Help with soundtracking a dark childlike fantasy rpg?

Looking for music for inspiration/soundtrack of a ttrpg with the following touchstones:

1. The Hobbit (but not necessarily LoTR), especially the animated version.
2. Farmer Giles of Ham/Smith of Wooten Major.
3. The Chronicles of Narnia (sans overt christianity).
4. The Selfish Giant (sans overt christianity).
5. Prydain Chronicles.
6. Spirited Away.
7. Fairy/Folk Tales, especially stuff like Hansel and Gretel (shit is *dark*).

Basically, a haunting pastoral fantasy world where death seems real, but there is hope. Thinking right now about a little Pentangle, Tam Lin from Fairport Convention, possibly some Summoning, but would really like some suggestions.

https://www.discogs.com/master/1413100-Malcolm-Dalglish-Grey-Larsen-Banish-Misfortune

https://www.discogs.com/artist/390035-Trees-3

COMUS

(and Current 93 by extension)

maybe some Incredible String Band stuff?

In Gowan Ring's first three albums

third ear band? particularly the magus if you want it doomy.

Maybe some dungeon synth?

https://bandcamp.com/tag/dungeon-synth

yeah, get you some Cernunno's Woods' Awaken the Empire of Dark Wood

I can't remember what it actually sounds like, but I'm betting Rick Wakeman's Journey to the Centre of the Earth would have some perfect stuff for this.

soundtrack of a ttrpg

Does that mean playing it during the game?

How about Virginia Astley's From Gardens Where We Feel Secure for an unobtrusive pastoral feel?

maybe some Incredible String Band stuff?

Oh, duh, Incredible String Band. Kind of kid-like (sing-song, chanting). Great idea.

Trees might be a bit rocking, but so are Tam Lin and Battle of Evermore and those will work.

I've never heard Comus! I'll have to give that a go.

A lot of dungeon synth I've heard is pretty blackened and not child-like enough.

I will check out Curnunnos Woods, though a lot of dungeon synth is too dark.

I'm not thinking clash of armies, more like alone in the woods and you thought you heard a faerie circle in the wind.

Thanks for the suggestions so far everyone.

Does that mean playing it during the game?

Probably not, more for inspiration for myself and to illustrate the vibe to others.

alone in the woods and you thought you heard a faerie circle in the wind.

ok definitely check out the In Gowan Ring albums. Comus is spookier, more like Halloween listening

Hey what about Wizards by JD Emmanuel?

https://jdemmanuel.bandcamp.com/album/wizards

yes, see also the LOTR-inspired Bo Hannson album:

https://www.discogs.com/master/128052-Bo-Hansson-Sagan-Om-Ringen

Nic Jones - Dives and Lazarus, a bunch of other death songs

Ithaca - A Game For All Who Know

think this has the right sort of vibe

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

Thanks everyone for the recommendations! I'm jumping around sampling them - some initial thoughts so far.

Song to Comus is absolutely perfect. Quick bio says Pentangle plus King Crimson which sounds great to me. I'm absolutely going to check out more of their stuff. NB: I frequently confuse them with former ilxor Momus.

Virginia Astley's From Gardens Where We Feel Secure isn't on Spotify, but I did listen to A Summer Long Since Passed and that track is very beautiful. I will search for the other album when I get the chance.

In Cowan Ring have a lot of albums! The track Thousands of Bees jumped out so far.

How have I never heard this Bo Hansson LOTR album? Lol! Tom Bombadil song sounds like Pink Floyd's Echoes. Right on.

That JD Emannuel album is nice! Hypnotic (analog?) synths really give it a 70s feel. Is this considered ambient?

Thank you for the Ithaca recommendation. It definitely has the vibe I'm looking for. Almost a handmade 70s quality, though that guitar playing is pretty sweet.

This is a fun exercise because I know a lot stuff like this but not some of these specific artists/albums. Also added Caedmon - Aslan and Midwinter - Sanctuary Stone.

Glad you like the Bo Hansson record. That's what I came here to recommend.

Good thread.

I love that Hansson album

lol I went on Discogs and bought it last night, I have had copies over the years but don't currently

and yeah every time I hear it I become a 10 year old LOTR freak again

I am usually wary of that kind of nostalgia - you can't actually go back - but ngl I am going for that feeling of being a kid where even a couple of block walk to the library might as well be a trip to Rivendell and you really felt this type of fantasy in your bones.

The swedish duo Sagor & Swing are heavily influenced by Hansson. Their first two albums are my favorites, Orgelfärger and Melodier och Fåglar.

The soundtrack for Czech film Valerie and her Week of Wonders is another good one.

That JD Emannuel album is nice! Hypnotic (analog?) synths really give it a 70s feel. Is this considered ambient?

The Estorica Brittania mixes are great for this kind of stuff, some of these below have come from those.

Mellow Candle - Sheep Season

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dF6WhrEemT4

Forest - Graveyard

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

Water Into Wine Band - Harvest Time

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qxa4wvVIp7k

William D Drake - Me Fish Bring

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

Shelagh McDonald - Peacock Lady

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML1AItLeeTo

Lal & Mike Waterson - Fine Horseman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Eh1acHyhe0

This may also fit the bill thinking of the Hobbit, specifically the soundtrack to the 1968 BBC Radio play.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1_Xs0c4JU4

For me the soundworld of Tolkien was cemented at an early age by this strange hybrid of early music, psych folk + crazy Radiophonic Workshop filtering effects. I've always found it staggeringly evocative and haunting.

