel Sister)

Pentangle - The Huning Song; Lyke-wake Dirge (both off of Basket of Light)

Steeleye Span - My Johnny was a Shoemaker; Lowlands of Holland (both off of Hark! The Village Wait)

Less Serious

Duke Nukem: Music to Score By.

The Tank Girl soundtrack

Doom the Motion Picture Soundtrack

I recently heard a version of "The Unforgiven" that was done by a gregorian choir on a Dark Heresy Youtube video. Does anyone know who did that song?

Salcor

I think that soundtrack should mostly depends of game style and storyline

I used to play rather in adventures about conquering and beeing a conquistador of new worlds.

So sometimes I used a music like OST from Rise of Nations >

If you want to show something "epic" try this: http://www.westonemusic.co.uk/music?search_form_sent=true&type=tracks&filter [composers]=Daniel+Nielsen&page=2&order=desc Especially "brute force".

I think that the music is important part of session, because through it, we may create some feelings in players. Think about it

It's funny to come to this thread and find so many suggestions which I would have put forward myself and which I have actually put on my WH40k playlist.

A couple more for your consideration:

- Aliens 1, 2, 3

-Interview with a Vampire (only a few tracks, though, as it's period music - basically the action music fits nicely)

- Dune soundtrack by Toto

- Bram Stoker's Dracula, that soundtrack is simply good for almost everything

- there was also this composer, John Adams, about whom I learned from the Civilisation IV soundtrack - specifically the Harmonielehre album.

- Fallout series music, some tracks

- Terminator 2 OST, perhaps music from the first movie as well

- Solaris OST

- Zimmer and Howard's Dark Knight

- the two suites from the end of the Se7en soundtrack, by Howard Shore

- about Blade Runner, for WH40k purposes, I actually prefer the revised 3-disc edition, and discs two and three, with new content

- you can consider some tracks from the Minority Report as well

District 9, anyone?

Transformers, Transformers II: Revenge of the Fallen. Also you might consider this year's Star Trek soundtrack. Could be a little too actiony/changey, but it might work nicely.

Lots of good suggestions so far, but I think the above four could do with being listed too.

Oh yes, soundtrack from Dune (Children of Dune?) Is especially good ! But I wouldn't put Hans Zimmer into RT OST. Why? Because He is little overrated I'm afraid. Most of his songs are rather... similiar. Of course there are some good songs like Crimson Tide but Klaus Badelt is better I think.

Anyway

For Space Combat I may suggest... Freespace 2 ost

Check it out:

And more, more at the box on the right in YT

I like Titan off of Hammerfall's Threshold album for our ships theme, I realize Heavy/Speed Metal might not be everyone's thing, but it's just hard to argue with it for me.

The Soundtrack to Aliens 3 was very dark and well done.

Well , i like to play Jethro Tull or something of irish folk/folk/folk metal punk persuasion , however odd that might sound

Well RT is all about epic and nothing does epic like requiem for a tower.

Need proof?