Zenless Zone Zero it quickly created an identity for itself that even its first preview couldn't fully prepare for its playerbase. It's equal parts quirky, impossible adventure at the end of the world Street Fighter-an impactful fighting style and traditional heroism by HoYoverse developers, an endless parade of adorable characters available with gacha systems and enough daily entertainment to keep people hooked for months or years at a time.
One thing the HoYoverse is best known for is their music – Genshin ImpactThe soundtrack is a fan favorite and very popular on Spotify (Hoyo-Mix has almost 2 million listeners per month). Zenless Zone Zero did not accept the known when it came to its OST, however, it switched to very different approaches that brought interesting results, not least the collaboration with the influential artist DJ Tiesto. Tiesto is considered one of the best ever in his genre, as extensive as his repertoire of hot tracks – he's done almost every genre of EDM imaginable, and maybe a couple you've never heard of. .
In any game, featuring DJ Tiesto would be a huge win. But for another new one like Zenless Zone Zeroit sounds almost impossible. The truth is, the fit was great at first, and Tiesto's familiarity with HoYoverse's other titles made the opportunity work. Zenless Zone Zero attractive. We talked to Tiesto again Zenless Zone Zero music producer Wutao Yang about the colorful song New Eridu, collaboration, and more.
Why DJ Tiesto fits Zenless Zone Zero
(((THENEXUS))): What makes Zenless Zone Zero a perfect fit for DJ Tiesto's genre?
Tiesto: As a fan of the world building in HoYoverse's other games and seeing how good ZZZ is, I was very happy to collaborate with them on this one. The power of my music is not worth the game.
What kind of music style would you describe ZZZ as using the most? What do you think is the most obvious and unique musical style of “Zero Zone”?
Zenless Zone Zero Music Producer, Wutao Yang: Actually, the music styles of “Zero” are very different. If we had to choose the most independent and unique styles of music, it would probably be hip-hop and electronic music. We really want to try different musical possibilities in “Zero”, and the game producer is also very supportive of our innovation. If we look at the feedback from the music players, the overall result is quite good.
Creative Branch Methods in the ZZZ Universe
What kind of creative possibilities do you see in games like Zone Zero?
Tiesto: I feel very inspired by the endless possibilities in this game. The world they've built is amazing, so let the creative ideas of the music flow naturally. The endless possibilities in this game have given me great inspiration. The game world created by “Zero” is amazing, so musical creativity comes naturally.
Zenless Zone Zero Music Producer, Wutao Yang: For the background music and character music in Zenless Zone Zero, we adopted different production techniques. For background music, we rely heavily on hip-hop and electronic music with a unique, unique style. Although our characters, for example, the song we wrote for Qingyi, we chose a more familiar, catchy genre. With our music in Zenless Zone Zero, we hope to appeal to the tastes of different audiences, and we will continue to try to strike a balance between popular favorites and individual expression. In addition to in-game music, we're also experimenting with live performances like the live set we did recently at Creamfields.. We look forward to hearing the audience's feedback about our performance. We will take this feedback into consideration and do our best to provide our audience with the best music we can offer, both in-game and out.
Does Zenless Zone Zero intend to be home to other artists who fit the New Eridu vibe in the future?
Zenless Zone Zero Music Producer, Wutao Yang: In our team, we aim to introduce a wide variety of music styles and in-game experiences. To do so, we hope to work with more artists outside of the game and continue to fill New Eridu with live music.
The Difference Between HoYoverse Soundtracks & Future Plans
HoYoverse games are well known for their excellent results at this point. How do you keep Zenless Zone Zero on track to achieve the same level of success?
Zenless Zone Zero Music Producer, Wutao Yang: Regarding music, the role of in-game music is to serve the environment and the characters themselves. Different music designed for different scenes and characters will give players completely different experiences. We will continue to produce music that will give players a better gaming experience, based on different versions of the game and different content. What we can reveal right now is that in the upcoming version 1.2, we have tried a lot with the music we have produced.. We can't wait for players to share their experiences and feedback with us.
Any chance of seeing DJ Tiesto NPC rocking around New Eridu anytime soon?
Tiesto: You never know! I think it would be very interesting to see them in the game, especially in a place as vibrant and unique as New Eridu. I guess we'll have to wait and see what the HoYoverse has in store for us!
Zenless Zone Zero Music Producer, Wutao Yang: It was a great experience for us to work with Tiesto and he inspired us a lot. We would like to work with him and other artists in creative and innovative ways in the future in terms of musical collaborations. When it comes to the game itself, as a live service game, Zenless Zone Zero is set in a unique world with its own settings and production, independent of the real world. The game has been out for 2 months now, and now we're going to focus more on the content of the game itself. It is understood that we will explore different directions and opportunities based on player feedback in the long term.
Source: Tiesto/YouTube