GTA’s radio can shift your mood instantly

As someone who grew up with the iconic soundtrack of GTA radio stations playing in the background, I can wholeheartedly attest to their transformative power. The diverse range of stations, from Non-Stop Pop to Radio Mirror Park, has always felt like a sonic tour of the world we inhabit, yet somehow elevated and tailored to fit the grandeur of Los Santos or Vice City.

There’s a moment I cherish deeply: being in a vehicle, thoughts swirling like leaves in your mind, discussing various matters, when all of a sudden, an unanticipated tune fills the airwaves. In those brief moments, all plans vanish, concerns are set aside. A hush falls over the car occupants, each drawn into their private realms, captivated by the music, the landscape, and the basic force propelling us forward.

As a gamer, I can’t help but feel that having the in-game radio playing is an integral part of the enchantment when cruising around Grand Theft Auto’s virtual cities. From the early versions with their basic bird’s-eye views, these games have always grasped the essence of music not merely as a supplement to the existing ambiance or a booster for ongoing missions. No, they’ve recognized that sometimes the radio tunes should surprise you, divert your focus from your current gameplay or evolving strategy. At those moments, all you’re left with is the music, the surroundings, and the fresh atmosphere it generates, as if you’re momentarily suspended in a musical bubble within the game world.

Check out our special issue TopMob FM, a week of stories about all the places where music and games connect — retrospectives, interviews, and much more.

For quite some time now, I’ve held this theory, and just recently, I delved back into the world of Grand Theft Auto V to give it another try. Accompanied by my wife, an ardent fan of the game, we embarked on a car-jacking adventure across the cityscape of Los Santos in GTA V. She assisted me in eluding some initial law enforcement officers and then we tuned in the radio.

Back then, my mother often reminded us that there was just a single radio station in Los Angeles, referring to KMET as it played progressive rock. As children, we took her words at face value, unaware of her fondness for “Baker Street” during traffic hours. Fast-forward nearly 40 years, and I’ll tell you this: There’s only one radio station in Los Santos, and that’s Non-Stop Pop. I understand now what she meant – it’s the station that truly counts.

In this station, DJ Cara Delevingne (voiced by herself) plays a mix of catchy bubblegum tunes and lesser-known gems, interjecting with her motivational quotes like: “Why save your money? Get a drum set!” This is Los Santos’ top radio station, standing out because its music seamlessly blends with the game’s design as effortlessly as it fits into the rhythm.

Example provided: In a similar situation, with the police out of sight and the road heading north, my wife proposed abandoning the car near a beach to swim with whales. A brilliant idea! We were on the lookout for an exit, but then Dirty Vegas started playing. It was just breaking dawn, which happened to be the ideal moment to appreciate the dripping, bubbling cave-like atmosphere of “Days Go By.” It seemed as if our minds had been simultaneously cleared. No conversation. No aspirations. Just Braddock Pass leading to Mount Chiliad and us in our vehicle gliding through the cool morning breeze as this nearly forgotten tune played and the sky transitioned into a radiant pearly blue.

Despite appearing to be done, it wasn’t quite over yet. The radio played “Pure Shores” by All Saints, which carried us straight to Paleto Bay, erasing any recollection of whales from our minds. In fact, all thoughts were gone: We were lost in nostalgia, a tinge of melancholy lingering. This shift in mood was quite unexpected, considering the game is usually about bank heists and running over security guards.

Moments such as these truly embody the spirit of Grand Theft Auto, but they’re especially GTA when it’s bustling with activity and appreciating the enchanting influence of low-brow radio stations. This charm isn’t intricate; more often than not, it boils down to selecting a track you wouldn’t normally pick, in circumstances where you wouldn’t want to hear it, yet remarkably, it manages to create these small, flawless instances all the same.

