Dumpshock Forums > My Shadowrun Soundtrack

Zhan Shi

Dec 31 2007, 06:43 AM

For various reasons, I always think of Shadowrun when I play these songs. Feel free to chime in with your own. Enjoy. Or maybe not; I've been told that my taste in music is, to quote my father, "crap".

The first is from an 80's show called crime story. Michael Mann hired Del Shannon to rewrite "Runaway". This reminds me of that detective from the SR novels...can't think of his name...the one whose sister was inhabited by a bug spirit. Listen to it here.

My very first SR character was an eagle shaman. I guess that explains "Eagle Fly Free" by Helloween. Listen to it here.

So, you may be wondering what an Orxsploitation band would sound like; "Sick of You" by Gwar would fit the bill, with it's talk of "human filth!" Come to think of it, if you've ever seen them in concert, the kinda LOOK like an ork band. Listen to it here.

Blade Runner has a definite SR look and feel. The music during the end credits is both eery and exciting. Listen to it here.

Some songs have seemed perfect for razorgirls and gangs like the Desolation Angels. These include "Celebrity Skin", by Hole, and "I'm Only Happy When It Rains", by Garbage.

"Remember Tomorrow", by Iron Maiden. Perfect for mages and their astral quests.

These next two focus on the "shadowrunner vs. the system" type stuff. They are "Some Heads Are Gonna Roll", by Judas Priest, and "Judas", another tune by Helloween.

Fortune

Dec 31 2007, 07:49 AM

Now I have to listen to my entire Priest library again. Oh no ... the horror!

kzt

Dec 31 2007, 07:56 AM

You've just made my buy the DVDs of Crime Story. I hope your happy. I liked that show....

Zhan Shi

Dec 31 2007, 08:19 AM

Never saw the tv show. But the song (both versions) rocks.

The Only horrific part would be the Turbo album. Ugh. Painkiller or Defenders of the Faith would be your best bets.

Momijizukamori

Dec 31 2007, 08:41 AM

Here's my massive SR playlist - it's about five and a half hours long, mostly because I designed it to be session background music. It's heavy on the trance and synthpop, with a smattering of industrial - sound was more important than vocals, because really clear vocals is kind of distracting in background music. There's a lot of stuff from the Matrix and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. The one song I wanted to include and had to cut because it made really lousy BGM was Ministry's "Thieves", because shadowrunners are all thieves and liars, pretty much. Also, all the OC Remix stuff is free at OCRemix.org - the two I have are both FF7 remixes (Midgar, cyberpunk? Hell yeah).

[ Spoiler ]

(And yeah, Gwar totally is practically an ork band)

Snow_Fox

Jan 1 2008, 04:51 PM

for magic, leg work and travel I like Celtic stuff like Clannad, the Corrs and the Mollyhawks.

country stuff like toby Keith and Trace Atkins and anything by Jim steinmann

Some 20's style jazz-I like the sound track from The Shadow.

As it picks up more techno, but I can also use 60's brass sounds. think a james Bond movie with Sean Connery or George Lazenby. Vangelis has some good stuff.

QUOTE (Zhan Shi @ Dec 31 2007, 01:43 AM)

The first is from an 80's show called crime story. Michael Mann hired Del Shannon to rewrite "Runaway". This reminds me of that detective from the SR novels...can't think of his name...the one whose sister was inhabited by a bug spirit. Listen to it here.

2XS, Derek 'dirk' Montgomery. his sister was Theresa.

BookWyrm

Jan 3 2008, 04:34 AM

Speaking of soundtracks, has anyone heard from Shev? I've been trying to contact him, but so far no replies.

Daddy's Little Ninja

Jan 3 2008, 03:01 PM

I do not GM but I like a lot of the J-pop. since Japanese culture is so dominant in SR it really works in the city settings.

i101

Jan 3 2008, 06:02 PM

You guys have to try the Heat OST.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Heat-Ost-Original-...k/dp/B000002N4J

Sir_Psycho

Jan 4 2008, 12:56 PM

It's become a tradition in our games to simultaneously say "...roll initiative" and fire up "first it giveth" by queens of the stone age.

