Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack to the 2023 DreamWorks Animation film Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken, featuring the musical score composed and conducted by Stephanie Economou.
[3][4] Economou’s influences while making the score for the film are Beach House, Slowdive, M83, Jaguar Sun, Cocteau Twins, and The Cure, For the first theme suite she wrote for the film, which was Ruby’s Theme, she wanted a melody that was going to reflect her life as an ordinary teenager.
[4][5] Economou also brought in Ari Mason, in order to create a kraken language choir, which was in Scandinavian folklore.
[4] While the orchestra score is recorded for 6 days at Abbey Road Studios in London, England, with the directors, producer, co-producer, their assistant, and the story & editorial supervisor see the process firsthand.
"[9] Economou was involved in the creative process from the onset and given a lot of freedom, although the directors suggested the film's music should "feel special, having its own voice and part of the world building" and should not go traditional.
Having an orchestral background, she experimented with traditional instrumentation and orchestra such as brass, strings, woodwinds and choir, juxtaposed with the ecletic sounds.
Co-directors Kirk DeMicco and Faryn Pearl, producer Kelly Cooney Cilella, their assistant Anna Eva Kotyza, co-producer Rachel Zusser, editor Michelle Mendenhall and story and editorial supervisor Jason Tenandar traveled to London, England, in order to help supervise and see the score of the film firsthand at Abbey Road.
[10] James R. Whitson of Animated Views wrote "While I can't hum a single measure of Stephanie Economou's score from memory now, while watching I really enjoyed it.