# Post your fav Cyberpunk music here!



## SimonCharlesHanna

Hey everyone,

Looking to bolster my list of influences with some amazing cyberpunk music.

I'd love any recommendations you may have. 

Preferably less dancy more orchestra where possible. 

Post em


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## Kuusniemi

I would definitely put Hans Zimmer's Black Rain score on this list, though the movie is not scifi nor cyberpunk.


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## Ilko Birov

This is on my list:


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## doctoremmet

So I am a big William Gibson fan. Read the Sprawl trilogy when it came out in the eighties. Also, Akira was 1988 right? So to me, cyberpunk as a musical genre isn’t really a thing, except it should maybe be tied to that time periode 1984-1995? Yet, somehow... The Matrix may be the culmination of all cyberpunk influences. That was what... 1999? They had this RATM track on their OST that was very fitting. So a mix of genres... I need to think this through and I’ll post a playlist shortly, nice challenge.


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## doctoremmet

Spotify playlist.

Postapocalyptic substance-abuse infused postrock decades spanning musical atmospheres for all generations. Enjoy.


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## pondinthestream

As someone who loves sci fi - whether Gibson or Egan or at the moment I am reading Rosewater by Tade Thomspn (and living it) - I haven little to no idea what cyberpunk music would be. Need suggestions to seed the brainbox
EDIT - all I can think of is something I did way back using the sounds of a wasp through a guitar amp sim and some other bits and pieces https://greghooper2.bandcamp.com/track/final-ruling (▶︎ final ruling | greg hooper (bandcamp.com)) 

(dont use spotify so struggling with some of your playlist doctoremmet)


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## doctoremmet

Still lacking. Needs some Warp stuff. Autechre?


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## pondinthestream

doctoremmet said:


> Still lacking. Needs some Warp stuff. Autechre?


I just feel it should be a bit more aggressive to fit the feel and more cutup / which has me thinking John Oswald JOHN OSWALD - Dab [Full Song] - YouTube


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## davidson

I'll suggest Carpenter Brut (stick to the first two EPs, went a bit soft after that). Here's a track that contains some orchestral elements. Edit: The original video contains a fair bit of nudity so I've posted a link to a john wick mockup. The original video is well worth a watch though.


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## pondinthestream

and my favourite - although a punk era track - but my favourite representation of the post industrial decay that underlies much of the cyberpunk zeitgeist The Fakes - Production.wmv - YouTube


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## pondinthestream

davidson said:


> I'll suggest Carpenter Brut (stick to the first two EPs, went a bit soft after that). Here's a track that contains some orchestral elements. Edit: The original video contains a fair bit of nudity so I've posted a link to a john wick mockup. The original video is well worth a watch though.



this reminds me of that whole Keith le Blanc /Adrian Sherwood/Tackhead scene


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## pondinthestream

SimonCharlesHanna said:


> Preferably less dancy more orchestra where possible.
> 
> Post em



have you any examples of orchestral Cyberpunk?  that would help a lot


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## Ilko Birov

doctoremmet said:


> Spotify playlist.
> 
> Postapocalyptic substance-abuse infused postrock decades spanning musical atmospheres for all generations. Enjoy.





Fantastic playlist!
I'd also add the Ghost in the Shell OST


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## davidson

pondinthestream said:


> this reminds me of that whole Keith le Blanc /Adrian Sherwood/Tackhead scene



I would've classed le Blanc as industrial. Also, Carpenter Brut is probably classed as darkwave rather than cyberpunk (is cyberpunk even a musical genre?) but it just goes to show that titles are pretty much meaningless


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## pondinthestream

Surely Hatis Noit - a Matmos edit that gets more percussive half way through


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## pondinthestream

davidson said:


> I would've classed le Blanc as industrial. Also, Carpenter Brut is probably classed as darkwave rather than cyberpunk (is cyberpunk even a musical genre?) but it just goes to show that titles are pretty much meaningless


ha ha - for sure Industrial - but genre now is hilarious, like sounds exactly the same but 143bpm rather than 145bpm and uses an 808 layered with a detuned 727 conga not a 909 kick solo with tuned sine so an utterly different genre how could you possibly mix them up.


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## doctoremmet

davidson said:


> I would've classed le Blanc as industrial. Also, Carpenter Brut is probably classed as darkwave rather than cyberpunk (is cyberpunk even a musical genre?) but it just goes to show that titles are pretty much meaningless


I think the old meaning of industrial (Skinny Puppy, Frontline Assembly, etc) is very fitting for the eighties meaning of cyberpunk. May be totally wrong of course...


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## pondinthestream

doctoremmet said:


> I think the old meaning of industrial (Skinny Puppy, Frontline Assembly, etc) is very fitting for the eighties meaning of cyberpunk. May be totally wrong of course...


I am definitely thinking Cyberpunk as a literary term


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## R. Soul

I quite like Scandroid - from the guy behind Celldweller.


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## doctoremmet

pondinthestream said:


> I am definitely thinking Cyberpunk as a literary term


Me too. And a cinematic one, although a LOT of cyberpunk movies kind of suck. Johnny Mnemonic. Great WG story. Horrible Keanu movie.


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## doctoremmet

Ilko Birov said:


> I'd also add the Ghost in the Shell OST


Absolutely. But in this case I tried to shy away from actual soundtracks and just picked tracks by bands / artists that would somehow fit on the OST of a fictional cyberpunk movie produced in 1995


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## Ilko Birov

No cyberpunk (music) thread would be complete without Throbbing Gristle.

Their work is like something out of a Philip K Dick novel.


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## doctoremmet

Ilko Birov said:


> No cyberpunk (music) thread would be complete without Throbbing Gristle.
> 
> Their work is like something out of a Philip K Dick novel.



