From:	Mark Fender markf@******.com
Subject:	Atmosphere Music (Was: Re: The Shadowrun Music CD)
Date:	Thu, 19 Aug 1999 15:11:18 -0500

> > > Oh. When I think Shadowrun I think music like Prodigy, Ministry,
> > > Helmet etc.
>
> Query: Why do people tend to automatically think exclusively of
> industrial
> music when Shadowrun comes up? Some of it's okay, but frankly, it's not
> what comes to my mind (especially since most of it sounds the same to me
> <shrug>).
>
Because industrial music combines traditional values present in music, but
mixes it up with electronics (a SR staple). Now, of course, this definition
could cover techno, too, but the difference is that industrial does it ways
that are often times hard to imagine being musical. That seems a good
comparison to SR, using the technology to commit crimes (whether it be the
crime of breaking into a building or the crime of ruining perfectly good
music).

> > All this talk of atmosphere and such, what do people consider good "mood
> > music" for games?
>
> Let's see, mood music for Shadowrun games...well, the recent playlists
> have
> looked similar to this:
>
> Anything by Queen or the various solo projects it spawned
> Anything by David Bowie except for LET'S DANCE
> Much by Blondie, especially "Maria" from NO EXIT
> THE CROW (soundtrack and score)
> THE SAINT (soundtrack, and the score once I get my hands on it)
> THE MATRIX (soundtrack and score, but especially the score)
> Anything by Christopher Franke (especially the score for UNIVERSAL
> SOLDIER, though the BABYLON 5 soundtracks are also wonderful)
> Some Styx, especially "Double Life" from KILROY WAS HERE
> Most of Asia's work, from both the Wetton and Payne eras ("Who Will
> Stop the Rain?" is especially good for this sorta thing)
> Nine Inch Nails PRETTY HATE MACHINE (and one of the "hidden" singles
> on
> BROKEN, "Physical")
> Billy Idol, especially REBEL YELL and CYBERPUNK
> STARGATE and INDEPENDENCE DAY scores (David Arnold rocks)
> More David Arnold, this time TOMORROW NEVER DIES score
> Some of the more recent Metallica, where they've finally gotten the
> hang of being musicians
>
> I think I'll be adding some things to it; with 1,000 or so CDs lying
> around
> (by count of titles), there's bound to be some stuff I've missed.
>
Musical taste is weird ain't it? Let me ask this: why do you feel '70s music
adds to SR? The soundtracks and scores I can buy - but the '70 prog rock I'm
not seeing.