In various forms, perfection may manifest itself oddly. Not long after leaving Paleto Bay, we found ourselves driving a stolen minivan onto the ominous military base shown on the map, as Gorillaz played and DJ Cara warned us that our fate was destined to be insignificance. Shortly afterwards, I inadvertently crushed an entire street gang who were peacefully hanging out near Los Santos’ fake LA river, only for an old Wham! tune to suddenly play as the universe orchestrated our daring escape through underground drainage systems beneath a colossal half-moon.

Developing such effects, using random occurrences and the seamless nostalgia of past chart-toppers, requires both time and financial resources. Time and finances are key strengths for Rockstar Games, which is why you see this more often in GTA than in other games. Consequently, the radio stations in GTA have always given an impression of luxury. Radio isn’t typically listed as a feature, but it helps make these games feel like part of a world we recognize.

It’s hard to fathom the significant portion of GTA 5‘s budget dedicated to its diverse and intricately designed radio stations. From the upbeat Non-Stop Pop to Radio Mirror Park, described by my wife as ideal for relaxation with a high, there’s also Rebel Radio broadcasting country tunes. Add to that West Coast Talk Radio and Blaine County Radio, which blend conspiracy theories, bunker design advice, nostalgic Y2K memories, and chatter in an unsettlingly realistic manner. Hours of content were created for this, with both writers and voice actors involved. Even actors like Juliette Lewis have hosted shows on GTA radio, and that’s before considering the music licensing fees. One might wonder why so much resources are invested in something that can be turned off when playing the game with muted audio.

As a lifelong radio enthusiast and avid gamer, I find myself constantly struck by the striking similarities between commercial radio and Grand Theft Auto (GTA), two entities that may seem unrelated at first glance but share a deeper synergy.

Rockstar revolutionized contemporary open-world game design, yet today, developers more resemble disc jockeys than composers. Their studio remixes, reenacts, and reimagines themes, scenes, and characters that are already prevalent in mainstream culture. This is evident in gunfights, mob movies, and urban landscapes. For instance, Grand Theft Auto V beautifully recreates popular notions of Los Angeles – a blend of diverse, sometimes contradictory, popular ideas. Smoggy sunsets with a cocktail-pink hue, the Pacific Coast Highway, Nakatomi Plaza, the idlers of Beverly Hills, even the peculiar gift shop at the LA County Coroner’s office – all these elements are disassembled, refined, and reassembled in an endless playlist as you navigate from street to street and mission to mission.

Isn’t crafting this game as much the job of a DJ, who blends different tracks together, as it is for a video game world builder? Indeed, Grand Theft Auto simplifies real-world city maps and finds humorous names, but it also merges familiar mental images of cities like Los Angeles or Miami in a way that’s reminiscent of how a DJ mixes music. In essence, understanding the role of a DJ in manipulating sound and evoking emotion might offer the clearest insight into what Rockstar envisions as the game designer’s mission. Essentially, Rockstar aims to deliver something familiar to you, yet in such a vibrant, expansive, and dynamic way that your subsequent perception of these places will forever be tinted by their presentation within the game. In other words, Rockstar seeks to imprint their unique perspective onto the landscapes already etched in your mind.

Nowadays, is radio still a popular choice among listeners? To some extent, yes; however, it may not be as prevalent as in the times when my mother frequently tuned into KMET. Today, radio faces competition from platforms like Spotify, Audible, and social media. It appears that this shift can also be observed in GTA. The latest trailer for GTA 6, for instance, showcases some of the best remixers in video games once more. Moreover, take a look at the memes, video clips, and active comment sections on social media, where characters like alligors pacing convenience stores or puzzled women carrying hammers are common sights.

Rockstar seems equally intrigued by TikTok as they are by the captivating crime tales of Florida. In truth, TikTok carries a radio-like atmosphere – a realm where beauty, confusion, and constant change reign supreme. It’s an ever-evolving landscape that offers both the familiar and the unexpected, keeping users on their toes with its endless allure.

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2024-08-06 17:19