Hocus Pocus

Jan 11 2008, 04:02 AM

hard music

what no classical? no Dr. Demento? you kids today and your heavy metal/rap/screaming music.

Hocus Pocus

Jan 11 2008, 04:16 AM

was gonna add this before but I had already posted.

Yellow Moon

Heard this a ways back, still one of my favorites to listen too (listening to it right now). It gives one hope, that despite all the bad stuff, all the stress, all the nagging and dirty diapers, there is a person out there. A person who is a hot 18 year old bi curious catholic schoolgirl with her hair in pigtails, with an equally hot friend, waiting for me. My mistress is out there peeps, but where? how shall I find her?

-your friendly neighborhood Hocus Pocus

JonathanC

Jan 14 2008, 08:14 PM

I don't use music very much in my own games, but I find that both Portisehead albums (Dummy and Portisehead) set an effective mood for noirish and dystopian settings.

Angelone

Jan 17 2008, 08:13 AM

Ride of the Valkyries
O Fortuna
Mozart's requiem
Funker Vogt (especailly Gunman)
Apoptygma Berzerk (Deep Red, In this Together, Coma White, Strange Day)
Beborn Beton (Spawn, Reanimator)
Cruxshadows (Heaven's Gaze, Return)
Gravity Kills (Guilty, Enough, Goodbye)
Offspring (Jennifer Lost the War)
Qntal
Razed in Black (I'll Damage You, Share This Poison, Visions, Neverment_V2)
Mortal Kombat soundtrack (both of them)
Thievery Corporation (depends on the atmosphere a very diverse group)
Thou Shalt Not (Trial by Fire, 100 Generations)
KMFDM
VNV Nation (Joy, Chosen)
Zeromancer (Dr. Online, Eurotrash, Wannabe, Raising Hell, House of Cards)
Prodigy
Crystal Method
Rammstein
Monster Magnet (Powertrip, Baby Gotterdamung )
Our Lady Peace (4am, Clumsy)
Pitchshifter

Kyoto Kid

Jan 17 2008, 06:21 PM

...Messiaen: Turangalîla-Symphonie: (#1) Introduction, (#5) Joie du Sang des Étoiles, & (#10) Final.
...Messiaen: L'Ascension: Transports de joie.
...Messiaen: Visions d' L'Amen - (#2) Amen des étoiles, de la planète à l’anneau, (#4) Amen du désir, & (#7) Amen de la consommation.
...Yeah, Carl Orff: O Fortuna, from Camen Burana (OK, a warhorse but still good to set the tone for a firefight)
...Yeah again, Richard Wagner: Walkürenritt from Die Walküre (I have a recording performed on the organ at St John the Divine in New York by Anthony Newman, talk about absolute bombast...).
...Stravinsky: L'Oiseau De Feu: Danse infernale.
...Bach: Tocatta und Fuge d-Moll [BWV 565] (it worked for Rollerball)
...Holst: The Planets: Mars The Bringer of War.
...Almost anything by Larry Fast, in particular, Metropolitan Suite & Audion.
...Soundtrack to Cat People (& no, not for elf catgirl encounters).

[edit] whoops forgot a couple of my faves:

...Messiaen: La nativite du Seigneur: Dieu parmi nous.
...Stravinsky: Symphony of Psalms.
...Bob Thiele What a Wonderful World sung by Louis Armstrong (remember the scene from Good Morning Vietnam where this was used? Kinda creepy but effective.).

