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Talyn
2007-11-14, 09:20 PM
Hey all! A friend of mine is starting a new game of Cyberpunk 2020, which is a Shadowrun-esque game based on what people thought a Cyberpunk'd future would be in the mid 80s! Now, I'm trying to come up with good "character" and "theme" music for the cyberpunk.

So far, I've got "Fiction," by Orgy and anything by Juno Reactor. Can anyone recommend more?

Winterwind
2007-11-14, 09:29 PM
You can try anything from the Matrix soundtrack.

I find the soundtrack available for download on this (http://www.aliceeverfalling.com/soundtrack.html) page to be quite fitting as well.

Rage Against The Machine also works quite well for cyberpunk.

Grynning
2007-11-14, 09:33 PM
If you're really going for an 80's feel, you should go further back than that. Depeche Mode, The Clash, etc. I've never really been into the Goth/Industrial scene but those are some good bands from that era.

Powerfamiliar
2007-11-14, 09:44 PM
I always found Dubstep / Grime to be very cyberpunk music. You can find a couple of decent tracks in the Children of Men OST.

Stormcrow
2007-11-14, 09:53 PM
Powerman 5000 go alright in that setting. :)

Lord Tataraus
2007-11-14, 09:55 PM
Actually, Cyberpunk 2020 is 90s, the older one (Cyberpunk 2010) is 80s. They were all based 30 years in the future and its not that big of a future thing. In fact, except for the cyberware and the widespread use of AVs, they were really close to what we'll probably be in 10 years. Oh, and Shadowrun is a Cyberpunk 2020-like game, not the other way around :smalltongue:

Sorry I don't have much to add about music, but I wanted to make sure you were looking in the right era.

SilverClawShift
2007-11-14, 10:11 PM
Soundtrack music from system shock 2 (which is essentially a cyperpunk FPS with fitting music)

Crow
2007-11-14, 10:13 PM
Ladytron isn't too bad either.

Darth Mario
2007-11-14, 10:21 PM
Ladytron isn't too bad either.

Agreed. Also, if you're looking for something techno/electronic sounding, my favorite obscure song would likely work well: Silikon by Modeselektor. It's on iTunes.

TimeWizard
2007-11-14, 10:24 PM
It may not be '80s-ish, but I found anything from the Initial D (anime) soundtrack to really jazz up my BESM D20 games. It's kinda '90s-ish though.

Crow
2007-11-14, 10:27 PM
Agreed. Also, if you're looking for something techno/electronic sounding, my favorite obscure song would likely work well: Silikon by Modeselektor. It's on iTunes.

I don't have iTunes. Are those guys signed...or is there anywhere else to check their stuff out (try before buy)?

Wooter
2007-11-14, 10:46 PM
I would go with early Nine Inch Nails and Tool, myself. More nineties that eghties, but it still works.

mabriss lethe
2007-11-14, 11:15 PM
Any of the following should do nicely
*Dons the dust old Rvvthead vinyls*
Ahem....

KMFDM
Pig
Ministry
RevCo
Killing Joke
Sister Machine Gun
Front 242
Meat Beat Manifesto
Front Line Assembly
Fugazi
Psychosonik
G/Z/R
Cubanate
God Lives Underwater
Dead Kennedys
Mojo Nixon
Pavement
Clutch

I could on for a while

Dausuul
2007-11-14, 11:43 PM
There's a somewhat obscure Billy Idol album called "Cyberpunk." I strongly recommend it for creating the right atmosphere--actually, I recommend it anyhow.

Jannex
2007-11-15, 12:14 AM
Oh, and Shadowrun is a Cyberpunk 2020-like game, not the other way around :smalltongue:


Thank you for saying it so I didn't have to.

VerdugoExplode
2007-11-15, 01:30 AM
I'd personally go with Machinae Supremacy, viewable at www.machinaesupremacy.com. Check out the webography section under their releases for free music. Its a combination of rock with a very retro techno added to it. For a great example I recommend downloading "Gianna sisters" at http://music.machinaesupremacy.com/machinae_supremacy-gianna_sisters.mp3

Tengu
2007-11-15, 02:04 AM
Oh, and Shadowrun is a Cyberpunk 2020-like game, not the other way around :smalltongue:


Though Cyberpunk 2020 would wish it was even half as good as Shadowrun. And not because Shadowrun is such an awesome game (though from what I know it is pretty good), mind you.

AslanCross
2007-11-15, 07:28 AM
The soundtrack of Parasite Eve has a lot of techno-ish music, though it's more 90s and not 80s. I find songs like Omission of the World, Missing Perspective, and Plosive Attack to be very suitable for a cyberpunk setting.

Freelance Henchman
2007-11-15, 07:40 AM
Some Electo/Techno bands might work well. E.g. Chemical Brothers, Kosheen, The Prodigy.

