My Cyberpunk music rant

[TheMurkWhoLurks]

My Cyberpunk music rant

You know what I hate about most Cyberpunk games and movies? For some reason, someone decided that everybody listens to techno in the future. While electronic ambience is fantastic in Cyberpunk (see: Blade Runner) it doesn't make sense that techno (or any electronica genre, really) killed off rock, country, rap, jazz, and funk* in one fell swoop when everybody realized "Hey, we live in the future. We should listen to electronica and wear mirrorshades." Electronica (a broad definition, granted) has always been pretty niche, from the Krautrock beginnings, to modern dubstep, most people don't listen to it. I listen to it (mostly retro stuff) but it's never caught on in the same way rock or rap has.

So why does everyone in the goddamn future listen to techno? Honestly, I'll give the tabletop a ton of credit here, just for Chromatic Rock. Chromatic Rock is great, because it can sound like different things to different people, and it most certainly isn't electronica. It breaks stereotype in a very appealing way.

I hope that if there are radio stations in the game (doubtful, for a few reasons) or other sources of in-world music, they have real genres. Pop from the future probably sounds just as meaningless and happy as it does today, and they could have fun with genres. Maybe cyberpsychos really like Krautrock style robot music. Maybe there are new genres, like Metamorphic Rock (mixing Prog Rock with Math Rock) Violencepunk (Punk music with the percussion replaced by gunfire and Alison Cooper style brutal stage shows, only with real dead people and disemboweled organs) or AI-generated ambience.

Thoughts?

*Admittedly, funk is already kinda dead. We really need a George Clinton to save us from this funkless Hell.

 

[Claylex]

While I'm expecting most of the music to be electric/techno, I'm okay if CDPR put in other genres of music as well.

But tbh I don't expect them to put too much of that in this game.

At the very least I would like to hear a balance and not something where they favor one genre of music over the other.

Just my opinion and thoughts.

Also TheMurkWhoLurks, did I hear you were gonna make a pnp thread too?

 

[Dr. LaBrat]

i guess because edm is the most futuristic sounding kind of music

to be quiet honest, i really love it and after seeing what ruiner is doing (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PglN1sz_NKg) i think electronic music just fits perfectly

i guess a jazzy soundtrack would also work especially if they keep cyberpunk very close to its film noir roots

 

[lv-426]

This already was discussed like 27 times in various places of the forum.
I wouldn't worry too much, with Marcin Przybyłowicz in charge once again, the score/OST for Cyberpunk 2077 seems to be in good hands.
Mike Pondsmith probably has a say or two on the variety of the soundtrack as well.

 

[TheMurkWhoLurks]

Also TheMurkWhoLurks, did I hear you were gonna make a pnp thread too?

That was more if Suhiira (sp?) wanted to continue discussing how Roles work, or rather how they don't.

 

[Claylex]

That was more if Suhiira (sp?) wanted to continue discussing how Roles work, or rather how they don't.

I think we already have a thread for that.

I could be wrong tho.XD

 

[Rawls]

Yeah so I generally agree that variety is important. I personally think that each class should have a music style that predominates when you are in areas associated with that group, and then a tech-ambient style music should be present the rest of the times mixed in with music from whatever class the player has chosen to align with. However the styles of music need to be able to blend into one another. Examples to follow:

Cop

Corporate

Media

Nomad

Solo

 

[Claylex]

Yeah so I generally agree that variety is important. I personally think that each class should have a music style that predominates when you are in areas associated with that group, and then a tech-ambient style music should be present the rest of the times mixed in with music from whatever class the player has chosen to align with. However the styles of music need to be able to blend into one another. Examples to follow:

Cop

Corporate

Media

Nomad

Solo

Awesome.:thumbup:

 

[TheMurkWhoLurks]

If you're going in the jazz direction, ambient jazz exists, and is pretty good. And fitting, too!

 

[Calistarius]

Yeah, it is a bit tiring that techno and simmilar types of music seems to be the go to for a lot of people/devs when it comes to a lot of sci-fi. It is a style of music which I think is... ok'ish... some few really strong standouts, some better then others, some really bad or just plain boring, etc... but it is really not one of my favorit styles of music.

