A diverse crop of artists united by their love of Dungeons & Dragons have come together for Spelljams, a compilation album dedicated to the tabletop role-playing game. Curated and produced by Chris Funk (The Decemberists), the 19-track companion to the new D&D game Spelljammer: Adventures In Space features contributions from OSEES, MonoNeon, Reggie Watts, Lucius, and more.
The full tracklist hosts original music by Magic Sword, TEKE::TEKE, Black Marble, Mikaela Davis, Penny & Sparrow, Y La Bamba, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, Cardioid & pink paint, Devon Gilfillian, Red Fang, Nolan Potter’s Nightmare Band, Deru & Arooj Aftab, Wizard of Waz, Califone, and Shabazz Palaces. Decemberists multi-instrumentalist Chris Funk, who plays D&D with members of Portland, OR’s music scene, worked with one of the game’s story designers Chris Perkins to assemble the soundtrack meant to guide listeners through Spelljammer.
“Helping facilitate bringing this world to life through music and the amazing artists’ visions that were selected was an honor of a lifetime,” Funk said. “I am of the opinion when people think of Dungeons & Dragons that there is a preconceived underscore of what these worlds might sound like. With this bold return to Spelljammer we were excited to push the boundaries deep into Wildspace, working with artists from diverse musical backgrounds that could challenge what music in the multiverse of the world’s greatest roleplaying game might sound like. Each artist was given a character or plot prompt from the storyline, then challenged to write an original composition based on Light of Xaryxis. We hope you enjoy the result!”
Stream the full Spelljams compilation album on Bandcamp. A deluxe 2LP set is also available for pre-order featuring two colored vinyl in a triple gatefold, foil stamped LP jacket with additional artwork, 12×24 fold-out poster with full lyrics and printed inner sleeves, expected to ship on or around January 1st, 2023.
Various Artists – Spelljams