Oh, and Nine Inch Nails. Quake 1 had a great NIN instrumental sound track.

Also, the Deus Ex games had appropriate soundtracks.

Oh, and Nitzer Ebb.

Iku Rex
2007-11-15, 08:36 AM
The Blade Runner soundtrack.

Sample (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJrOVLEUBgw) (YouTube vid).

Jayabalard
2007-11-15, 09:34 AM
Definitely bladerunner.

Perhaps something like the Ghost in the shell S.A.C. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7XCf60j8js) opening?

Lord Tataraus
2007-11-15, 09:54 AM
Though Shadowrun would wish it was even half as good as Cyberpunk 2020.

Fixed it for you. You seemed to have gotten mixed up, no worries. Sure Shadowrun is decent, but not as good as Cyberpunk 2020, the best game of the genre. Shadowrun is just a copy of Cyberpunk that added magic just to make it look different.

mikeejimbo
2007-11-15, 10:03 AM
I suggest Wagner.

Of course, I suggest Wagner for anything.

Elphilm
2007-11-15, 11:08 AM
Suicide's first (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_%28album%29) and second (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_%28second_album%29) album.

Here's an updated song from 1997: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRXcsSS421g

:smallcool:

Jannex
2007-11-15, 03:21 PM
Fixed it for you. You seemed to have gotten mixed up, no worries. Sure Shadowrun is decent, but not as good as Cyberpunk 2020, the best game of the genre. Shadowrun is just a copy of Cyberpunk that added magic just to make it look different.

AMEN. You won't hear me saying this often (fantasy fangirl that I am), but who needs dragons? Arasaka is enough to scare the crap outta me.

Y'know, this is really making me want to play a game of CP2020. Anybody interested in running it? :smallbiggrin:

Meschaelene
2007-11-15, 04:37 PM
Shadowrun is a dark future game -- with elves. It teaches us that despite our horrific impending apocalypse, all of our interior decorating needs will be addressed.

Cyberpunk 2020 has (as core) the Mister Studd(tm) cybernetic implant in which you can install a sub-dermal kill display. Careful, though... As you start replacing your body parts with metal, you start bluring the line between metal and meat.

That's really the difference. The Shadowrun world assumes that everyone was secretly and inwardly an elf, troll, human, etc., and the events in their timeline made it a reality. The Cyberpunk 2020 world makes no assumptions on who you are and doesn't care. It knows you will eventually betray everything you believe in -- or you will wish you had.

nobodylovesyou4
2007-11-15, 04:40 PM
AMEN. You won't hear me saying this often (fantasy fangirl that I am), but who needs dragons? Arasaka is enough to scare the crap outta me.

Y'know, this is really making me want to play a game of CP2020. Anybody interested in running it? :smallbiggrin:

I cant GM, but id be all for a PBP CP2020. count me in! tartaraus, interested?

On topic, i always thought RAtM was appropriate. its 90's, and Tom Morello's guitar is... different, to say the least.

Lord Tataraus
2007-11-15, 04:56 PM
I haven't really contributed much, but whenever my group played, some heavy metal would have really meshed well when they screwed up and got into a huge fight.


I cant GM, but id be all for a PBP CP2020. count me in! tartaraus, interested?

On topic, i always thought RAtM was appropriate. its 90's, and Tom Morello's guitar is... different, to say the least.

You know I don't have the books with me, but I'd be up for it, maybe I could run one next semester...

Jannex
2007-11-15, 04:56 PM
Cyberpunk 2020 has (as core) the Mister Studd(tm) cybernetic implant in which you can install a sub-dermal kill display. Careful, though... As you start replacing your body parts with metal, you start bluring the line between metal and meat.

Erm. The Mister Studd(TM) is a separate piece of equipment from the subdermal kill counter... It would be rather amusing to combine them, though. (The slogan for the Mister Studd is, "All night, every night--and she'll never know.")

Crow
2007-11-15, 05:04 PM
Erm. The Mister Studd(TM) is a separate piece of equipment from the subdermal kill counter... It would be rather amusing to combine them, though. (The slogan for the Mister Studd is, "All night, every night--and she'll never know.")

Interestingly enough, despite being an imaginary part of an imaginary game, Mr. Studd is about as real as it gets. In a world of cybernetic implants, you can bet your meatstudd that somebody would be making Mr. Studd-type implants.

Lord Tataraus
2007-11-15, 05:11 PM
Interestingly enough, despite being an imaginary part of an imaginary game, Mr. Studd is about as real as it gets. In a world of cybernetic implants, you can bet your meatstudd that somebody would be making Mr. Studd-type implants.

