Over the Horizon

January 25, 2024 Over the Horizon The Samsung Galaxy Sound Branding Story

Starting back in 2011 when the Galaxy S2 was first released, Over the Horizon has been a household tune that has deeply embedded itself into the lives of our users. Samsung’s Over the Horizon was first created as a ringtone that captures five keywords that represents Samsung’s image: future-minded, innovation, newness, creativity, and positivity.

The melody starts by establishing a friendly and comfortable atmosphere, leading up to a mid-section consisting of strong and impactful tones, and finally cumulating to a final note that embodies the hopeful message of taking on new challenges. Through this musical journey, Over the Horizon tells the appealing story of Samsung Galaxy’s identity. Over the past decade, Over the Horizon has been enhancing user’s audio experience (AUX) as the signature sound that comes with every Galaxy phone, and has evolved its sounds each year through collaborations with diverse artists.

2024 Won il Gugak

Inspired by Nature Sounds

To mark the launch of the 2024 Galaxy S24 Series, this year’s Over the Horizon was developed by Won il, the composer who directed the music for the Pyeongyang Winter Olympic ceremonies, performed by the Seoul National University Gugak Orchestra, and recorded and mastered by Grammy award-winning engineer Byeong Joon Hwang.

The latest Over the Horizon is rooted in the concept of Organic Sounds Inspired by Nature. It’s composed of instruments made with natural materials like wood, leather, silk thread, metal, and earth to connect nature’s sounds with traditional Korean instruments. The piece incorporates both the pentatonic scale of Gugak and seven-note and semitone scales, symbolizing a powerful step towards a hopeful future through the embrace of tradition, modernity, and the future. Furthermore, the recording was held in a concert hall rich with reverb, allowing the unique tones of Gugak to resonate smoothly and naturally with the general listener.

Gugak (국악) : Korean Traditional Music

This is the still cut of “Over the Horizon 2024 Behind Story ”.

This is video of the “Over the Horizon 2023 Behind Story

Over the Horizon 2024 Behind Story

The Evolution

The Over the Horizon Sound Branding Campaign maintains the familiar Galaxy Theme melody and builds upon new interpretations of the brand sound through various collaborations with artists from diverse genres. Click on the records for each year below to listen to the variations of Over the Horizon through the course of its evolution.

2022 Kiefer jazztornica #New_world

LA-based pianist and producer Kiefer Shackelford arranged a jazztronik interpretation that speaks to connection and recovery during the pandemic. The illustration in the music video was created by GRAMMY nominated artist and producer, Phil Beaudreau. Characters shown in a silhouette play basketball and run through the park to portray a peaceful life after the pandemic.

Music Video

Behind Story

It's an outro motion with the melody of “Over the Horizon.”

Anyone who has used a Galaxy phone before would be familiar with these six notes. Over the Horizon discovers melodies hidden in the often overlooked sounds in digital ringtones and reinvents them as a unique brand sound. Just as master craftsmen reinvent new techniques based on their basic foundation, we hope to see Over the Horizon continue to introduce new melodies that transcend over the horizon and onto the future.