Comments on: Shiny music, Cap'n!

Question: Shiny music, Cap'n!

timpollard — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 15:45:37 -0800

So, I'm running a Firefly/Serenity roleplaying game and I'm looking for recommendations for some suitable background music...

...of course I've bought the series and movie sountrack CDs, now I'm looking for some music that captures the spirit of the background.

I'm looking for something 'traditional Chinese' sounding, but maybe played on modern instruments, or with modern overtones/beats etc., and the same with something 'Border world Browncoat-ey' and 'Central planets Alliance-ey' (which might well be the Chinese sounds but other stuff too).

I'm not so much looking for songs/tunes *about* the series and characters but more the kind of music they might hear about the 'verse, in the bars/ports when they land to do crime and be bad guys!

Any suggestions would be shiny, thank you!

By: Brandon Blatcher

Brandon Blatcher — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 16:05:55 -0800

Music for the Motherless Child by Martin Simpson and Wu Man
An acoustic duet between an Eastern and Western musician, with both slow and fast pieces.

The Orphan's Lament by Huun-Huur-Tur
A blend of Mongolian throat singing and traditional Asian instruments, something I'd imagine Book heard a lot of and others heard on the market streets of major cities.

Portishead seems it would evoke the long trips out in the black while mirroring the emotions running through a lot of the crew and their relationships.

By: sharkfu

sharkfu — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 16:14:32 -0800

Maybe experimental zither player Zeng Xiaogang.

By: martens

martens — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 16:19:36 -0800

Damon Albarn (Gorillaz, Blur) has produced a few cool Western/Chinese hybrids recently:

"Hong Kong" uses Chinese instruments with hip-hop beats and English Vocals.

Monkey: Journey to the West is a modern operatic interpretation of a classical Chinese story.

Enjoy!

By: rhizome

rhizome — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 16:22:51 -0800

Arovane - Tides. The rest of the album is similar. I'm not particularly familiar with the show, but if ambient and/or new age is a possibility you should look into David Parsons.

By: fings

fings — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 16:42:42 -0800

Not Asian, but I stumbled across Tom Adams' "Box Elder Beetles" (Amazon preview here) on a compilation CD I bought, and was struck at how much it sounded like something that would fit into a Firefly episode.

By: BitterOldPunk

BitterOldPunk — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 16:42:45 -0800

Earth, "The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull"

Not Chinese, but totally space Western. Maybe not good for the bar music, but atmospheric grand and brooding stuff for when they are out there wrapped in cold darkness.

Also: I want to play this game.

By: EnsignLunchmeat

EnsignLunchmeat — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 17:04:27 -0800

I'm going with Melt-Banana (Japanese Noise Rock) in the serious drinking bars, Jinx (Bhangra) in the more genteel nightspots, Johnny Cash in the ship cockpits, and whale song in the elevators. Then there's the stuff that permeates everything out there: solar radio glare.

By: librarina

librarina — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 17:52:59 -0800

Check out Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet -- they do classically-trained bluegrass and traditional Chinese folk songs (but bluegrassy-style). They are very good. Plus, her name is Washburn.

I also want to play this game.

By: Soliloquy

Soliloquy — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 18:25:54 -0800

By: timpollard

timpollard — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 19:19:23 -0800

Guys (and I mean that in a positive non-gender specific way, of course) you are all awesome and I'm greatly endebted to you - thank you all so much!

I'll enjoy checking those out and you all have a standing invite to join the game, of course!

Xie xie!

By: jammy

jammy — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 19:21:28 -0800

i think if i was robbing a bank in space i'd like to have something like this as the soundtrack...

By: Lipstick Thespian

Lipstick Thespian — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 20:12:35 -0800

try anything by the Shanghai Restoration Project - beats plus oriental instrumentation.

By: pts

pts — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 20:47:04 -0800

My mix for a similar situation.

The mix is entitled "This Occupation's Got to Go."

What Planet Is This? -- Yoko Kanno, Cowboy Bebop Motion Picture Soundtrack
Suits Are Picking Up The Bill -- Squirrel Nut Zippers
Keep The Bugs Off Your Glass And The Bears Off Your Ass -- The Bad Plus
Penitentiary Bound -- Bishop Allen
Standing Bird -- Love Psychedelico
Knock 'em Down -- Firewater
Big Iron -- Marty Robbins
Talibe -- Nuru Kane
I Got Nobody Waiting For Me -- M. Craft
Starlight -- Muse
Laureen's Tune -- Shooglenifty
Long Way Home -- Tom Waits
No Money -- Yoko Kanno, Cowboy Bebop Motion Picture Soundtrack

By: 5_13_23_42_69_666

5_13_23_42_69_666 — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 21:53:27 -0800

How about Snog (my favourite band, I must say) They have a really unique sound - futuristic, anti-establishment, and they like to use a lot of samples from old soundtracks, so some of their stuff has a real space-spaghetti western feel to it. it's fun. Look for songs off the album Buy Me I'll Change Your Life for the most western-sounding songs.

By: kxr

kxr — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 03:19:34 -0800

Seconding Sa Ding-Ding.

You could also try the album Chinese Dub by Jah Wobble and the Chinese Dub Orchestra.

And while strictly speaking it's Japanese in style, rather than Chinese, unless your players are ethnomusicographers Setsubun Bean Unit might fit the bill as well (aside from being a stonkingly good album, imo).

By: bibliophibianj

bibliophibianj — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 04:29:36 -0800

Knights of Cydonia by Muse. Not Chinese, I'm afraid, but I can't hear it without thinking of Firefly.

By: Squid Voltaire

Squid Voltaire — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 07:53:26 -0800

Wow, this is fantastic! Thank you all! I'm about to start running an Exalter game, and I had gotten as far as The House of Flying Daggers soundtrack. These all look way better!

(I, too, want to be in your game!)

By: Squid Voltaire

Squid Voltaire — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 07:53:58 -0800

Er, and by Exatler, I mean Exalted, White Wolf Wuxia.

By: chrisinseoul

chrisinseoul — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 09:55:11 -0800

Could this game be available in some sort of real-time, online version? Nthing the 'I'd love to play' response :)

By: speicus

speicus — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 10:37:32 -0800

Well, Tan Dun immediately comes to mind.

By: Overzealous

Overzealous — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 12:09:07 -0800

This may sound like an unusual connection, but I really find that a lot of Nickel Creek's instrumental music like Scotch and Chocolate, First and Last Waltz and this song called (No Title) really has the same feel as some of the Firefly music.

Not in the Asian music mode exactly...or at all, but the interstitial music that they played on the show really has the same vibe as these Nickel Creek tunes. Give a listen.

By: frecklefaerie

frecklefaerie — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 08:32:55 -0800

Hee, I would listen to the Deadwood Soundtrack. Firefly was really a western at heart. :)