They’re on my list! Godfathers! I was thinking my list is lacking in the drum and bass department. Some tracks in that genre seem cyberpunky to me


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## pondinthestream

doctoremmet said:


> Ma LOT of cyberpunk movies kind of suck. Johnny Mnemonic. Great WG story. Horrible Keanu movie.


yes and another yes for emphasis - trying to think of a good movie - maybe videodrome but that was terrible too


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## doctoremmet

I could totally picture a tension building scene with this tune tearing my face off in a theatre....


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## pondinthestream

doctoremmet said:


> I could totally picture a tension building scene with this tune tearing my face off in a theatre....



what is that fast skipping type of drumming called? I would like to get some midi files of that and rearrange for other instruments


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## doctoremmet

pondinthestream said:


> what is that fast skipping type of drumming called?


It’s likely an Amen Break completely mangled and reversed and sped up in an old Akai S1100 or E-mu sampler. Or maybe even ReCycle. This was done way before you could just pick a BreakTweaker or StutterEdit preset 🙃


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## doctoremmet




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## doctoremmet

pondinthestream said:


> what is that fast skipping type of drumming called? I would like to get some midi files of that and rearrange for other instruments


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## el-bo




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## doctoremmet

el-bo said:


>



Used to love them for wearing MSX t-shirts hahaha. Classic tune mate


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## doctoremmet

Okay, so once we start slipping towards this stuff... how about that one time Billy Idol jumped on the bandwagon?


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## doctoremmet

in Dutch: er komt bloed uit mijn oren man


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## doctoremmet

Wire could very credibly be called cyberpunk, me thinks


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## el-bo

doctoremmet said:


> Used to love them for wearing MSX t-shirts hahaha. Classic tune mate



Yeah! When they 'hit', I was at the right age to fall right in. Even went to see them at the Astoria, back in the 80's. At the time, it seemed so cool and other-worldly. Now it just seems so, erm...camp


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## doctoremmet

el-bo said:


> Yeah! When they 'hit', I was at the right age to fall right in. Even went to see them at the Astoria, back in the 80's. At the time, it seemed so cool and other-worldly. Now it just seems so, erm...camp


I hear ya. Same age.


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## doctoremmet

doctoremmet said:


> in Dutch: er komt bloed uit mijn oren man



Sorry for this. Let me make up. Jacques Lu Conte made a darkwave album way before that was even a thing. Containing very convincing 1985 era Madonna and Nick Kershaw songs, but also this gem, which I could easily see fitting in with an actual Neuromancer film, should we ever see one:


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## doctoremmet

Ok, I’ll stop. But what about this one. Pretty epic chune, yeah?



From their epic 1981 album Sister Feelings Call.


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## doctoremmet

Added a bunch of your tracks to the playlist


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## doctoremmet

We may need more gothic and shoegaze though


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## davidson

Hahaha, the only sound example left to post now is something from John Williams then we'll have everything covered. You're welcome, OP


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## doctoremmet




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## el-bo

Having just re-read the op, I think we might have veered way off-piste here 

But I'll offer my last entry:

Strictly-speaking, Bauhaus would likely be identified as somewhere on the spectrum between Punk and Goth. However, I always got a strong Cyberpunk vibe from them.


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## el-bo

doctoremmet said:


>




Really enjoyed that


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## doctoremmet

el-bo said:


> Having just re-read the op, I think we might have veered way off-piste here
> 
> But I'll offer my last entry:
> 
> Strictly-speaking, Bauhaus would likely be identified as somewhere on the spectrum between Punk and Goth. However, I always got a strong Cyberpunk vibe from them.



This is the best post I will read today. Also, @el-bo these are some of the best tracks by them. I concur. Funny thing, I was just watching Massive Attack playing Bela Lugosi. What are the effing odds man... GREAT band, and I agree: they ooze everything cyberpunk movies could ever need.


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## Ned Bouhalassa

Big Cyberpunk fan here. I get all my musical cyberpunk satisfaction from listening to artists writing Synthwave music (Lazerhawk, Com Truise, Kavinsky, etc).


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## doctoremmet

What about some Gang Of Four and a bunch of DFA stuff?


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## el-bo

doctoremmet said:


> This is the best post I will read today. Also, @el-bo these are some of the best tracks by them. I concur. Funny thing, I was just watching Massive Attack playing Bela Lugosi. What are the effing odds man... GREAT band, and I agree: they ooze everything cyberpunk movies could ever need.



Doesn't surprise me that this is right up your alley  

The live footage from this time is excellent. Had a lot of this stuff on VHS, back in the day:

Just missing 'Rosegarden...'



Will have to check out that Massive Attack cover


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## doctoremmet

Ned Bouhalassa said:


> Big Cyberpunk fan here. I get all my musical cyberpunk satisfaction from listening to artists writing Synthwave music (Lazerhawk, Com Truise, Kavinsky, etc).


Cool artists. I also like Lone, although he is more of a retro techno guy. Some of his stuff reminds me of Underground Resistance era music. Jupiter Jazz!

I can picture a great action scene, maybe some kind of car chase, with this as the accompaniment:


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## doctoremmet

el-bo said:


> Doesn't surprise me that this is right up your alley
> 
> The live footage from this time is excellent. Had a lot of this stuff on VHS, back in the day:
> 
> Just missing 'Rosegarden...'
> 
> 
> 
> Will have to check out that Massive Attack cover



Bela is a staple of Massive Attack’s live set. They do it pretty decent too!


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## doctoremmet

el-bo said:


> Doesn't surprise me that this is right up your alley


Well... this is my (long abandoned) Facebook profile / avatar


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## el-bo

doctoremmet said:


> Bela is a staple of Massive Attack’s live set. They do it pretty decent too!



