It's fun to listen to when walking around at night.

October 7, 2011 1:25 PM

I'm looking for ambient music which consists of dark undertones, "good" beats, and a general feeling of...psychedelic hopelessness? danger, maybe? I'm not sure.

A few months ago, I finished Vampire Bloodlines: The Masquerade. I decided to download the OST and I loved it.
"Hopelessness" really isn't anywhere near the best word choice for this type of music, but I'm essentially looking for music similar to these tracks: here, here, and of course here. Thanks to anyone who can help me out. Cheers.

posted by Evernix to media & arts (22 answers total)

This reminds me of two things: first, Brian Eno's fourth ambient record, Ambient 4: On Land, which was darker and more immediate than his earlier ambient work. Here's a good sampler of that. Second, the ambient works of an obscure but wonderful band called Medusa Cyclone. Here are a few of their songs: "Tangier;" "Easter;" "Cobalt;" "Double Blind."
posted by koeselitz at 1:44 PM on October 7, 2011

Massive Attack, Portishead, Burial, Boards of Canada.
posted by afx237vi at 1:49 PM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

Future Sound of London, around Lifeforms and Dead Cities.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 2:04 PM on October 7, 2011

Tricky
posted by The World Famous at 2:11 PM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

Musica Cthuliana
posted by KingEdRa at 2:22 PM on October 7, 2011

Check out Delerium.
posted by MillMan at 2:45 PM on October 7, 2011

You will love Marconi Union.
posted by davebush at 2:46 PM on October 7, 2011

Salem?
posted by loriginedumonde at 2:56 PM on October 7, 2011

Some of Tim Hecker's work kinda fits that bill, although it's a bit low on the beats. Dark undertones galore though.
posted by zabuni at 3:04 PM on October 7, 2011

Can't find it online to link to, but you would love Ophthalmos – 6th Floor Observation. Only 300 were produced but there seen to be some reasonably priced used ones on discogs. Dark, menacing overtones, slippery, frosty little electro beats and the odd little tear-jerking melody slipped in to boot.

Panos Kapsaskis (for it is he) also did the soundtack for this video - no beats on this one - unlike the CD, but it's still pretty gloomy and hopeless...
posted by Chairboy at 3:06 PM on October 7, 2011

Amon Tobin
posted by Flashman at 4:34 PM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

Amber Asylum - Volcano Suite

Desiderii Marginis - The Ever Green Tree

Nightmare Lodge - Nexus

Sephiroth - The Clock of Distant Realms
posted by Kandarp Von Bontee at 4:42 PM on October 7, 2011

Plastikman - Consumed
posted by eric1halfb at 5:08 PM on October 7, 2011

Black Lung
posted by pompomtom at 5:29 PM on October 7, 2011

Just about anything Coil has created,
here's a sample
posted by iurodivii at 5:56 PM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

This is essentially trip hop, you can find podcasts that specialize in this sound. Also: Morcheeba, Zero 7, Thievery Corp's Cosmic Game album.
posted by AlsoMike at 6:02 PM on October 7, 2011

Absolutely Coil.

Maybe Akira Yamaoka's Silent Hill scores?

Maybe Rhea's Obsession?

Maybe Trent Reznor's quieter songs?

While not completely hopeless, The Sight Below, Donnacha Costello, the Dead Texan and, if you can get a hold of it, the Last Life in the Universe soundtrack all inspire a similar mood of tired defeat in me.
posted by byanyothername at 7:46 PM on October 7, 2011

Music For Real Airports
posted by Artw at 11:37 PM on October 7, 2011

U.N.K.L.E's first album, has some good tracks with this sort of feel.

Celestial Annihilation

Lonely Soul

Unreal

Bloodstain


And listening to that I am thinking maybe some early D.J Shadow.

Dark Days

Building Steam with a Grain of Salt

Midnight in a Perfect World

And to switch genre up a bit, how about some Skinny Puppy.

Killing Game

Morpheus Laughing

Cult
posted by St. Sorryass at 2:40 AM on October 8, 2011

The phrase you're looking for is Dark Ambient. I would add Lustmord to the list.

I just wrote an "Ambient Music For Halloween Parties" post on Squidoo which should scratch the itch, too.
posted by softlord at 8:07 AM on October 8, 2011 [1 favorite]

Scorn.
posted by metagnathous at 2:10 PM on October 8, 2011

perhaps Benjamin Herman - Blue Sky Blond album
posted by leigh1 at 12:11 PM on October 9, 2011