Music for Tension & Spookery

[Palanan]

For my next game session, I need suggestions for music which is spooky and eerie—not overtly, but subtly so; and which gradually, almost imperceptibly raises the tension.

Outright creepy is also good, even esoteric, as long as it’s understated, more implicit than overt. But I’m open to a wide range of suggestions, as long as a certain unsettled paranoia could result.

[Ken Murikumo]

Infrasound in the background will do it. Nobody will hear anything out of the ordinary, but become progressively more unsettled.

[Palanan]

I’d like suggestions of actual music, please.

[CluFa]

I’d like suggestions of actual music, please.

While infrasound may be spooky, and unsettling, it will be spooky and unsettling for the GM too.

Spooky music that builds is a tough category. Have you looked at much classical music for this? If not, may I suggest a few things?

Sergei Rachmaninov - The Isle of the Dead
Camille Saint-Saëns - Danse Macabre
Hector Berlioz - Dream of a Witches' Sabbath from Symphonie Fantastique
György Ligeti - Atmosphères, and the Kyrie from his Requiem II.

I'd also suggest looking to composers known for atonal music, like Arnold Schoenberg, Anton Webern, and Alban Berg. Lots of creepy stuff in atonal music.

Don't overlook movie soundtracks, especially those written for Alfred Hitchcock films.

I hope this helps,

CluFa

[CluFa]

While infrasound may be spooky, and unsettling, it will be spooky and unsettling for the GM too.

Spooky music that builds is a tough category. Have you looked at much classical music for this? If not, may I suggest a few things?

Sergei Rachmaninov - The Isle of the Dead
Camille Saint-Saëns - Danse Macabre
Hector Berlioz - Dream of a Witches' Sabbath from Symphonie Fantastique
György Ligeti - Atmosphères, and the Kyrie from his Requiem II.

I'd also suggest looking to composers known for atonal music, like Arnold Schoenberg, Anton Webern, and Alban Berg. Lots of creepy stuff in atonal music.

Don't overlook movie soundtracks, especially those written for Alfred Hitchcock films.

I hope this helps,

CluFa

Speaking of soundtracks, the V'ger Flyover music from Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

CluFa

[Psyren]

https://tabletopaudio.com/

Check out any of the darker-themed ones.

[Ken Murikumo]

Kammarheit & other things in the dark ambient genre

maybe even some tracks on the album Draconian Poetry by Sephiroth

[Krazzman]

How about this (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Tsxpw0Bx5c)? just kidding :D

Or this (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDl4I7gB1Ck)?

Generally said the Hannibal (Series, don't know if film would be good) Soundtrack might work. Or from some other horror films...

[Gruftzwerg]

search for Berserk OST. There are several tracks in that anime series that will fit your need.

most notable:
Murder, Fear, Monster
to name a few

[StreamOfTheSky]

Delerium had tons of great dark themed music (and usually 8 min+ if you want longer tracks), at least their music from the '90's. My favorite dark/creepy song of theirs is Drama, but that's rather overt. Try something like Metamorphosis (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKDeEOY9dqc) or Resurrection (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYI6YtL0emA) instead?

I used this song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dapxWiV-A0) in my campaign for a tense negotiation with an NPC leader the party was wary of, to subtly heighten their paranoia about the terms of alliance he was asking for.

I used this (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2P8rdzRU4Ws) for a creepy haunted forest, it's pretty unnerving.

Or there's the Dark Palace (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xHW4wBKOYY) theme from Zelda Link Between Worlds. Also Stone Tower Temple (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wz_NK5HgR6Q) from Majora's Mask.

This track (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P99ouwvSo2A) from Clock Tower 3 is pretty good, gets more overt later in the song, though.

[Guizonde]

heroes of horror recommended brian eno's dark ambient tracks, iirc. played to that and i had to change boxers after that particular session. the fact that we were clearly outmatched and running away in a ravenloft-esque setting didn't help one bit.

[Ravens_cry]

I find music often to be pretty distracting, though that may partly be because of it coming through tinny laptop and phone speakers as a rule.