Just heard it. Solid cover! Interestingly, it only just struck me how strange a juxtaposition it is that a dark Goth classic would be underpinned by a Bossa Nova 3:2 clave


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## doctoremmet

JD’s Isolation is pretty cyberpunky though, innit?


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## doctoremmet

el-bo said:


> Just heard it. Solid cover! Interestingly, it only just struck me how strange a juxtaposition it is that a dark Goth classic would be underpinned by a Bossa Nova 3:2 clave


Yeah, that bossa nova makes the song! Btw, one of the most impressive live versions of Bela is the one where Pete Murphy is hanging like a bat the entire song...


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## el-bo

doctoremmet said:


> Well... this is my (long abandoned) Facebook profile / avatar




Love it!! And what a beautiful t-shirt (JD were my main squeeze, during that era). 'Unknown Pleasures' has probably my favourite album-intro of all time (Duran Duran's 'Rio' is right up there). What a mission-statement!!


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## doctoremmet

I remember when our local library was selling off their vinyl lp rental collection, and I went in to buy their copies of Mask and Press The Eject And Give Me The Tape, which I had hidden in the “Dutch medieval music” section weeks earlier  Purchased them both for 5 guilders (a euro each).


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## doctoremmet

el-bo said:


> Love it!! And what a beautiful t-shirt (JD were my main squeeze, during that era). 'Unknown Pleasures' has probably my favourite album-intro of all time (Duran Duran's 'Rio' is right up there). What a mission-statement!!


Rio lover here


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## MartinH.

I was gonna suggest the entire synthwave genre, but you said "less dancy", so here are two Deus Ex soundtracks:


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## el-bo

doctoremmet said:


> I remember when our local library was selling off their vinyl lp rental collection, and I went in to buy their copies of Mask and Press The Eject And Give Me The Tape, which I had hidden in the “Dutch medieval music” section weeks earlier  Purchased them both for 5 guilders (a euro each).




Haha! Made my day. Gonna have to check out some of this more recent stuff. Better sonic fidelity, albeit without the crazy Iggy Pop energy from the early eighties stuff. Dutch medieval music was way ahead of it's time


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## el-bo

doctoremmet said:


> Rio lover here



i think we'd better 'get a room' (Separate beds, of course  )


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## reimerpdx

SimonCharlesHanna said:


> Hey everyone,
> 
> Looking to bolster my list of influences with some amazing cyberpunk music.
> 
> I'd love any recommendations you may have.
> 
> Preferably less dancy more orchestra where possible.
> 
> Post em



i recently was part of a project that included writing a double album of cyberpunk music. ‘Disc’1 was the soundtrack (songs and “radio” music), and disc 2 was the score, which includes music that is definitely more orchestrated.
they accompany an original story called CodeBurst.

It is streaming everywhere and for convenience sake, here is the Spotify link:


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## doctoremmet

pondinthestream said:


> trying to think of a good movie


Arguably, one of the very few classic cyberpunk movies is The Matrix 1.


el-bo said:


> i think we'd better 'get a room' (Separate beds, of course  )


Yeah this is becoming a wank fest. Sorry! Mere enthusiasm.


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## doctoremmet

reimerpdx said:


> i recently was part of a project that included writing a double album of cyberpunk music. ‘Disc’1 was the soundtrack (songs and “radio” music), and disc 2 was the score, which includes music that is definitely more orchestrated.
> they accompany an original story called CodeBurst.
> 
> It is streaming everywhere and for convenience sake, here is the Spotify link:



Awesome. Before I start listening, does it resemble ANYTHING that we’ve been posting? Asking for a friend...

Edit: followed the link, cool project. Found this - so sounds like we were onto something after all?

_CodeBurst: A Cyberpunk Soundtrack — A double album of music heavily inspired by synthwave, pop, and industrial music genres_


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## el-bo

doctoremmet said:


> Yeah, that bossa nova makes the song!



As with Radiohead's 'Blowout;, albeit in that case the band 'lilts' along


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## el-bo

reimerpdx said:


> i recently was part of a project that included writing a double album of cyberpunk music. ‘Disc’1 was the soundtrack (songs and “radio” music), and disc 2 was the score, which includes music that is definitely more orchestrated.
> they accompany an original story called CodeBurst.
> 
> It is streaming everywhere and for convenience sake, here is the Spotify link:




The soundtrack to some later chores, perhaps. Cheers!


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## doctoremmet

Has anyone noticed that any and all movies that want to depict some kind of underground subculture somehow always involve a “club scene” where some boring FBI officer enters a dark club, looking totally out of place and then ALWAYS needs to cross the dance floor in order to approach the protagonist - and all the girls have black lipstick on, and the guys are wearing sleeveless fishnet shirts and look at him angry - while the DJ is playing some industrial record or other... not necessarily even a cyberpunk movie trope but a far more regular one...

Does this trope have a name yet? In my head I call it the “clubs are always playing industrial and the person you need to meet is always across the black-lipstick-wearing-angry-people crowded dancefloor” trope.


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## el-bo

MartinH. said:


>




Makes me want to play the game.


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## el-bo

doctoremmet said:


> Has anyone noticed that any and all movies that want to depict some kind of underground subculture somehow always involve a “club scene” where some boring FBI officer enters a dark club, looking totally out of place and then ALWAYS needs to cross the dance floor in order to approach the protagonist - and all the girls have black lipstick on, and the guys are wearing sleeveless fishnet shirts and look at him angry - while the DJ is playing some industrial record or other... not necessarily even a cyberpunk movie trope but a far more regular one...
> 
> Does this trope have a name yet? In my head I call it the “clubs are always playing industrial and the person you need to meet is always across the black-lipstick-wearing-angry-people crowded dancefloor” trope.



