Following the launch of Gargantoonz, the latest release in the Reactoonz series, as well as the official launch of Play’n GO Music, we’re continuing to shine a light on the music creation process.
For this stellar sci-fi title, we decided to bring in some outside talent for some cosmic collaboration. One of the talented young artists we chose to work with is Korean-born Ohioan, Serin Oh. Her inspiration for music comes from her varied life experiences living across different parts of the world whilst growing up, and specifically her Korean heritage.
"...I’m what you’d call a ‘cultural melting pot’ of a person!"
Serin Oh moved to Ohio with her family at the age of six, yet her absorption of cultural influences has had a big impact on her creative tastes. “As a third-culture kid, I grew up in Ohio, but I was born in Korea, and I also lived in Europe.” says Serin Oh. “A lot of my friends are international so I’m what you’d call a ‘cultural melting pot’ of a person! And I think that’s represented through my music. It makes sense that that’s why I gravitate towards jazz-pop or fusion pop.”
“I love alternative pop music, specifically if they’re genre-bending."
While working with Play’n GO Music, Serin Oh helped with the creation of a unique track parallel to another talented artist, KEANA, whose own contributions led to the stellar Gargantoonz track, Supernova.
When creating her own track for Gargantoonz, Serin Oh drew on her specific music tastes to add her own flare to the world of the Reactoonz. “I love alternative pop music, specifically if they’re genre-bending. Whether that’s jazz-pop or a fusion of indie and Korean music-meets pop, I think it’s just who I am as a person!”
Growing up in a church, she spent a lot of her time around gospel music. This early exposure to gospel music, which is usually heavily focused on lyrics and the message of a song, is likely a factor in Serin Oh’s musical development and process. “When making a song, I usually prioritise the lyrics and the melody naturally because I’m a vocalist.” Of course, the creative process manifests itself in various ways for every artist, and for Serin Oh, her inspiration can pop up at any time of the day and can be triggered by the smallest of things. “I get inspiration from things all around me,” she says. “Whether that’s during a run and I see a bird, or when I’m simply reading a book, and then these lyrics just start popping up in my head.”
"...I got to write the melody and lyrics on top of this soundscape that was already created."
Writing music for Gargantoonz was a fresh type of project for Serin Oh. Seeing as the Reactoonz series story and world already existed, this provided the perfect foundation, giving her the freedom to weave her creativity throughout an established IP.
“It was really fascinating working with the Gargantoonz soundtrack because it was a production that was already done,” says Serin Oh, “and I got to write the melody and lyrics on top of this soundscape that was already created. The team so kindly provided key words that resonate with the game, which was like, my basis of creating this lyrical world which turned out to be the track You Are My.”
Play’n GO Music’s recent launch sees many of Play’n GO’s unique musical tracks being added to a plethora of streaming platforms for the listening pleasure of fans. For those who spin the reels and develop a taste for a particular audio track, or for people that just want to hear the types of great game tracks we’ve been creating, take a look at Play’n GO Music on your favourite streaming platform today.
Whether it's with talented young artists like Serin Oh and KEANA, or with the entire Czech National Symphony Orchestra, the power of game audio in iGaming isn’t lost on us. From the subtle sounds when hitting the spin button or creating a winning combination of symbols across the reels to the awe-inspiring dynamic soundtracks that shift with the momentum of the game, audio is a key component of these gaming experiences.