[Article] Music that Inspires You – Dark Conspiracy

I would hazard a guess and say that I am the world’s worst musician. Beyond any physical limitations I possess, I think to this day I have the honour of being the only 5th year student not to master ‘Three Blind Mice’ on the recorder… much to my Mother’s chagrin¹…

Nevertheless music is important to me, I listen to some new album or musical piece every day and have always believed in a strong connection between tabletop gaming and music (I even wrote an article about such 20-some years ago in Demonground). The modern age of being constantly connected to the web, and having easy accessibility to streaming services such as Spotify and Amazon music has meant the scope – although maybe not the quality – of music I’ve been exposed to has expanded rapidly in recent years (even though I would say that I was pretty well versed in some genres even before that).

Alright, that’s nice, but what’s that got to do with Dark Conspiracy or even gaming in general. Well… when I write – like I’m doing right now – I find I do my best work listening to music that – at least to my ever enfeebled mind –  inspires or reflects the genre I’m tinkering in. In fact, I’d actually go further than that and say I have playlists that embody the themes and feelings of specific game systems. Yep, I have a playlist for games such as Conspiracy X, Call of Cthulhu, River of Heaven (although that’s an easy one as the game has the best RPG soundtrack ever made²) and, of course Dark Conspiracy.

So how do I define this music? Simple, if I feel it embodies the concepts and style of the game then it makes the grade. To me Bob Dylan is always going to be prefect for Unknown Armies, while Fiddlin’ Johnny and Mark Gardner ARE the sounds of Savage World’s Deadlands setting. Now, I know  your tastes are going to differ, but bear with me here as I introduce you to the best Dark Conspiracy albums you’ve probably never heard of.

Quarantine Circular and Subsurface Circular by Dan Le Sac

And right away I cheat by putting two albums together… but in my defense they are both quite short and composed by the same musician – the brilliant Dan Le Sac. Le Sac is/was one half of the duo that brought you “Thou shall Always Kill” and numerous other spoken word greats that I also happen to like (including an excellent remix of “Thou Shall“), however, it was while exploring his music at I discovered the ‘Circular’ albums.

Both seem to be written for a computer game, but not one that I’ve ever heard of. Like all the music presented in this list, both albums are atmospheric electronica,  but here there is something that really reflects DC in my mind. It could be the simple sounds and limited range of instruments used, but it might also be the ‘circular’ nature of the sounds, each song reflecting and reiterating the themes of the previous, all of which creates a uniquely dark and gritty feel.

Quarantine Circular is the more ‘pure dark electronica’ of the two and is my go to on my playlist when thinking about Dark Conspiracy. Tracks like Examination and Quarantine are all about exploring the gritty reality of life the urban sprawl in Dark America, while Triage and Diagnosis provide a counter point and would feel prefect for Minion Hunters venturing into the bounds of ‘Nome enclaves.  Manifestation is the action piece of the album and could well be used in fights and conflict with its uptempo beats and driving synth…

Subsurface Circular on the other hand feels more like a journey, one which starts on high and optimistic notes and trapezes about the emotions any good Dark Conspiracy adventure should reflect. A lighter, happier album than Quarantine it focuses on repeating its main refrains, return time and time again to its theme, which makes it great collection to write to; as the emotions are repeated it is easy to maintain the concepts on the page. Of note here are the tunes Ten Ten Ten and Minsky Dub with both employing a really satisfying echo effect.

 Charles Park by Makeup and Vanity Set

It seems to be a trend in electronica to create soundtracks for movies that never existed, a stylist approach to music making that I have a tendency to either love or hate…

I’m happy to say that Charles Park is one that I can only but love.  You can tell it’s a story about a man on the run (likely the titular Charles Park) and the various challenges he faces on his road to redemption – if this doesn’t scream the plight of Minion Hunters, then I don’t know what does. Best yet it feels like it was a product of the 1980’s and invokes images of movies such as The Warriors and Escape from New York in the mind’s eye. Escape Route, Terror Night, and No One Gets Out Alive are my favourites, but the whole album rarely misses a chance to remind you that its telling a story – and if that’s not what we are trying to at the game table, then I don’t know why we even turn up!

Before moving on, I will say that this album was released in 2006, and Makeup and Vanity Set (MAVS) has gone on from strength to strength both in their composing ability, technical skill and popularity; today they get to do real soundtracks for ever large movies (including the really neat Darker Colors short that is quite DC in style). If you like your electronica a bit more upbeat, I’d really recommend MAVS Chrome album (and especially the song Code System).