I think you missed the detail that some of the said "black-lipstick-wearing-angry-people " should also be pawing and clawing at his suit-jacket, tie etc. in order to obstruct our protagonists' passage 

I like the 'Logan's Run' variation on a theme. This is NSFW-ish:


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## doctoremmet

Trippy AF!


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## Trash Panda




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## doctoremmet

Trash Panda said:


>



Final Fantasy has some of the best scores imho


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## Ilko Birov

This track:


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## doctoremmet

_“Our female protagonist Molly roams the streets of Tokyo, in pursuit of a console cowboy, under the influence of a new designer drug (that can only be described as MDMA on steroids) that is known as “Fantasy”. Everything gets a beautiful rose pink glow, perfectly fitting the neon lit environment”_

Soundtrack:


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## Traz

doctoremmet said:


> So I am a big William Gibson fan. Read the Sprawl trilogy when it came out in the eighties. Also, Akira was 1988 right? So to me, cyberpunk as a musical genre isn’t really a thing, except it should maybe be tied to that time periode 1984-1995? Yet, somehow... The Matrix may be the culmination of all cyberpunk influences. That was what... 1999? They had this RATM track on their OST that was very fitting. So a mix of genres... I need to think this through and I’ll post a playlist shortly, nice challenge.


What about Blade Runner and Ghost in the Shell(Which The Matrix borrowed a lot from)?

Blade Runner was 1982 and the first Ghost in the Shell film was 1996 I think.

For me, Vangelis, Kenji Kawai, Yoko Kanno, and Michael McCann are who my big influences are for the Sci-Fi Cyberpunk sound that they created for Blade Runner, Ghost in the Shell and Deus Ex.

Also I've got William Gibson's Neuromancer sitting next to me that I need to finish reading at some point!


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## doctoremmet

Traz said:


> What about Blade Runner and Ghost in the Shell(Which The Matrix borrowed a lot from)?


Excellent films. GITS was indeed a very obvious source for the Wachowski’s.


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## doctoremmet

Traz said:


> Also I've got William Gibson's Neuromancer sitting next to me that I need to finish reading at some point!


Great book. Molly, Case, Wintermute. I love Gibson. He has style.


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## Traz

This is my favorite one. Probably not what most would think of for a cyberpunk sound but for this film its just perfect.

I'm all about atmosphere and this can give me chills in the best way!


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## ned3000

Also, since we're touching on literature in this thread as well: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_Crash


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## doctoremmet

Almost 30 years old, and still I can hardly grasp the beauty of this classic album:


Very much suited for cyberpunk


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## Traz

doctoremmet said:


> Almost 30 years old, and still I can hardly grasp the beauty of this classic album:
> 
> 
> Very much suited for cyberpunk



As a big fan of shoegaze myself, I never thought to connect it in any way to cyberpunk.

But now that you said this I can definitely see how that could work.


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## doctoremmet

Traz said:


> As a big fan of shoegaze myself, I never thought to connect it in any way to cyberpunk.
> 
> But now that you said this I can definitely see how that could work.


That Kevin Shields penned soundtrack for Lost In Translation was almost cyberpunk in a way. I recall a song called City Girl or something similar that always conjures up images of the Sprawl for me...


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## doctoremmet

And then of course there was this:


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## doctoremmet




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## MartinH.

el-bo said:


> Makes me want to play the game.



A couple years ago after Christmas I was alone at home for a couple days and I binge-played Deus Ex Mankind Divided for 12+ hours a day, 3 days in a row. That was genuinely some of the most relaxing "vacations" I've ever had. Since then I made it a point to try and do this every year around Christmas. Looks like this year it could be Cyberpunk 2077 that I dive into.


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## reimerpdx

doctoremmet said:


> Awesome. Before I start listening, does it resemble ANYTHING that we’ve been posting? Asking for a friend...
> 
> Edit: followed the link, cool project. Found this - so sounds like we were onto something after all?
> 
> _CodeBurst: A Cyberpunk Soundtrack — A double album of music heavily inspired by synthwave, pop, and industrial music genres_


oh yeah. I’ve been part of a few discussion/debates about cyberpunk as genre.
While any genre could have elements that make it cyberpunk, I think the main crossover in the Venn diagram are synthwave (and sub genres), and industrial.
There is so much good music out there, and in here (VI-C)... I’m just happy to be here 😆


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## el-bo

MartinH. said:


> A couple years ago after Christmas I was alone at home for a couple days and I binge-played Deus Ex Mankind Divided for 12+ hours a day, 3 days in a row. That was genuinely some of the most relaxing "vacations" I've ever had. Since then I made it a point to try and do this every year around Christmas. Looks like this year it could be Cyberpunk 2077 that I dive into.



It's been many years since I've been able to put that much constant time into a game. These days it makes me feel too agitated. I now do shorter, frequent bouts, and find it more enjoyable.
I will take your reply as a recommendation, despite previously not being able to get in 'Human Revolution' (Probably was not the vibe I needed at that moment).


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## Fenicks

One of my favourite cyberpunk stories is a little-known experimental anime from 2003 called Texhnolyze. I love its soundtrack because it has grungy weird experimental cyberpunk tracks alongside esoteric spiritual chants and piano ballads. Lots of different musical textures to capture its themes of nihilism, cybernetic transformation and the loss of humanity that is the end result of ideological extremism.


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## Ned Bouhalassa

These days, one thing that kills me is that the main results of searches for the term ‘cyberpunk’ are related to the game, not the genre, especially on YouTube.


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## doctoremmet

Ned Bouhalassa said:


> These days, one thing that kills me is that the main results of searches for the term ‘cyberpunk’ are related to the game, not the genre, especially on YouTube.


Yeah. That sucks.

btw, for those who want to buy Cyberpunk 2077: Google runs a deal where you can preorder it for regular price and they give you a Google Stadia controller and Chromecast Ultra for free. Great deal. Even if you have already preordered it, you are still eligible.


