The Beginning of Composer BLOODMOON

During my elementary and middle school days, I enjoyed listening to the music of Rayman, Fortress, and Starcraft more than focusing on the games themselves.

Why was that? On January 1, 2003, the year I turned 14, I suddenly started composing music. Without any knowledge or experience in music, I found myself connected to it.

Starting with my first piece “Fantasy Place” on January 1, I composed about 30 songs in 2003.

Back then, I learned by sharing my compositions with other composers on music communities like PWCW, MIDI UserNet, Milim, and Creation City. I wanted to compose so badly that I would secretly get up at dawn, turn on the computer, and spend all my time outside of school on music.

The ability to freely express my emotions and stories through melodies and chords was a huge allure of music.

Especially the music of masters like Yang Bang-ahn, Joe Hisaishi, and Alan Silvestri, who lead storytelling through melodies, and BGMs and theme songs in movies and animations that paint scenes with sound, greatly influenced my musical values.

My 2004 works, practicing vocal and orchestral music

In 2005, I formed a subculture music group called SeedSound with like-minded people on MIDI UserNet and wrote “Dreamy Moon” as our first song. During that period, I also tried freelance music work and won the MVP award at the Creation City Music Composition Contest, which was a precious experience.

During my senior year in high school, “WinXP Rhapsody,” composed using Windows sound effects, became popular through Naver Boom and I was first recognized by the public.

An album including “WinXP Rhapsody” and the OST for the short animation “Dali’s Lake”

It was then that I decided on my stage name, BLOODMOON. I often fell asleep on the rooftop with my family on hot summer nights, staring at the sky, always finding the moon incredibly mysterious and beautiful. I often wrote music and novels with the moon as a theme, one of which was titled BLOOD MOON. It was about people with a special L-type blood type gaining superpowers when they saw the red moon.

Later, I focused on preparing for the college entrance exams and auditions, and in 2007, I entered Chung-Ang University’s College of Music. Although I didn’t get into my original goal, Korea National University of Education, I think it turned out for the best. My life would have been completely different if I had become a music teacher.

One of the reasons I chose Classical Composition over Practical Music was the influence of the Japanese drama “Nodame Cantabile,” a secret I keep. I grew to love classical music and orchestral instruments, and at university, I deeply acquired the knowledge and experience I needed.

My works from my freshman year in college

Afterward, I started professional activities, composing music in various genres such as game music, film music, and pop music. There were a few big storms along the way that almost led me to give up music.

I’ll try to write more about my later works and stories another time.