Hocus Pocus

Jan 28 2008, 05:27 AM

doing a load of clothes late last week, looked up at the full moon, with some stars and wisps of clouds, beautiful. "shoot the moon" I always say when i see that, remembered the movie Voyage dans la lune

then pow! the song tonight, tonight . Beautiful and nice homage to the original. worthy of anyones shadowrun collection

kanislatrans

Jan 30 2008, 04:57 AM

our group does'nt listen to much music when we play. we spend enough time arguing about the game without arguing about what music is playing.

but when I am writing about shadowrun(which I'm supposed to be doing now) my play list looks something like this:
sisters of mercy-temple of love
rage against the machine-pistol grip pump
blue oyster cult-astronomy
queensryche-empire
moltov-parasito
razed in black-Ill damage you
Cruxshadows-Winterborn(god I love this song)
the 69 eyes-don't turn your back on fear
flogging molly-devils dance floor
powerman5000-relax(zoolander mix)
killswitch engaged-just barely breathing
gogol bordello-gypsy part of town
dragonforce-soldiers of the wasteland
northern cree singers-NDN car

Zhan Shi

Apr 22 2008, 04:38 AM

Hey, Fortune...here's another must-have song for your Judas Priest collection. Enjoy.

Judas Priest Shreds

Method

Apr 22 2008, 07:16 AM

I like Angelone's list. I almost forgot about Pitchshifter. And KMFDM probably has the best theme song for a NeoAnarchist ever. I would add:

Nine Inch Nails
The Refused
Probot
Fear Factory

Fortune

Apr 22 2008, 07:26 AM

Merci.

Priest Rules!

DocTaotsu

Apr 22 2008, 07:37 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdItwaLrv1U

Not my usual musical tastes but it has it's place in my SR run music

And wow... Pitchshifter, never heard of em before but they will certainly be added to my music collection.

Some other personal favorites:
City of Delusion
Exo Politics
Assassins

DV8

Apr 22 2008, 08:19 AM

Shadowrun music threads are my guilty pleasure.

JBlades

Apr 22 2008, 10:44 AM

My current working SR soundtrack is as follows:
1) Collide - Razor Sharp
2) Apoptygma Berzerk - All Tomorrow's Parties
3) Depeche Mode - Barrel of a Gun
4) Sisters of Mercy - Blood Money
5) Underworld - Underneath the Radar
6) Golden Earring - Twilight Zone
7) Joy Division - Shadow Play

Ozzy - SIN
9) Prodigy - Voodoo People
10) Front 242 - Headhunter 2000 (Funker Vogt Mix)
11) White Zombie - More Human Than Human
12) Skinny Puppy - Killing Game
13) Pink Floyd - Run Like Hell
14) Warren Zevon - Things to do in Denver When You're Dead
15) Queensryche - I Dream in Infrared

Kinda all over the place, but I like it!

Blade

Apr 22 2008, 01:20 PM

I don't like using music with lyrics/voices because it tends to interfere with the player's and GM's speech. My own soundtrack is essentially made of video games soundtracks, because they tend to be good as ambient music (especially if the videogames suits Shadowrun, or the specific atmosphere you want), and are aften meant to be played in loop without being too monotonous nor intrusive.
Also most of them come with the game which can be free, if the game is a freeware or a mod, or can be downloaded free of charge from the official game website.

On the top of my head, I use some musics of:
* Dreamweb
* Deus Ex 1&2
* Unreal, Unreal Tournament 99 & 2004
* Action Unreal mod for UT2004
* Killing Floor mod for UT2004
* Max Payne 2
* Syndicate Wars (20 min long "cyberpunk" ambient tracks...)
* T.A.G.A.P
* Various more or less obscure freeware games I have on my HD.

Wesley Street

Apr 22 2008, 02:15 PM

Music can feature pretty heavily in my games either as background for a particular location (like a restaurant) or as a plot device, like an Orxsploitation music concert or a disc of JetBlack's music.

My runners are in Seattle right now and are using Matchsticks as a rally point as its where the team fixer hangs her hat. So I have modern jazz-funk fusion playing the background as they have drinks and chat; musicians like Barry Adamson or RL Burnside.

Orxploitation is an obvious riff on blaxploitation so I tried to find the grittiest rap music I could for Nabo's concert from On the Run: Wu Tang Clan. In my mind Goblin Rock would be more like Gwar. JetBlack's mystery music disc had samples from Type O Negative.

When shopping at Stuffer Shack what else would you hear but The Girl from Ipanema?