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## RogiervG

" cyberpunk music " what is the actual style definition?

is it punk music (whatever that is), with some synths (the cyber element) ?


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## Ned Bouhalassa

RogiervG said:


> " cyberpunk music " what is the actual style definition?
> 
> is it punk music (whatever that is), with some synths (the cyber element) ?


To moi, The Prodigy is cyberpunk music, as is Burial, Tron Legacy, Blade Runner. I also think that Look Mum No Computer’s YouTube channel is cyberpunk for 2020 synth lovers.


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## doctoremmet

RogiervG said:


> " cyberpunk music " what is the actual style definition?
> 
> is it punk music (whatever that is), with some synths (the cyber element) ?


Nobody really knows  but my gut feeling was that your above description was about right


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## davidson

Ned Bouhalassa said:


> To moi, The Prodigy is cyperpunk music, as is Burial, Tron Legacy, Blade Runner. I also think that Look Mum No Computer’s YouTube channel is cyberpunk for 2020 synth lovers.



I had a prodigy poster in my bedroom in the early 90's which had Electro Punks written across the top. The term never really caught on but I always liked it.


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## Ned Bouhalassa

RogiervG said:


> I am sorry, but that link says nothing about the musical style, more about what (in behavior/scenario/atmosphere) cyberpunk is (a science fiction subgenre with a dystopian atmosphere).
> How this is translated in a musical style is not clear to me. A sad violin can, with the right visuals trigger the "dystopian" emotion of the listener, but a FM dubstep wobble sound too  )
> 
> 
> Btw.: punk (often called punk rock) is not only an attitude, but also a style in music (so i just discovered).


You were faster than my delete button.I changed my mind about my post (early morning haze).


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## Ned Bouhalassa

IMO, The Matrix is a cyberpunk film, but the amazing soundtrack is not cyberpunk music. 

I do think Dub music (not Dubstep) can definitely sound cyberpunk-ish (Mad Professor), especially while reading Neuromancer.


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## Ned Bouhalassa

90s Japanese Pop ballads played through a 20-second reverb on 100% wet is cyberpunk.


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## Traz

I know Mass Effect isn't cyberpunk but the style of the song that plays through the end credits feels to me like a sound/style that could work great for cyberpunk.


And then, there's also the track from the end credits of Deus Ex:Mankind Divided that I could definitely see work as a sound/style for an entire score for cyberpunk.


I wonder if anyone has approached Misha to do a full score yet and not just a track here and there.


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## doctoremmet

Ned Bouhalassa said:


> IMO, The Matrix is a cyberpunk film, but the amazing soundtrack is not cyberpunk music.
> 
> I do think Dub music (not Dubstep) can definitely sound cyberpunk-ish (Mad Professor), especially while reading Neuromancer.


Ja man. I will never forget that legendary dub scene. What was the guy’s name? Malcolm right? The pilot that got Molly and Case to the Tessier-Ashpool space ring? The space shuttle was the Marcus Garvey. Which is a ridiculously trippy and GOOD album by Burning Spear. That dub version of Slavery Days... man it is gorgeous!

Thanks for this. I totally agree mate! ❤


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## doctoremmet




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## Ned Bouhalassa

The VHS Dreams patch on the ASM Hydrasynth is very cyberpunk.


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## doctoremmet

Ned Bouhalassa said:


> The VHS Dreams patch on the ASM Hydrasynth is very cyberpunk.


The name speaks to me


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## doctoremmet

Ned Bouhalassa said:


> The VHS Dreams patch on the ASM Hydrasynth is very cyberpunk.


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## RogiervG

Ned Bouhalassa said:


> You were faster than my delete button.I changed my mind about my post (early morning haze).


deleted my previous post


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## Ned Bouhalassa

Life under the pandemic is *very* cyberpunk.


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## Ndee

when I was playing Shadowrun and some other cyberpunk-y games last year, I started with the usual suspects but moved on to listening to more classical music. In the end, Iannis Xenakis was easily the best match. It's just so...out of time, like so advanced its time will probably never come haha.




the percussion stuff could suit the moment you find an abandoned gas station in the desert:


Magnus Lindberg's iconic Kraft worked really nicely as well:


Kaija Saariaho's prismatic music influenced compositions are spot on, too, imho - something about operatic singing, glissandi and slow pace:


Robert Ashley's She Was a Visitor carries, for me, those unmistakably cyberpunk vibes, ie. cold, desolate, paranoid etc:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alPyT_tp-nY

i know these are very much off-off-the-center in regards to CP stuff but for they have the perfect atmosphere for dystopic-futuristic gaming sessions, at least.


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## Ned Bouhalassa

Yeah, love me some Xenakis! Penderecki was certainly cyberpunk too! And then there’s Varèse...


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## el-bo

Ndee said:


> i know these are very much off-off-the-center in regards to CP stuff but for they have the perfect atmosphere for dystopic-futuristic gaming sessions, at least.



Some pretty challenging stuff, here


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## el-bo

Posted a clip earlier, from Logan's Run (one of my childhood fav's) Thought that the soundtrack might be fitting. Lot's of dark, angular orchestral work juxtaposed with some majorly dystopian electronic and synth vibes. Go on, Jerry!

This is the playlist for the Deluxe Edition:


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## SimonCharlesHanna

umm


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## Ndee

ha noticed a cyberpunk OST playlist in my Tidal frontpage this morning. pretty good actually!


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## MartinH.

SimonCharlesHanna said:


> umm



Yeah, I find it interesting how poorly defined Cyberpunk as a musical genre seems to be. I didn't check out all the tracks posted, but of those that I clicked through, almost none came close to what I'd have imagined to be music that fits a game or movie in the Cyberpunk genre.




