Considering that a chunk of RPs are fantasy-based, and assuming that a number of players have been or are active in pen-and-paper RPGs, I thought I'd see if anyone else on the site listens to this genre. For the uninitiated, I'll leave a few definitions here: [hider=1]"Dungeon synth is a genre of music characterized by its strong use of atmosphere and melody to create a sonic reality usually pertaining, in concept, to the fantastic or historical periods. The genre draws influence from the Dark Ambient music genre, while encompassing musical structures that are relatable to medieval and folk music. Many artists within the genre have been known to draw inspiration from a variety of other musical styles such as film music, video game music, and classical music. The genre emerged in the early 1990s from the (Norwegian) Black Metal scene and was "founded" by Artists like Mortiis (Emperor), Wongraven (Satyricon) with their side-projects and extended the tradition of many Black Metal bands having atmospheric intros and outros or in-between tracks on their albums. In this upcoming new genre, full albums were made of only this characteristic sound. Another huge impact was also given by the Austrian Black Metal scene with projects like Pazuzu & Die Verbannten Kinder Evas. Today the genre is a world of its own with many artists from all over the world, some still being connected to the world and aesthethics of Black Metal and some with a completely self-contained approach."[/hider] [hider=2]"Dungeon synth (also known as fantasy music) is a genre that emerged in the early 1990s, stylistically related to orchestral Soundtracks, particularly Film Score music. Where the purpose of a film score is to set the mood accompanying visual scenery, dungeon synth can be considered a similar concept using sound only, making it a 'score without a film'. In this sense, the genre is a highly narrative form of music, with "scenes" that are played out in almost theatrical fashion. Synthesizers and keyboards are the primary instruments of choice, with vocals, samples and acoustic instruments also frequently used. The intention of dungeon synth is generally to evoke settings of fantasy and adventure, drawing inspiration from European mythology, fantasy writers such as J.R.R. Tolkien, fairy tales, as well as role-playing games like Dungeons and Dragons. Ambient music, Western Classical Music and Darkwave are often cited as influences for the mood and atmosphere of dungeon synth. The style is also used in the soundtracks of some Video Game Music with medieval or dungeon-based settings, often being blended with Bit Music." [/hider] [hider=3][img]http://i.imgur.com/I6kvxaJ.jpg[/img][/hider] In a nutshell, dungeon synth is a genre that originated from black metal and dark ambient artists, with synths being the main instrument of choice. It's purpose is to paint a narrative and immerse the listener; striving to create an atmosphere of fantasy, medieval or mythological settings. It borrows a fair number of elements from orchestral film and game scores, and bands are almost always underground one-man projects. Many artists take inspiration from fantasy literature, especially Tolkien, and RPG sourcebooks in the vein of old school D&D. For this reason, the genre appeals mainly to fantasy nerds (using the term lightheartedly), but also black metallers that follow the likes of Burzum, Satyricon/Wongraven, Graveland/Lord Wind and other artists that operate in both metal and orchestral camps. Most artists thrive on Bandcamp, or interact with fans on social media, others by word-of-mouth. Releases may be sold through Bandcamp, while some specialized labels work with artists to promote limited cassette and CD runs. It's a very small, close-knit community. Useful links: https://www.reddit.com/r/DungeonSynth/ https://www.facebook.com/DarkMedievalAmbient/ https://bandcamp.com/tag/dungeon-synth?sort_field=pop If anybody's interested, I'd be down to share a few artists that I really enjoy.