When I think "elf music" I think Enya and Loreena McKennit. I also think of the folk songs from The Wicker Man, especially Willow's Song.

Prime Mover

Apr 22 2008, 02:19 PM

Too funny reading this post right after doing a search for SR music. Check out Harmony steels site and her tune for Dantes Inferno. Also brought a smile to my face to see another old Helloween fan, just put some on my Ipod other day. Have a friend who made a CD with about 20 SR themed songs all with Shadow in the title. Need to see if he can post em.

Blade

Apr 22 2008, 02:21 PM

Oh right, Harmony Steel... There's also Alex Cremer's Shadowrun CD.

Speed Wraith

Apr 22 2008, 03:23 PM

QUOTE (kanislatrans @ Jan 30 2008, 12:57 AM)

but when I am writing about shadowrun(which I'm supposed to be doing now) my play list looks something like this:

Is it wrong that when I write for SR I'm usually listening to either Bluegrass or Motown..?

We haven't played with music on in the background in forever, and when we did it was just background music and not part of any theme or anything. Our group did put a CD together for a DnD group once; all the characters had a themesong (everything from C.R.E.A.M. by Wu Tang to Ironman from Black Sabbath and even Hall and Oates' Maneater) and the group as a whole (Bad Company by Bad Company). I even threw Who Let the Dogs Out on there in honor of the ranger's many animal companions who were killed by area affect spells

john_doe

Apr 22 2008, 03:34 PM

QUOTE (JBlades @ Apr 22 2008, 05:44 AM)

My current working SR soundtrack is as follows:
...
14) Warren Zevon - Things to do in Denver When You're Dead
...

Always a favorite at my house.

RIP

imperialus

Apr 22 2008, 05:51 PM

QUOTE (Zhan Shi @ Dec 31 2007, 12:43 AM)

Some songs have seemed perfect for razorgirls and gangs like the Desolation Angels. These include "Celebrity Skin", by Hole, and "I'm Only Happy When It Rains", by Garbage.

I had a recurring NPC razorgirl who was a member of the Ancients at one point. Zombie By the Cranberries was the inspiration behind her.

One of my favorite PC's was inspired by If I Ever Leave This World Alive by Flogging Molly.

Wounded Ronin

Apr 22 2008, 06:30 PM

Lionel Ritchie, Running With THe Night. Duh.

Beetle

Apr 22 2008, 07:04 PM

When I run SR, I tend to pick out music based on location. For example if my runners go into Infinity I'm partial to playing Daft Punk's Alive 2007 cd and i have some live Crystal Method sets. I like that you can hear the crowds in the back ground and it gives the club a little more life to it.
For general non-specific background noise I really like Shiller's Prologue EP ( I think it's out of print, but you can find it on pirate bay) has ambient background noises mixed in with the keyboards and isn't distracting.

I have various mix playlists of Synthpop and Industrial if they want things a little more upbeat that aren't vocal heavy.

I've also found the String Tribute Albums can be a pretty good background music depending on which group is being covered and whoever composed the quartet. I'm partial to the System of a Down, Tool and Depeche Mode albums. These also work well for D&D and the Conan the Barbarian soundtrack is fragin' fantastic for most RPG's.

kanislatrans

Apr 23 2008, 03:11 AM

QUOTE (Prime Mover @ Apr 22 2008, 10:19 AM)

Too funny reading this post right after doing a search for SR music. Check out Harmony steels site and her tune for Dantes Inferno. Also brought a smile to my face to see another old Helloween fan, just put some on my Ipod other day. Have a friend who made a CD with about 20 SR themed songs all with Shadow in the title. Need to see if he can post em.

Ask and ye shall receive,Omae.

Sticks and slots, I am proud to release the album you have all been waiting for .! ' Still Hard After all these years'- the music that inspired the Phenomenal,and short lived retro-glam metal synth-punk all dwarf( well except for the Chinese kid,but he was kinda short . ) band
BIG HAMMER!!!!