Tomorrow’s Harvest by Boards of Canada

It is likely that with a title like Tomorrow’s Harvest, you can already get the inkling that this album isn’t going to be overly cheerful.  Most definitely the darkest of the selection presented here, it reminds me that we often look at the Dark Conspiracy setting with somewhat ‘rose tinted’ glasses. Sure we are gaming here, and the point is to get away – at least for a while – from real-life social and political commentary, but if there was ever a setting for such discussions, then Dark Conspiracy is it. Don’t forget that DC is based in the era of the Greater Depression, and set in a place called ‘Dark America’ where even the strongest most determined Minion Hunters can do little more that shake a single tree in a forest. In gaming we often overlook that fictionally hundreds of millions of people are living in poverty, despair and without hope… and its those emotions that this album brings to the fore.

From what I understand Tomorrow’s Harvest is somewhat of a departure from Boards of Canada’s previous offerings – and was a long time coming – and where once they were more known for their Daft Punk style of electronica this album is anything but. However, the skill and the craft of ‘Boards’ is obvious as each track is a real gem in inspiring my creative process, and ensures that I’m not writing a story that could be better told in a more ‘optimistic’ manner or via a different – more upbeat – game system.

Tell me that you aren’t just a little changed in your thoughts about the Dark Conspiracy setting after listening to White Cyclosa, Cold Earth or Uritual…

Generation Zero Soundtrack

Computer Games have always been a fertile ground for music. Technology and gaming has allowed creatives to explore myths, history and the future in ways that have not always been possible in either the big or small screen.

In many ways the game Generation Zero has a lot in common with Dark Conspiracy, it is set in the 1980’s and presents an alternate reality where technology has turned on its creators. It presents somewhat of a nihilistic portrait of the humanities reliance on robots and artificial intelligence, and that to me screams DC.

Although the available soundtrack is only 5 tracks long, each of them extenuates a different emotion or type of action, all of which match seamlessly with what I want to see at the game table. Do you want mystery, then try Ominous Allure. Action? Why then Resistance Shall Be Made is your go to.  A sense of discovery? The Cytokine Storm is answer!

Ghosts VI : Locusts by Nine Inch Nails

Back in 2008 Nine Inch Nails release an album called Ghosts I-IV. A massive departure from the group’s hard-hitting Industrial Rock roots, it is probably just as noteworthy as being one of the first albums from an influential musical group – along with other luminaries such as Radiohead – to release their music for free (under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike licence) as it was for its experimental nature. Trent Reznor (one half of NiN) called it a ‘soundtrack of dreams’, and for a while it had me fascinated with its content and style.

So imagine my surprise when I discovered that this year (2020) NiN had released two follow-up albums; Ghosts V: Together and Ghosts VI: Locusts. Both are interesting, but its Locusts that really took my breath way. This collection of 15 songs isn’t anything like the other albums on this list, it is pure atmosphere and a trip into the unsettling.  How do I put it… its like walking through an old house and catching glimpses of other times and places, all in a musical form. For me this music is the sort of creative expression that unlocks my own ideas and thoughts, which in turn feeds into the adventures and stories I create.

I can’t say more, in case the rumours of this album coming back to haunt you is all too true…

They Live by John Carpenter

Best to last? Some might say that. I have always believed that They Live influenced the creation and setting of Dark Conspiracy; the economic hardship, the unseen alien invasion, and the willingness of the few to fight back against all the odds.

And who doesn’t love John Carpenter’s simple composition of music, his simple beats and unabashed confidence in repetition. While They Live was certainty not the largest or most well loved of his movies (I do have to say that I have a special soft spot for Roddy Piper – my favourite wrestler of all time!), it is unbeaten for atmosphere, and this is reflected in its soundtrack. It rides a line between the music you’d expect to hear in a Western and that of a traditional Carpenter horror movie, and provides – to me at least – the thoughts of doing what’s right, no matter what the cost!

Hell, if you haven’t clicked the link above and aren’t already listening to the tracks, then there’s already no hope for humanity, is there?

So there you go, a few of the influences in music and sound that inspire me to create in my favourite game setting. Each of these is tied to the various articles, stories and scenarios in ways that I can never really explain and will continue to help motivate and stir my interest in this great game. Of course, this music is equally appropriate to use at the gaming table – if such thing interest you – and even if it doesn’t I’m sure listening to the samples I’ve linked to above will be a few moments of enjoyment and distraction. Finally, I ask a question of you – what have I missed? What albums or soundtracks ‘scream’ Dark Conspiracy to you? Do feel free to help me expand my own library and share your thoughts below…