I have an addiction, and I never want to give it up. Thankfully, it’s to Music. I mentioned on my About page and Behind the Scenes of “Don’t Date the Haunted,” Bonus Soundtrack some of the music that I like. In summary: basically anything that moves me–whether with a strong beat, swaying strings, or thoughtful lyrics.
While writing “Don’t Dance with Death,” I created an iTunes playlist that I called “Haunted Classical.” On this playlist, I had soundtracks like Hans Zimmer’s “Inception,” classics like “Toccata and Fugue in D Minor,” by Johann Bach, and even Apocalyptica’s “Inquisition Symphony” album.
When editing “Don’t Dance with Death,” I began with Adam Young’s “Omaha Beach,” but after using that album to edit a lot of “Don’t Marry the Cursed,” I needed something fresh. I started with a YouTube Music Radio shuffle based on Audiomachine, and that was how I found their “Cinematix” album. The whole album was perfect for setting my tone and mood for writing about Horror.
It was so perfectly haunting that we used it as background music for our D&D sessions based on Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft.
After listening to it over a dozen times, I sometimes switched back to radios based on Audiomachine, Thomas Bergersen, or Colossal Trailer Music. “Cinematix” was my baseline though.
However, if “Don’t Dance with Death” has a single theme song, it’s “Danse Macabre,” by Saint-Saens (I mean, come on, it’s perfect. It’s lots of fun to play on the harp, weaving paper through the strings as we slap them to make sounds of bones dancing).
A runner up is “Warrior’s Song,” by Audiomachine.
Character Theme Songs
“Don’t Dance with Death” has a lot of viewpoints (more than I originally planned). All of these songs are selected for THIS book specifically, which is why Pansy and Theo share a song that’s very different from their songs listed in the “Don’t Date the Haunted” soundtrack.
Since it’s a new list of different songs, I’ve made a new playlist for you to easily look up/listen.
Pansy + Theo:
Just Give me a Reason, by P!nk and FUN
Runner up:
Like I’m Gonna Lose You, by Meghan Trainor and John Legend
Pansy:
Alive, by Daughtry
Runner ups:
Wolf Bite, by Owl City (this song had extra meaning with the alternative ending)
Monster, by Imagine Dragons (I know it’s included in the first soundtrack, but it’s still applicable)
Fire, by The Score
Theo:
Heavy is the Crown, by Daughtry
Runner up:
Funny, by Rob Thomas
You Are the Reason, by Calum Scott
Aeron:
Angels, by Owl City
Runner ups:
Gone too Soon, by Daughtry
Plant Life, by Owl City (the line “I saw a bear in the den/reading my textbooks again” was actually my inspiration for Master Bahr’s character.)
Dunstan:
Renegades, by X Ambassadors
Runner Ups:
Shadow Days, by John Mayer
Berwyna:
Breakaway, by Kelly Clarkson
Runner up:
Rise Up, by Imagine Dragons
Oz:
Follow You, by Imagine Dragons
Runner up:
Comeback, by The Score
Abadda:
Stronger, by The Score
Runner up:
Supremacy, by Muse
C. Rae D'Arc 