Interview: Chatting With Pearl Abyss Composer Hwiman Ryu About Creating The Music Of Black Desert

mmorpg.com:

MMORPGs have long been heralded for their soundtracks by the games industry. Rousing scores set the mood for hours and hours of gameplay, providing the backdrop to so many of our seminal gaming moments. Black Desert Online's soundtrack is no different, with the MMO's use of music helping to set the tone for each of the various regions and cultures in the MMO.

When starting up Black Desert Online for the PC for the first time, you'll be met by a rousing chorus of strings, setting the tone for the game to come. Wind instruments start to poke their heads through the wall of strings, then the brass. Before long the percussion starts to build, with each part of the orchestra growing in intensity till the French Horns take over the melody. The piece of music is called «I. Balenos — Overture,» and it sets the right tone for the start of the adventure. 

This is something clearly highlighted in the music for the upcoming Land of the Morning Light expansion coming to Black Desert next month. Pearl Abyss has been ramping up getting players excited for the upcoming region, which is heavily inspired by Korean folklore and mythos, and one way was through music. 

Last month, Pearl Abyss released three original soundtrack videos highlighting the music players can expect to hear while exploring the Land of the Morning Light. The videos highlight traditional gugak music, or traditional national music in Korea. 

Behind this music is Pearl Abyss' Audio Director and Composer Hwiman Ryu. Hwiman has worked at Pearl Abyss for the last eleven and a half years, working on the composition of Black Desert's music, as well as audio recording, the game's audio direction and more. As we head into the release of the upcoming content, I had the chance to