1) Out of the shadows-Iron Maiden
2)Shadow on the sun-Audioslave
3)Shadow Realm-Seraphim Shock
4)In the Shadows-Story of the Year
5)Kissing the shadows-children of Bodom
6)Drunk on Shadows-HIM
7)Stay in shadow-Finger Eleven
8)Shadows-Blue Man Group
9)Shadow over a bleeding heart-symphony in peril
10)Shadow of Death-Megadeath
11)Shadowplay-Joy Division
12)Shadow stabbing-Cake
13)In the shadows- The Rasmus
14)Shadows like statues-Matchbook romance
15)waiting in the shadows- The Briggs
16)Walk in the shadows-Queensryche
17)of sins and shadows-symphony X
18)Shadowchild-Soilwork
19)Shadowed-Evergray
20)Shadows of ourselves-Thievery Corporation

kinda strange no one caught on to the fact we were runners and not musicians.

Fortune

Apr 23 2008, 03:14 AM

Bah! Needs Shadows of the Night by Benatar to be even semi-complete.

kanislatrans

Apr 23 2008, 03:50 AM

LOL, I tried to mix that in,Fortune,but like Sara Mclaclan's"out of the shadows" It sounded really out of place. also had to dump "Blinded by the light" by manfred mann since it didn't have "shadow" in the title

DeadLogic

Apr 23 2008, 05:31 AM

For the new 4th edition game that I'm starting I'll be going to my roots, to the music my GM used to use when I started SR. I'll be mixing in a fair amount of Nine Inch Nails, Static X, and some other intelligible metal with a smattering of Chemical Brothers and The Crystal Method, possibly some Daft Punk if I find some good live sets. I try to ignore music with lyrics, so that it can just sit in the background and fit the whole mood of the game really well. I'm also considering the Soundtracks from the Armitage Anime's, but I'd like to hear them with out having to buy them, lol. I've heard good things about them, though. All in all those examples represent my theme for the game, which I think should be real exciting.

Aaron

May 1 2008, 03:39 AM

QUOTE (Momijizukamori @ Dec 31 2007, 02:41 AM)

Here's my massive SR playlist - it's about five and a half hours long, mostly because I designed it to be session background music.

I'll see your five and a half and raise you a little over a hundred and four. Let's see if the forum software allows this.

[ Spoiler ]

Aaron

May 1 2008, 03:41 AM

Oh, and given the in-character chat from April, I would expect people to add Fatboy Slim's "Ya Mama" to their mixes.

Wounded Ronin

May 1 2008, 03:43 AM

LIONEL RITCHIE DOMINATES YOUR DESTINY!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YrRnNFgIUg

Chrysalis

May 1 2008, 04:17 AM

I listen to a lot of industrial, Skinny Puppy, Wumpscut, Das Ich, Laether Strip, Unheilig, VNV Nation, Apoptygma Bezerk, Front 242, Eric Fish, Die Form, Emilie Autumn, and so on.

I listen to the also when gaming, but more often tan not I just put in the soundtrack to Reservoir Dogs.

-Chrysalis

Fortune

May 1 2008, 06:27 AM

QUOTE (kanislatrans @ Apr 23 2008, 01:50 PM)

LOL, I tried to mix that in,Fortune,but like Sara Mclaclan's"out of the shadows" It sounded really out of place.

I'd have made room for Andy Gibb before Sara.

Jeremiah Legacy

May 1 2008, 06:32 AM

I tend to think of my campaigns as a TV series - one that would probably be on HBO or Shoetime because there's no way it would ever be on network TV. Nevertheless, I tend to imagine what songs would be played in the episode. As such, I try to give a good mix of themes and feels. Of course, I am biased. Here's my choices in no particular order. Some of them odder than others, but bear with it.

1) Change the World The Offspring (mostly the beginning)
2) Dead Man Jars of Clay
3) Zombie The Cranberries (I know it was here before, but it's that good)
4) Queen of the Reich Queensryche
5) Personal Jesus Marilyn Manson
6) Oops, I Did It Again Fell (a death metal cover of the Brittney Spears song. Damn creepy, but fitting)
7) Stay Hungry Twisted Sister
8 Saints of Los Angeles Motley Crue (just heard it, maybe I need to run an L.A. game)
9) King and Queens Aerosmith (for walking through catacombs of a suspected hive)

More as I think of it.