If you want some soundscapes, https://mynoise.net/ is an amazing collection of a couple hundred blends of field recordings, drones, tonal elements and more. Each one is made up of 10 separate tracks with volume controls for you to customize the sounds, and the volumes can be randomly animated to give you an ever-changing mix.

Here's 4 soundscapes and 4 tonal ambiences:

Medieval Village - https://mynoise.net/NoiseMachines/medievalVillageSoundscapeGenerator.php
Sad Minstrel - https://mynoise.net/NoiseMachines/medievalMinstrelSoundscapeGenerator.php
RPG Elements - https://mynoise.net/NoiseMachines/elementsRPGSoundscapeGenerator.php
Dark Dungeon - https://mynoise.net/NoiseMachines/dungeonRPGSoundscapeGenerator.php

Gregorian Voices - https://mynoise.net/NoiseMachines/gregorianChoirGenerator.php
Oak Song - https://mynoise.net/NoiseMachines/riikkaVocalSoundscape.php
The Pilgrim - https://mynoise.net/NoiseMachines/tongueDrumSoundscapeGenerator.php
Folk Tradition - https://mynoise.net/NoiseMachines/remiDeckerDroneGenerator.php

Perhaps some of James Larcombe's 'Music For Champions' would work?

https://jlarcombe.bandcamp.com/album/music-for-champions

I'm going to listen to a playlist of this stuff today for a 3 hour car ride. Shame some of it is not on streaming services. That Water Into Wind Band track is so good - the right blend of jaunty and weird.

Hideous Lump, that mynoise generator with the sliders (checked out the RPG one) is super useful. Neat stuff.

Will report back.

wow that mynoise thing is cool

Also, I believe that most of the tonal stems on the website are in the same key, so everything can blend. Donate some money and you're allowed to create your own mixes using any 10 stems on the site, or stack up several generators at once.

A lot of good UK and Irish folk mentioned upthread to which I’d add…
Dransfield - the pedlar
Steeleye Span - When I Was on horseback
Sweeney’s Men - Willy o Winsbury
Shirley Collins and the Albion band - murder of Maria Martin
Derroll Adams - the valley (he was American but moved to Europe and this album is on the UK village thing label)

Somr European prog-folk like the first Holderlin LP, Broselmaschine, Arbete och Fritid, Book of AM

Irish fiddlers like Michael Coleman, James Morrison, Paddy Killoran
Cape Breton fiddlers like Angus Chisholm, jerry holland, bill Lamey.

Sorry I’m on my phone off the top of my head I’ll think of more later

andy irvine & dick gaughan - the creggan white hare

sorry the proper title of the Dransfield song is "The Alchemist & The Pedlar"

Picked up a couple more things from the thread: like Third Ear Band - Magus (cool band), Shelagh McDonald - Peacock Lady, and Forest - Graveyard. Still working my way through everything.

Other recent additions include Greg Foat - Of My Hands and Moondog - My Tiny Butterfly. We'll see if I keep them. Right now I have my playlist ending with Tam Lin (Fairport) > The Battle of Evermore > The Sky Children (UK Kaleidoscope). For some reason I find that last one a tearjerker.

seconding the broselmaschine tip above... also.

oh that looks super cool, tons of stuff I don't know

great thread idea btw

That comp is really great; I chose some of the same songs (Tam Lin, Sanctuary Stone, Cruel Sister), but a bunch of artists I don't know or don't know well. Everyone should check out Chimera and Stone/Angel if you haven't. Iirc Chimera were never released sessions produced by Roger Waters (or was it another member of Pink Floyd?).

Her voice might not be for everyone but i love her-=
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkWYargTGMc

kosmische folk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRzWVqw6auI

bagpipin'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elOkNCu9Zbs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0n788QqTmk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g32Q8FOOMQ4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkJsnVg7bew
(wily forest creature outwits hunters)

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

Seem appropriate to post here that my Troika character died on Monday night; RIP Carillon the baggage handler, you were eaten by a rhino-tiger (Rhiger?), at least it was fast.

I might have a playlist that could help:

A mix of folk/world music of sorts, some light some dark… there’s several artists and songs in there that could fit with what’s been shared so far:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3eYcY3hV3uBAPO7WstyGz7

I used this one feeding my baby on her first year and she seemed to like it. Doesn’t fit the brief because it’s neither pastoral nor precisely dark but maybe it could provide some further inspiration. It could definitely fit a child’s game:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7KwlC2e6gjmlZeGRGYsCci?si=iWWqQ9t1QkmxzLqvWE6jpg

Camel's Snowgoose?

It's got a little cheese, but that Ithaca album upthread is really good.

Cheese isn't the right word - more like a sweet amateurishness.

it's a private pressing from 1973, so very much an amateur product, yes.

Cool! It's just a perfect vibe.

People at progarchives don't really care for it (but plenty of background info anyway)

https://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=6622

you could always put yes, genesis, gentle giant, gryphon, fairfield parlour (the band Kaleidoscope became), caravan, camel, jethro tull, early floyd, renaissance, barclay james harvest, help yourself, charalambides, akron/family, ESPers, etc. on shuffle

and helium / mary timony solo