On the soundtrack for the 2024 animated film I Am What I Am 2, composer Luan Hui applies a harder edge to the lion dance drumming and folk instruments that distinguished his score in the series’ first instalment. Rock and hip-hop elements join sweeping orchestral melodies to evoke the rough-and-tumble energy of martial arts showdowns in cosmopolitan Shanghai—all in immersive detail in Spatial Audio. Interspersed among Luan’s dramatic instrumentals are uncompromising contributions from rappers expressing ambition, uncertainty and determination in the face of the challenges that come with entering the adult world. Below, Luan Hui gives Apple Music a look into the process he went through to capture the film’s tenacious spirit in sound. How did you approach the task of scoring a sequel? “To me, I Am What I Am 2 continues the first film’s in-depth exploration of self-identity and growth. Seen from the perspective of protagonist Gyun, the film reflects the struggle and persistence of an ordinary nobody. It’s a story of each and every one of us. Although traditional martial arts take the place of lion dancing, the lion spirit remains the same. “As far as music is concerned, the sequel doesn’t overturn the first film’s motifs and themes but returns to existing material through recapitulation and variation to establish a unified musical language for the series. The music seeks to reflect Gyun’s growth into a more three-dimensional character. The 4236 motif, for example, is found in lots of variations throughout the score—sometimes hopeful, sometimes communicating despair, power or anger. It’s a through-line across all parts of the soundtrack, pushing the listener to experience Gyun’s internal ups and downs alongside him.” What motivated your choice of folk instruments and other instrumentation? “In the early stages of the first film, we did a deep dive into different Cantonese styles and tried out various forms of folk music, from lion dance drums to dragon boat chants. Ultimately, though, we decided to pare down those regional elements to primarily the lion dance drum paired with a suona-driven melody. For the rest of the score, we added a smattering of folk music to the predominantly orchestral and electronic sounds. This allowed us to retain some regional colour while ensuring that the film as a whole would be modern and inclusive. “The key question I kept in mind was not ‘What instruments should I use?’ but ‘What feelings do I want to express?’ Fighting and lion dancing are both ultra-cool activities that have a real sense of power to them. My focus was on how to express that spirit through music. A mental state isn’t easy to visualise through technical means, so to grasp those emotions and that energy, I tended to use pictures, dialogue and performances, as well as my understanding of Gyun’s inner world. “The concept images from art director ZIM (Li Weichang) gave me the sense that the visuals had a voice! The first film’s ‘roar of the heart’ was my entry point to listening out for Gyun’s lion-hearted world. That voice became even clearer in the second film. It was a kind of resonance that helped me decide whether every note and instrument I was using truly belonged to the characters, story and world, and it my drove decision-making for the music as a whole. When you listen to the soundtrack, I hope you can feel its inner emotional power rather than simply focus on the external technical stuff.” What goals did you have in mind for the Spatial Audio version? “I’ve always been fascinated by Spatial Audio. I started playing around with writing music in 5.1 surround sound over a decade ago. For I Am What I Am 2, I decided at the outset to do a Dolby Atmos version. So, I carefully mapped out a few of the more structurally sophisticated tracks like ‘Transformation’, ‘Cyberbullying’ and the end credits theme ‘少年強’. These tracks combine electronic sounds, traditional lion drums, large-scale orchestration and lots of detailed effects. The more deliberate arrangement permitted by Spatial Audio technology meant the layers didn’t get crowded together, which increased the music’s clarity and emotional impact. In the 7.2.4 setup I use for my monitors, what’s most impressive is not the sound’s movement around me but the real, relaxed sense of space it provides. This lets me experiment with large dynamics and space when I’m writing without having to worry about noise or fuzziness. “Of course, all of this was only possible thanks to my two sound engineers—Dave Jewerén Moore and Xie Yun. More than just mixing technicians, they were like performers and conductors—as the music was finally taking shape, they used their aesthetic sensibility and judgment to process each sonic element with precision to locate the perfect balance between emotion and technique. A lot of people talk about being especially moved at a particular moment. This ‘glow’ they sense is inseparable from the behind-the-scenes contributions of the mixers. I’ve always believed that a good mix is not about correction or embellishment but something that truly ‘lights up’ the music.” Can you recommend two tracks that best represent the sound of the album? “A Seed Sprouts Wherever It Is” “This is a variation on the main theme from I Am What I Am. It’s a simple melody but it carries a sense of continuation—extending the particular energy that runs through all of director Sun Haipeng’s work, as well as the musical language that has gradually taken shape over the years we’ve worked together. And while each film may have a distinct story and style, what’s present in all of them is a spirit of stubbornly forging ahead in the face of reality. Through my music, I hope to make this spirit resonate in each and every film and to construct a full musical world for his body of work. “This track plays when Gyun is practicing in a vacant lot. In this scene, there’s a feeling of time having stopped. Through Zhang Wate’s voice-over, we seem to be looking into the past, with the music playing the role of connecting that past with the present. Anyone who’s familiar with our previous work might hear in this melody an echo of the film Kung Food. I put a similar hidden musical treasure in the first film’s ‘New Lion Head’ scene. It’s not just a simple tribute—it’s an attempt to build an intrinsic, organic connection between these works. For me, this is a wonderfully fun creative process.” “脱胎换骨” [“Transformation”] “This song is special to me, not only because it comes at the emotional turning point and flashpoint of the film but because it’s a key practical result of my long-held vision of a unified musical world. This is a song as well as a soundtrack cue, with musical elements that were foreshadowed way back in the first film’s score. By the time the song kicks off, emotional layers have already been built in the listener’s subconscious. For example, lots of people are instantly overcome by the line ‘Master, how have you been?’ because the emotional groundwork for the melody and lyrics had already been stealthily laid out earlier by the plot and soundtrack. “What’s even more noteworthy is the fact that this track brings together nearly all of the important themes and motifs from the first film. Structurally, it reorganises the series’ emotional threads and focuses them on the moment that Gyun’s transformation seizes the spotlight. When Gyun throws the stone dumbbell, for example, a heavy rearrangement of the 4236 motif brings an instant emotional peak. It’s not just empty flashiness—it lets music play the role of a motivating character in the protagonist’s growth rather than simply being a bystander. “I’m especially grateful for the creative liberty and high level of trust I was given by producer Zhang Miao and director Sun Haipeng. That space allowed the songs and soundtrack to take shape as a complete sonic system rather being handled as separate units. When a song begins, a score shouldn’t suddenly turn into a music video divorced from the rhythm of the plot—the continuation should feel organic. Emotional foreshadowing for those later songs is laid down from the very first second of the soundtrack. We used a number of techniques to blur the boundary between the songs and the score so as to build a unified, immersive sonic world for the listener to truly enter into the characters’ emotional orbits. “Not only is this a challenge on the level of music making, it also plays a profound role in the film’s overall narrative structure. Every thematic return, every motif transformation and every rhythmic advancement must serve the characters’ destinies. I hope this track can serve as both an auditory climax and an emotional transformation!”