RogiervG said:


> " cyberpunk music " what is the actual style definition?
> 
> is it punk music (whatever that is), with some synths (the cyber element) ?



It's apparently a definition that varies from person to person, but I _personally _would have said, if there is still anything remotely "punk" in the music, it doesn't fit a Cyberpunk setting very well, because punk is so organic, raw, and real, whereas Cyberpunk as a narrative genre is usually about trans-humanism, virtual reality, and losing touch with your own humanity. It makes no sense to me to use punk as a starting point, and then dress it up with synths to score something in the Cyberpunk genre.


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## doctoremmet

MartinH. said:


> Yeah, I find it interesting how poorly defined Cyberpunk as a musical genre seems to be. I didn't check out all the tracks posted, but of those that I clicked through, almost none came close to what I'd have imagined to be music that fits a game or movie in the Cyberpunk genre.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It's apparently a definition that varies from person to person, but I _personally _would have said, if there is still anything remotely "punk" in the music, it doesn't fit a Cyberpunk setting very well, because punk is so organic, raw, and real, whereas Cyberpunk as a narrative genre is usually about trans-humanism, virtual reality, and losing touch with your own humanity. It makes no sense to me to use punk as a starting point, and then dress it up with synths to score something in the Cyberpunk genre.


Interesting view. Thanks!

To me (post)punk and new wave were the “hip” genres when I actually read the Gibson era cyberpunk. Rudy Rucker. Authors like that. So that’s the link between the two for me, and of course the fact that a lot of new wave / gothic also shared a rather dystopian world-view (“no future”). The Rote Armee Fraktion, Baader-Meinhof and other late sixties/seventies protest/terrorist groups and cyberpunk are somehow connected in my mind I guess...


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## Ned Bouhalassa

Genre names can sometimes be really confusing, even more so with micro-genres. I heard about Future Funk, and it's not at all what I expected. It's basically an entire genre loosely based on Daft Punk's Discovery album: Sidechained Disco + wet-reverb 90s Japanese Pop (but only the chorus, over and over again). Funk? Not much.


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## doctoremmet

Ned Bouhalassa said:


> Genre names can sometimes be really confusing, even more so with micro-genres. I heard about Future Funk, and it's not at all what I expected. It's basically an entire genre loosely based on Daft Punk's Discovery album: Sidechained Disco + wet-reverb 90s Japanese Pop (but only the chorus, over and over again). Funk? Not much.


Agreed! A bit like Liquid Funk 

I must admit that @SimonCharlesHanna ‘s “ummm” makes me curious. What does it express? Amazement? Disappointment? A completely different idea of what constitutes cyberpunk (music)? Prey tell!

I have to say that by now I agree with @Ned Bouhalassa that one genre that is at least mentioned in an actual ground breaking cyberpunk novel is “dub”. So in my mind that may be the best answer hehe!


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## doctoremmet

Ned Bouhalassa said:


> I heard about Future Funk


That ain’t funk. This is.


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## MartinH.

doctoremmet said:


> Interesting view. Thanks!
> 
> To me (post)punk and new wave were the “hip” genres when I actually read the Gibson era cyberpunk. Rudy Rucker. Authors like that. So that’s the link between the two for me, and of course the fact that a lot of new wave / gothic also shared a rather dystopian world-view (“no future”). The Rote Armee Fraktion, Baader-Meinhof and other late sixties/seventies protest/terrorist groups and cyberpunk are somehow connected in my mind I guess...



That's a good point, I can see how you'd make that connection. But then I could argue that with books not having any sound, you can't know how Gibson imagined the music of the future to be. And I'd imagine he'd have wanted it to be something that didn't even exist around the time he wrote his books. 

Do you remember if there was a scene in one of his books where he described the music? Would be interesting how he imagined it.

My entry into the genre was a bit different, mainly through movies, games and Shadowrun (rule)books, in the late 90's. So by the time I read Neuromancer (something between 10 and 15 years ago I think), I couldn't appreciate it like you probably could.




Ned Bouhalassa said:


> Genre names can sometimes be really confusing, even more so with micro-genres. I heard about Future Funk, and it's not at all what I expected. It's basically an entire genre loosely based on Daft Punk's Discovery album: Sidechained Disco + wet-reverb 90s Japanese Pop (but only the chorus, over and over again). Funk? Not much.



If you were looking for Funk, then Neurofunk probably was a huge letdown to you as well. :D


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## doctoremmet

MartinH. said:


> Do you remember if there was a scene in one of his books where he described the music? Would be interesting how he imagined it.


Well, the scene that Ned mentioned is one in which a Rastafarian fellow is playing loud dub. I guess Gibson describes a LOT of art forms, but mostly of the “artifact” type and not so much music.

So absolutely, it would be cooler to imagine a “new” genre of music as it would / could be popular some time in the future. In that sense Vangelis’ Blade Runner soundtrack sounded like that in 1982. And Wendy Carlos’ soundtrack for Kubrick’s Clockwork Orange in 1971 was a “first encounter” with synthesizers for many people back then, and in that sense also perfectly suited for a “future music” feel.

I must admit I also very much like the New Hope cantina funk. Which, I might add, actually sounds weirdly funky to me


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## el-bo

MartinH. said:


> Yeah, I find it interesting how poorly defined Cyberpunk as a musical genre seems to be. I didn't check out all the tracks posted, but of those that I clicked through, almost none came close to what I'd have imagined to be music that fits a game or movie in the Cyberpunk genre.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It's apparently a definition that varies from person to person, but I _personally _would have said, if there is still anything remotely "punk" in the music, it doesn't fit a Cyberpunk setting very well, because punk is so organic, raw, and real, whereas Cyberpunk as a narrative genre is usually about trans-humanism, virtual reality, and losing touch with your own humanity. It makes no sense to me to use punk as a starting point, and then dress it up with synths to score something in the Cyberpunk genre.



