Cyberpunk and music

[Talyn]

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]

You can try anything from the Matrix soundtrack.

I find the soundtrack available for download on this page to be quite fitting as well.

Rage Against The Machine also works quite well for cyberpunk.

[Grynning]

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]

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]

Powerman 5000 go alright in that setting. :)

[Lord Tataraus]

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

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

[SilverClawShift]

Soundtrack music from system shock 2 (which is essentially a cyperpunk FPS with fitting music)

[Crow]

Ladytron isn't too bad either.

[Darth Mario]

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]

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]

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]

I would go with early Nine Inch Nails and Tool, myself. More nineties that eghties, but it still works.

[mabriss lethe]

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]

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]

Oh, and Shadowrun is a Cyberpunk 2020-like game, not the other way around

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

[VerdugoExplode]

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/m...na_sisters.mp3

[Tengu]

Oh, and Shadowrun is a Cyberpunk 2020-like game, not the other way around

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]

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]

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]

The Blade Runner soundtrack.

Sample (YouTube vid).

[Jayabalard]

Definitely bladerunner.

Perhaps something like the Ghost in the shell S.A.C. opening?

[Lord Tataraus]

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]

I suggest Wagner.

Of course, I suggest Wagner for anything.

[Elphilm]

Suicide's first and second album.

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

[Jannex]

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?

[Meschaelene]

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]

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?

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]

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]

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]

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.