Rising Stars: Meet Yeakun Yoo of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Yeakun Yoo.

Hi Yeakun, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In 2015, I was playing Black Desert as a fan. Years later, I had the opportunity to compose the main menu theme for Edania, The Demon Realm. As the game grew, I had hoped to contribute to it someday, so getting to write that music was especially meaningful. I had gone from exploring its world as a player to helping shape how other players experience it. In many ways, that captures the story of how I got here.

I grew up in Seoul, learning piano, violin, and guitar, and decided to pursue composition in high school. I studied composition at Seoul National University before moving to Los Angeles, where I continued my education and earned my master’s in Screen Scoring at USC. My classical training gave me a foundation in writing music, while studying screen scoring helped me approach composition as part of a larger story—something that works alongside characters, images, and the ideas of other creators.

My career developed through individual projects and relationships with filmmakers and game developers. In 2021, I founded YK Music Productions. As the work grew, so did the team, and my role gradually expanded beyond composing. I became responsible not only for the music I wrote, but also for bringing together the right people and helping everyone’s contributions serve the same creative vision.

Today, YK Music Productions creates music and audio for games, films, television, and animation, collaborating with creators internationally. My own composing work has included projects such as Lies of P and Black Desert. Working across different kinds of stories has been an important part of our development. A dark fantasy game and a children’s animated series ask very different things of us, and I enjoy that challenge. Each project gives us a reason to listen differently rather than rely on an approach that worked before.

What makes the Black Desert experience particularly special is that it reminds me of the audience’s side of this work. Before there is a commission, a recording session, or a finished soundtrack, there is someone simply enjoying a story. I know what it feels like to be that person. As I continue building YK Music Productions, I want to hold on to that perspective—to grow a studio that understands the demands of production without losing the enthusiasm that makes us want to be part of these worlds in the first place.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It hasn’t always been smooth, and some of the hardest lessons have been about communication rather than composition. A piece of music can sound polished and still not be right for a project. Learning to recognize that difference—and being willing to rethink an idea I’ve invested time in—has been an important part of my growth.

For example, working on a game trailer with Korean traditional-instrument performers involved many revisions as we searched for the right musical direction. We were looking beyond the sound of individual instruments to how the rhythm, structure, and orchestration worked together. Something could be beautiful on its own but not quite belong in that particular world. Those experiences have taught me to listen more carefully to what a director is trying to achieve, rather than focus only on the musical solution I initially imagined.

On the business side, another challenge has been understanding how much work can be hidden inside a seemingly simple request. A project initially described as selecting and editing music might actually require detailed synchronization to picture, custom transitions, and new composition. That changes the time, budget, and people needed to do it well. Enthusiasm for a project is important, but it doesn’t replace having a clear understanding of what everyone expects.

As YK Music Productions has grown, I’ve had to become more deliberate about those conversations: asking better questions, reviewing materials before making commitments, and making sure our team and the client are working toward the same outcome. That is a different skill from writing music, and it’s something I continue to develop.

I still care deeply about the details of every cue. But I’ve learned that protecting the quality of the work often starts before anyone writes a note—with an honest conversation about the creative direction, the scope, and what it will take to get there.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a composer for games, film, television, and animation, and the founder and lead composer of YK Music Productions. Alongside original music, our studio provides orchestral recording, sound design, and voice-over production. My role involves both writing music and guiding the creative direction of our team’s work, making sure the sound feels connected to the story being told.

My specialty is orchestral storytelling, often combined with contemporary sound design and experimental textures. I’m particularly drawn to music where beauty and unease can exist together—where something powerful also carries a sense of vulnerability. A memorable melody is important to me, but so is the way it is presented. The same melody can feel comforting, distant, or unsettling depending on the instrument, the performance, and what surrounds it. Finding that particular combination is one of the parts of composing I enjoy most.

My game credits include contributions to Lies of P, including its menu music and Arche Abbey theme, as well as original music for more than 20 promotional videos and an annual event for Love and Deepspace. Our work also extends into animation, including Super Wings and Dinoster. Those projects require very different musical languages, but my starting point is consistent: understanding what the audience should feel and giving the work a musical identity of its own.

One project I’m particularly proud of is The Relic: The First Guardian. Much of my approach to its music comes from the tragic histories of its characters. For the boss encounters, I wanted the music to express more than danger or the intensity of a fight. There needed to be room for the player to feel something for the character they were facing.

For Lena’s music, for example, I used a fragile solo soprano to express grief that the character cannot easily communicate. The final section is carried by strings alone, allowing that sadness to come forward without the weight of the full ensemble. Elsewhere, solo cello, choir, and experimental vocal textures help give the characters an emotional voice. These are the details I find most meaningful: moments when an instrumental or vocal choice changes how someone understands a character.

That attention to a character’s inner life is central to what I bring as a composer. As a studio founder, I’m also proud of bringing together collaborators who can develop those ideas beyond what I could achieve alone. I want YK Music Productions to have the range to serve very different projects without treating them as interchangeable. Whether we’re creating an intimate theme or a large orchestral score, the goal is to make choices that belong to that particular story.

What makes you happy?
My greatest happiness comes from my family—the sense of security they give me and the love I receive from my children. Whatever I’m working on or wherever I am in my career, they are proud of me. To my children, I’m already the best, and there is something deeply reassuring about being loved that way.

Having that foundation allows me to approach my work with a strong belief in myself as an artist. My family’s encouragement gives me the courage to trust my instincts, take on new challenges, and pursue opportunities rather than hold back out of uncertainty. I’m deeply grateful to have people who believe in me so wholeheartedly. Their love makes me happy, but it also gives me the confidence to keep growing.

Another source of happiness is hearing that my music has brought someone comfort or helped them feel understood. When someone tells me that a piece resonated with what they were going through and offered them some consolation, it makes the work feel meaningful in a very personal way. Something I created has reached a person whose life may be completely different from mine, yet we have found a feeling we can share.

I think that is what I became a composer for—to create music that can offer someone comfort, connection, or the feeling that they are not alone. My family gives me the love and confidence to create, and those connections with listeners remind me why I want to keep creating.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.yeakunyoo.com
• Instagram: @yeakunyoo
• Youtube: @yeakunyoo9989