Depends what you see as punk. Nobody is looking at 'The Sex Pistols' thinking dystopian.

I think that musically, perhaps the biggest 'stretch' in this thread might be my Bauhaus entry. To me, the image fits. Maybe not the rest. Apologies to the op!


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## Traz

el-bo said:


> Depends what you see as punk. Nobody is looking at 'The Sex Pistols' thinking dystopian.


No, but I am thinking Dystopia.


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## Stringtree

This is killing me. I love everything about it.


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## Traz

Stringtree said:


> This is killing me. I love everything about it.



I was not expecting a wild Q-tip to appear.


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## Ned Bouhalassa

Chinese Country Neo-Disco will sweep the planet in 2032.


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## MartinH.

Traz said:


> No, but I am thinking Dystopia.




Other than the intro this sounds like Grindcore to me.


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## el-bo

MartinH. said:


> Other than the intro this sounds like Grindcore to me.



But maybe instead of thinking of Cyberpunk as it's own new genre, maybe it'd help to think of the kind of music that would fit into a Cyberbunk-like world.

From Wikipedia:

_



Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction in a dystopian futuristic setting that tends to focus on a "combination of low-life and high tech"[1] featuring advanced technological and scientific achievements, such as artificial intelligence and cybernetics, juxtaposed with a degree of breakdown or radical change in the social order.

Click to expand...

_
Seems like there's room within that for anything counter-culture, including perhaps Goth, Punk and Grindcore?


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## Traz

MartinH. said:


> Other than the intro this sounds like Grindcore to me.


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## method1

I don't think cyberpunk has to mean a full embrace of the dystopian/transhuman technology-ridden cyber-world. 

"Cyberpunk" music can interrogate and rebel against the idea too, which is why I think dub/reggae & hip-hop could also fit the bill.


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## doctoremmet

method1 said:


> I don't think cyberpunk has to mean a full embrace of the dystopian/transhuman technology-ridden cyber-world.
> 
> "Cyberpunk" music can interrogate and rebel against the idea too, which is why I think dub/reggae & hip-hop could also fit the bill.



Remember how cool that hiphop track was in The Hateful Eight? Juxtaposition!


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## josephspirits

If you're interested in sci-fi cyber rap, and are unfamiliar with Phoenix Orion, boy are you in for a treat with this album!:* 
Phoenix Orion - Zimulated Experience* (bandcamp in the hyperdrive hyperlink)

Obviously *Aphex Twin* and *Autechre *come to mind, as well as Yoko Kanno's work on Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, and a lot of the music surrounding that franchise. But as someone mentioned earlier, a lot of my associations with a sound for cyberpunk definitely came out of those Matrix soundtracks, both the scores and the "music from or inspired by" soundtracks. The score for the second movie is something to behold blasting very loud on a late night drive. 

Anyways, two artists/albums that came out of The Matrix soundtrack that I especially associate with a more gritty, paranoid cyberpunk feeling are:

*Lunatic Calm - Metropol*
and
*Hive - Devious Method*s 
(tension, anxiety, and eerie moments of release are all over this record, and his earlier, more jazzy "Working with sound" also feels like it could be the soundtrack to a jazzy cyber-noir. Even if you aren't into drum and bass, Devious Methods goes to a lot of surprising places and is both meticulously detailed and beautifully out of control.) 

Finally, a group I wish was talked about more, (especially on this forum!), that I personally associate with the more philosophical/cinematic side of cyberpunk/sci-fi is *Hybrid*. You could easily make a killer cyberpunk soundtrack, or five, from their great ranging catalogue that fuses orchestral instrumentation with cinematic sound design, break beats, and constantly morphing dance music. You want to feel like a cyborg try listening to *Wider Angle *(the second live disc is especially banging) *Morning Sci-Fi*, or *I Choose Noise* on your next run or workout. Their more recent work is also fantastic, but I've listened to those first few albums for a very long time at this point, and they still surprise me.

I've always found their music to be in line with the ideas of cyborgs and the ghost in the machine in the sense that the humanity of orchestral music has been fused perfectly with the power, precision, and _cyberness _of electronics and beats, beats that could kick a hole in your speaker with their Doc Martens.


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## doctoremmet

josephspirits said:


> If you're interested in sci-fi cyber rap, and are unfamiliar with Phoenix Orion, boy are you in for a treat with this album!:*
> Phoenix Orion - Zimulated Experience* (bandcamp in the hyperdrive hyperlink)
> 
> Obviously *Aphex Twin* and *Autechre *come to mind, as well as Yoko Kanno's work on Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, and a lot of the music surrounding that franchise. But as someone mentioned earlier, a lot of my associations with a sound for cyberpunk definitely came out of those Matrix soundtracks, both the scores and the "music from or inspired by" soundtracks. The score for the second movie is something to behold blasting very loud on a late night drive.
> 
> Anyways, two artists/albums that came out of The Matrix soundtrack that I especially associate with a more gritty, paranoid cyberpunk feeling are:
> 
> *Lunatic Calm - Metropol*
> and
> *Hive - Devious Method*s
> (tension, anxiety, and eerie moments of release are all over this record, and his earlier, more jazzy "Working with sound" also feels like it could be the soundtrack to a jazzy cyber-noir. Even if you aren't into drum and bass, Devious Methods goes to a lot of surprising places and is both meticulously detailed and beautifully out of control.)
> 
> Finally, a group I wish was talked about more, (especially on this forum!), that I personally associate with the more philosophical/cinematic side of cyberpunk/sci-fi is *Hybrid*. You could easily make a killer cyberpunk soundtrack, or five, from their great ranging catalogue that fuses orchestral instrumentation with cinematic sound design, break beats, and constantly morphing dance music. You want to feel like a cyborg try listening to *Wider Angle *(the second live disc is especially banging) *Morning Sci-Fi*, or *I Choose Noise* on your next run or workout. Their more recent work is also fantastic, but I've listened to those first few albums for a very long time at this point, and they still surprise me.
> 
> I've always found their music to be in line with the ideas of cyborgs and the ghost in the machine in the sense that the humanity of orchestral music has been fused perfectly with the power, precision, and _cyberness _of electronics and beats, beats that could kick a hole in your speaker with their Doc Martens.