Wounded Ronin

May 1 2008, 03:55 PM

Isn't Zombie by Cranberries about a historical insurrection that took place somewhere in the British Isles? It seems kind of off-topic for Shadowrun.

Speed Wraith

May 1 2008, 03:58 PM

QUOTE (Wounded Ronin @ May 1 2008, 10:55 AM)

Isn't Zombie by Cranberries about a historical insurrection that took place somewhere in the British Isles? It seems kind of off-topic for Shadowrun.

People don't pay attention to the words, just the feel of the song

It freaked me out when my GF was trying to get me to dance when they were playing it at this concert we went to oh so long ago...

Wounded Ronin

May 1 2008, 04:08 PM

QUOTE (Speed Wraith @ May 1 2008, 11:58 AM)

People don't pay attention to the words, just the feel of the song

It freaked me out when my GF was trying to get me to dance when they were playing it at this concert we went to oh so long ago...

That always irritates me. Much like the protagonist of American Psycho, I feel like if someone likes a song they owe it to themselves to read the lyrics so as to better understand the intentions of the artist. Besides, it makes it more likely that you'll pull a Stephen King by inappropriately blurting out some Ramones lyrics while being chased by a Blood-esque supernatural entity.

This morning an old friend of mine emailed me asking me where I was and if I were "chasing any girlies". I replied that girlie chasing was something which I was "historically unable to do".

kanislatrans

May 3 2008, 06:11 PM

QUOTE (Speed Wraith @ May 1 2008, 11:58 AM)

People don't pay attention to the words, just the feel of the song

Def Leppard lyrics are proof of this

"rise up gather round
rock this place to the ground.
burn it up,go for broke,
watch the night go up in smoke.
rock on! rock on!
Drive me crazier,
No serenade, No fire brigade,
just a pyromania!"

its like a bunch of catch phrases strung together. I still shudder every time I hear it. I mean how can you even try to rhyme "crazier" and "pyromania"?? someone needs to have their poetic license revoked!

DocTaotsu

May 16 2008, 05:15 AM

Wait a second... No one has any love for Muse? Stockholm Syndrome, City of Delusion, Knights of Cydonia, is this the wrong crowd?

reepneep

May 16 2008, 06:56 AM

QUOTE (DocTaotsu @ May 16 2008, 12:15 AM)

Wait a second... No one has any love for Muse? Stockholm Syndrome, City of Delusion, Knights of Cydonia, is this the wrong crowd?

Black Holes was one of my favorite albums to come out in the last few years, but I really don't think it fits Shadowrun very well.

My favorite thing to play during my games is the System Shock 2 soundtrack. Its a wonderful mix of creepy, atmospheric and angry electronica.
You can find it here: http://www.sshock2.com/ about halfway down the page.

BookWyrm

Sep 14 2008, 01:24 AM

I still have my Alex Cremer SR CD & the Harmony Steel tracks on my computer.

Speaking of which, has anyone heard from Shev? He/she used to post here, but after inquiring about the very subject of this thread, there's been no response.

It trolls!

Sep 14 2008, 01:05 PM

I try to use film scores and such to augment my sessions because I've had SR sessions devolve into music discussions when people tried to listen to the lyrics. I use location and situation based soundtracks though, so I got a few exceptions though.
For example I got a few short playlists for certain types of nightclubs 'n bars the runners might visit.
I'm severely lacking on Orxploitation stuff though. I imagine it to be similar to hardcore rap or crossover, so I tried to find some bands of these genres who sing in Russian, Arabic or such to get an "orcish" feel by using a lagnuage noone at the table comprehends. Closest I got is Molotov but the feeling is ruined for anyone who's ever been educated in any romanic language and even those without can easily spot that it's Spanish, not Or'zet