That's one thing I love about CP2020, it so realistic. There is no space travel past the moon, cars run on a populating fuel, the European Union exists, english is the world language and the euro is the only money worth anything. So, except for a few outdated items *cough*laser disks*cough* and th existence of the Soviet Union, its pretty much what it will be in 10 years (depending on how pessimistic you are).

Ashtar
2007-11-15, 05:52 PM
And with Cyberpunk2020, you have so much literature to draw on!

I mean Gibson, Sterling, Shirley et al.

For cyberpunk, it is always important to find a balance in the background music. I usually use some hard trance (late 90's) for club music (Mind-X, DJ Snowman, and others), Metal for gangers or Industrial (Front 242, etc...) depending on their provenance. Of course, pick up some traditional Japanese music for the corporate buildings.

Makes me want to get my cyberpunk books out again... (and a couple of CDs!)

Crow
2007-11-15, 05:55 PM
Prodigy has a track (called minefield, or I walk through minefields...I can't remember). It has an *awesome* pseudo-japanese-industrial feel.

alexi
2007-11-15, 11:12 PM
music I've used:
massive attack
mono (the japanese metal band)
pelican
isis
dr. octagon
KMFDM
trance mode express (trance covers of depeche mode)
Brian Eno
David Bowie's Low
Front 242
Coil (some of it, some of it just sucks)
joy Division
Bauhaus
Public Enemy

Mr Horse
2007-11-16, 03:25 AM
off the top of my head:

Cyanotic
Angelspit
Panic DHH
Leech Woman
Elekore
Test Dept. (esp. "Beating A Retreat")
Skinny Puppy (esp. "Too Dark Park", "Rabies", "Last Rights", "The Process")
Gridlock
Beinhaus
Cubanate (esp. the album Interference)
Threat: Music That Inspired The Movie
Bong-Ra (esp. Full Metal Racket)
Curse of the Golden Vampire
Iszoloscope
Eva/3
Terretron
Strapping Young Lad
Hecate / Raquel de Grimstone
Edgey
Foetus (esp. albums "Flow", "Vein" and "Gash")
Chrysalide
Lard
The Berzerker
White Darkness
Mad EP (esp. the album "Eating Movies")
Muckrackers
Drumcorps
Aphex Twin
Enduser
Pzychobitch /S.I.N.A.
Brighter Death Now
Alec Empire / Atari Teenage Riot
Gadget
The Dillinger Escape Plan
Lustmord
Modeselektor
Ah Cama-Sotz
Black Sun Empire
Pow[d]er *****
Haus Arafna
Nitzer Ebb
November Növelet
Ra
DJ Scotch Egg
Twinkle
Nordvargr / Henrik N. Björkk
YpiY
Raiden
Dälek
Otto Von Schirach
Ambassador 21
Haujobb
Punish Yourself
Architecht
Destroid
Synapscape
Counterstrike
Evol Intent (esp. the "Police State" EP)
The Militia
IRM
Thirteenth Exile
Stakka
Skynet
Needlesharing
Hypnoskull
Axiome / Kirdec
Clouddead
Interlace

umm... there's more but I guess I'll stop now :D

Azerian Kelimon
2007-11-16, 07:23 AM
Might as well suggest 2112 by Rush. Full of win, it is.


I'd also like some punkin'. We just need some Tessier-Ashpool'esque rich guys, and we're set.

Wraith
2007-11-16, 08:46 AM
Here's one that hasn't been mentioned so far - the theme to the movie "The Crow" has a few great tracks on it for Cyberpunk games.

My favourites include:

"After the Flesh", by My Life With The Thrill-Kill Cult (Sounds great during a gunfight)
"The Badge", by Pantera
"Slip Slide Melting" by For Lisa Not Loving

These are the fast, electronic-rock tracks, but there's a few others on there that are slower and more despondent which are good for setting up seedy locations and inner-city slums.

What else... quite a few Rammestein tracks spring to mind - "Feur Frei" and "Otherworld" specifically - aren't bad, though to my mind Industrial music is pretty typical of Cyberpunk in general.

And one more for good measure: a band called Stabbing Westwards does electronic rock, a lot of which I have heard sounds similar to After the Flesh. "The Thing I Hate" and "How Can I Exist Without You" are more great fast tracks that always put me in mind of a fight or a car chase.

In fact, "The Thing I Hate" was the opening track to the video game "Duke Nukem: Time to Kill" as Duke unleashes some artillery on some luckless baddies. That's probably why I think of it in terms of mayhem and such :smalltongue:

Mr Horse
2007-11-16, 09:13 AM
erm, if you're looking for something in the vein of Thrill Kill Kult's After The Flesh, bands such as Bile, Cyanotic, 16 Volt and even Ministry would be a much more accurate suggestion than Stabbing Westward...

alexi
2007-11-16, 04:59 PM
I saw stabbing west open for primal scream who opened for depeche mode... It was a weird concert