Mood music for Call of Cthulhu?

[MonkeySage]

I've pretty much got tomorrow's game all set up and ready; a late 20s exorcism scenario(exorcising a farmhouse) for a new group. So as an afterthought, figured some good music might complete the experience. I figure jazz would be an obvious first choice, maybe to open the game on, but what might I play in the background when we get to the good part? Any ideas for a playlist?

[some guy]

Soundtracks for horror games like Amnesia: the dark descent or others might work. Soundtracks for horrormovies work as well, Ravenous has a good one (although sometimes the tracks will clash, so that needs a bit of pre-selecting). Horror soundtracks work most of the times and are usually on youtube.
Musica Cthulhiana makes horror music specifically for role-playing, so that's nifty.
And this blog post tells you how to remake songs into horror by speeding them down.

[Rhynn]

The ambient soundtrack for Blair Witch 2 always worked great for me. In general, nothing with vocals, unless they manage to approximate muttering, whispering, or distant babbling/gibbering...

Also, most Silent Hill music, although I'd still cut out anything with vocals. Definitely more for those specifically tense situations - sneaking into the underground cult HQ full of grotesques, etc.

[Science Officer]

Naturally, only The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets will do.

[The Fury]

The ambient soundtrack for Blair Witch 2 always worked great for me. In general, nothing with vocals, unless they manage to approximate muttering, whispering, or distant babbling/gibbering...

Also, most Silent Hill music, although I'd still cut out anything with vocals. Definitely more for those specifically tense situations - sneaking into the underground cult HQ full of grotesques, etc.

I'd second Silent Hill. Though I'm not sure I'd cut out stuff with vocals. After all, this really freaked me out.

[Scow2]

"I'm Going Slightly Mad" by Queen, of course!

And "Hey there, Cthulhu"

[kieza]

If you really want to endanger someone's sanity, try this.

[Rhynn]

I'd second Silent Hill. Though I'm not sure I'd cut out stuff with vocals. After all, this really freaked me out.

I find vocals very distracting in general, but this sort of thing is definitely an exception: it's incomprehensible muttering/chanting/groaning. Perfect!

[veti]

My $0.02: don't. If you're doing your job and cranking up the tension enough, then silence will be far scarier than any soundtrack you can come up with.

A little light jazz to set the scene - well, if you must. But when the excrement starts to manifest, just cut it out. CoC is a game of imagination - the fewer props you have, the better.

[MonkeySage]

Out of 7 investigators, only 2 survived. ^_^ Everyone had fun, and even said the game was pretty scary. I had intended this as a one shot, but I don't know that I can do that now. They all want more.

And pretty much forgot about the playlist once the game started.

The tough guy in the group died first, took a big claw through the face, then had his heart ripped out and eaten... the last person to die was the criminal. Having already been driven mad, the creature looked like a beautiful woman to him, so he tried to embrace it, and was skewered through the gut.

[TheDarkSaint]

I've always wanted to run a CoC game using Charles Ives as the main music. He's pretty famous in the classical circles for juxtiposing two melodies on top of each other, making some pretty strange sounding music.

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

That's a recording of himself in about 1945 playing the piano. It is pretty but has some slightly jarring parts to it to make you just a little uneasy.

Also, check Arnold Schoenberg. He's a master at atonality, which makes people VERY uneasy. In the link I'm attaching, his symphony is dark enough to fit CoC without being distracting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-pVz2LTakM

Now, if you wanted madness, try this little piece. It's downright unnerving

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veUJxETj7-c

[veti]

Out of 7 investigators, only 2 survived. ^_^ Everyone had fun, and even said the game was pretty scary. I had intended this as a one shot, but I don't know that I can do that now. They all want more.

Sounds like an excellent session. Congratulations.

And pretty much forgot about the playlist once the game started.

Yep, that sounds right. I think if you're messing about with music controls, then there's at least a part of you that's not sufficiently invested/immersed in the game. CoC is a very intense experience, and it's much easier to convey that to your players if you're feeling it yourself.

[The Fury]

I find vocals very distracting in general, but this sort of thing is definitely an exception: it's incomprehensible muttering/chanting/groaning. Perfect!

There's a reversed version too. Just in case the normal version wasn't scary enough.

[Eric Mac]

Antonin Dvorak (I think is how it's spelled...)

[Eric Mac]

Or Stairway to Heaven backwards. That **** is creepy.

[Elkreeal]

Noire Jazz is certainly the key:
Bohren & der Club of Gore
Mouse on the keys
These are things I would play to create the mood 100% of the time all day every day if I had this scenario lol.

[Mutazoia]

Try some of these

[The Parasomniac]

Once I brought an old Yamaha keytar from 1987, put on a music box sound, pitched it down, and played a lot of dissonant chords and rhythms, ringing out a lot and bending the notes slightly at times.

Sounded like a tune you'd hear in a movie where the protagonists were exploring a creepy swamp. It did the trick.

[aldeayeah]

In the eventuality of a TPK:

Who Wants to Live Forever

[AMFV]

Set up a complex stereo system, then put a CD in with some light static, continually ask the players how they like the music, and if it adds to the mood of the game. If they ask "what music" react like they're insane. That's probably the most lovecraftian way to go about it.

[Blackfang108]

Set up a complex stereo system, then put a CD in with some light static, continually ask the players how they like the music, and if it adds to the mood of the game. If they ask "what music" react like they're insane. That's probably the most lovecraftian way to go about it.

I'm not sure gaslighting, a recognized form of psychological abuse, is a good idea.

[AMFV]

I'm not sure gaslighting, a recognized form of psychological abuse, is a good idea.

But satire, a recognized form of humor could be.

[The Parasomniac]

I'm not sure gaslighting, a recognized form of psychological abuse, is a good idea.

With Call of Cthulhu, similar to going to a haunted house/hayride, the player usually knows what they are in for and is mentally and emotionally prepared for it.

If you doubt one of your players, have a conversation with them beforehand. The people I ran for found it immersive and enjoyable, but everyone is different. Again, it comes down to knowing your players and running based on what they like in a game in order to provide them with the most enjoyable experience.

[Slipperychicken]

I'm not sure gaslighting, a recognized form of psychological abuse, is a good idea.

CoC is already psychological abuse.

[Elderand]

This should do the trick

[Yora]

I like the Music from The Thing. That one is pretty much a Cthulhu movie in itself.

[Kol Korran]

For dark foreboding disturbing music I am a fan of Lustmord's work. That music feels... wrong somehow... and yet so hauntingly right.

[Khosan]

Set up a complex stereo system, then put a CD in with some light static, continually ask the players how they like the music, and if it adds to the mood of the game. If they ask "what music" react like they're insane. That's probably the most lovecraftian way to go about it.

Bonus points if the you can incorporate a Shepard Tone in the background 'music,' for extra unnervingness.

[Morph Bark]

This thread is perfect. I'm going into a Trail of Cthulhu game tonight. First one too.