Writing Music: Papo and Yo

I have to admit that I have not yet played Papo and Yo. (Though after rewatching the trailer, I might just fix that right soon.)  But I have listened to the soundtrack an awful lot.

The game is atmospheric and slightly strange:

Papo & Yo is the story of a young boy, Quico, and his best friend, Monster.
Monster is a huge beast with razor-sharp teeth, but that doesn’t scare Quico away from playing with him. However, Monster has a dangerous problem: an addiction to poisonous frogs. The moment he sees one hop by, he’ll scarf it down and fly into a violent, frog-induced rage where no one, including Quico, is safe.
And yet, Quico loves his Monster and wants to save him. As Quico, you will get to know Monster by solving puzzles together and adventuring through a magical, dream-like world. You will learn to use Monster’s emotions, both good and bad, to your advantage if you want to complete your quest for a cure and save your pal.

The soundtrack by Brian D’Oliveira captures this sensibility and provides a slightly surreal world beat style of music that’s both energetic and calming, otherworldly and grounded.

You can check out the soundtrack on Soundcloud (embedded below) or pick it up digitally from Amazon.  And check out the trailer for the game itself!