The styles of music I personally more relate to a Cyberpunk'ish setting is various kinds of Metal... and especially (for some reason) the various kinds of Gothic Metal/Rock styles of music (granted, some music which I consider to be "Gothic" is actually not, but there is just something with some of those which reads as "Gothic" to me).

The Gothic style of Metal/Rock is the kind of music I would like the most if it was in Cyberpunk... atleast somewhere in the game. Would love to walk around randomly in the CP2077's world, and accidentally stumble upon something simmilar to the "Succubus Club" that was in the Vampire: The Masquerade PC game.

 

[blank_redge]

In the Dark Future of the mid-90s (at least, according to Max Max canon):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiFAXI8JeWU

 

[kofeiiniturpa]

I'm the artsy fartsy guy here, so I say: While CP fits well with techno and industrial rock and metal, I've always thought classical compositions were in high demand; for a reason or two.

I'd like to hear some classical shit that contraries while enstenghtens the general mood.

Think about this opening scene where the earth is destroyed in an opening scene of the movie under the tones of Wagner's highly romantic Tristan und Isolde Prelude:

The contrast and the fit are amazing. I don't remember seeing as beautiful an opening for a movie. The kind of exposition and symbolism for a game I do not expect, but similiar sense of artistry I do hope for. Where even the harshest of violence can be a beauty to sight upon and the most beautiful scene could be the harshest of them all.

Well you get the picture, if you have the imagination.

Think about what kind of sceneries could occur around this. What someone could do to somebody and so forth:

But that kind of shit.

 

[Suhiira]

There's a reason Bach, Beethoven, Mozart and others are considered classics!

 

[kofeiiniturpa]

There's a reason Bach, Beethoven, Mozart and others are considered classics!

Imagine the contrasting scenes that could happen around that or Bachs Air or something. This gives, or must give, an atheist a new perspective on what religion has done to our society, I don't believe in god, but "god" certainly did inspire some great music.

 

[227]

I find the absence of Chopin in this thread highly disturbing. Imagine going in for some kind of upgrade and hearing this while losing humanity and being brought ever closer to cyberpsychosis:

And yeah, the idea that entire genres are killed off because the future is, like, so into electronic music is stupid. It's little more than lazy musical shorthand for those too lazy or unwilling actually flesh their futuristic world out beyond those bleeps and bloops. The idea that everyone in the world suddenly develops identical, unevolving musical tastes is absurd, and something that instead mixes a bunch of genres (here's something weird I stumbled on awhile back) would probably be more believably futuristic than a malfunctioning SID chip vomiting over a 4-on-the-floor drum track.

 

[TheMurkWhoLurks]

On the subject of classical music, you gotta have a booster who listens to Beethoven. >_>

 

[kofeiiniturpa]

I find the absence of Chopin in this thread highly disturbing.

How about Glass's minimalism?

I fucking love this movie.

And think about the CP connections.... I can come up with several...

 

[Sardukhar]

OKay, but if all music and all genres can fit, what is Cyberpunk Music?

What defines it and makes it appropriate to the setting?

Kofe's Glass peice there is great and I think it's a great addition, but why? I haven't listened to 2222's Chopin because he's silly, but why would that piece be Cyberpunk and another Chopin piece not be Cyberpunk?

 

[227]

I fucking love this movie.

A teacher forced my entire class to watch it when I was in 8th grade. I don't know when the "right" age to watch that movie is, but it's definitely not 13-14.

But hey, I turned out fine! *twitch*

OKay, but if all music and all genres can fit, what is Cyberpunk Music? What defines it and makes it appropriate to the setting?

Rebellion, because rebellion? If everyone's music tastes are in a constant state of rave, could any character really be seen as an individualistic rebel? I imagine different groups would gravitate toward different styles, and it'd be cool if areas controlled by certain groups were denoted by the genre of music playing in the background.

I haven't listened to 2222's Chopin because he's silly

Me or Chopin? If me, then no biggie, but if you've just insulted Chopin then I'll declare one of those... murder-y vendetta things on you. I want to say... fatwa? Either that or kumquat. One or both will be placed on your head.

 

[Sardukhar]

Me or Chopin? If me, then no biggie, but if you've just insulted Chopin then I'll declare one of those... murder-y vendetta things on you. I want to say... fatwa? Either that or kumquat. One or both will be placed on your head.

A FATWAH OF MELONS UPON YOU SIR.