Awesome post! I love posts like this - I have discovered new stuff, exciting - thank you.


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## Alchemedia

Ilko Birov said:


> Fantastic playlist!
> I'd also add the Ghost in the Shell OST


Coincidentally happened to watch the film ver with Scarlett Johansson last night. Although hardly his best work, Mansell's OST was the only redeeming factor IMO.


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## doctoremmet

Alchemedia said:


> Coincidentally happened to watch the film ver with Scarlett Johansson last night. Although hardly his best work, Mansell's OST was the only redeeming factor IMO.


And ScarJo did a decent job too imho


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## Alchemedia

doctoremmet said:


> And ScarJo did a decent job too imho


Yes, Scarlett and the music were the only reason I kept watching.


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## Traz

I just rewatched the 2017 Ghost in the Shell because of all this cyberpunk talk lately.

I still think it's enjoyable overall, but I still don't understand why they needed to change some of the story elements as it does mostly follow all of the main events and moments in the original story.

Of course, the score by Lorne Balfe and Clint Mansell was great!


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## doctoremmet

In the mean time, there are more people than just @el-bo and myself who have a new wave association 









Cyberpunk 2077 is dad rock, not new wave


CD Projekt Red’s open-world game does not exactly have a futuristic worldview




www.polygon.com





I’m referring strictly to the title of the review. The actual review has a perspective that I did not expect, yet I get it from the POV of the reviewer I guess. I also guess I’m getting old and my daughter may be right in calling me a boomer...


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## josephspirits

doctoremmet said:


> Awesome post! I love posts like this - I have discovered new stuff, exciting - thank you.



I loved seeing this thread but waited a few days to comment and got carried away


doctoremmet said:


> Awesome post! I love posts like this - I have discovered new stuff, exciting - thank you.



Thanks! It's a great topic, I've enjoyed a lot of discoveries myself and it's interesting to see everyone's interpretations.


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## josephspirits

Traz said:


> I just rewatched the 2017 Ghost in the Shell because of all this cyberpunk talk lately.
> 
> I still think it's enjoyable overall, but I still don't understand why they needed to change some of the story elements as it does mostly follow all of the main events and moments in the original story.
> 
> Of course, the score by Lorne Balfe and Clint Mansell was great!



I've been wanting to rewatch it but I always end up watching the original or the Stand Alone Complex series instead. The soundtrack to the 1995 version is one of my favorites, especially the opening. I forgot it was Clint Mansell who did the new one though, I'll have to revisit it soon just for that.


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## MartinH.

josephspirits said:


> I've been wanting to rewatch it but I always end up watching the original or the Stand Alone Complex series instead.



Check out "Psycho Pass" if you haven't yet.


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## Traz

josephspirits said:


> I've been wanting to rewatch it but I always end up watching the original or the Stand Alone Complex series instead. The soundtrack to the 1995 version is one of my favorites, especially the opening. I forgot it was Clint Mansell who did the new one though, I'll have to revisit it soon just for that.


Absolutely hands down Kenji Kawai's score for the original film is my favorite as well, and then of course Yoko Kanno's work on stand alone complex.

I listen to Kenji Kawai's score pretty regularly haha.


----------



## Alchemedia

Ilko Birov said:


> No cyberpunk (music) thread would be complete without Throbbing Gristle.
> 
> Their work is like something out of a Philip K Dick novel.



Speaking of TG, Timothy Leary introduced me to Genesis P-Orridge (who passed away last March) in the early '90's. Gen was arguably the closest thing to the living embodiment of this genre.


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## vitocorleone123

This whole album (and band? they're still going....): 

Great artist and sound designer


Really, really love this track... a sci-fi android cyber-rock ballad? None of their other tracks, to me, come anywhere near this fantastic diamond in the rough


Cyber-horror?


I could make quite a list here, going on and on..... This is kinda my thing to listen to.


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## doctoremmet




----------



## Traz




----------



## Ned Bouhalassa

I think @beautifulburningworld on Instagram is definitely Cyberpunk.


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## josephspirits

Ned Bouhalassa said:


> I think @beautifulburningworld on Instagram is definitely Cyberpunk.



Great channel, thanks for the tip!


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## SvenE

My Spotify playlist inspired by Cyberpunk 2077


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## shponglefan

One of my favorite soundtracks. Game has a strong cyber-noir aesthetic and the music fits perfectly.


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## thevisi0nary

Ilko Birov said:


> Fantastic playlist!
> I'd also add the Ghost in the Shell OST



Glad to see this mentioned, the Ghost in the Shell soundtracks are absolutely amazing and definitely nail this theme.


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## Christopher Rocky

My absolute favourite synthwave artist is MEGA DRIVE, he does the dirtiest sounding synthwave..
I also have done some cyberpunk inspired music, I love the genre!
Really loving the game ATM too (on pc!!! 😛 )


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## KEM

Might not be exactly what you’re looking for but Bring Me The Horizon just released a new album that’s pretty much all “Cybermetal” and it’s REALLY good, literally the only thing my friends and I have been listening to since it came out...


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## Paul Owen

MartinH. said:


> I was gonna suggest the entire synthwave genre, but you said "less dancy", so here are two Deus Ex soundtracks:



Anyone that suggests Michael McCann is alright in my book 👍


----------

