Color Switch song stuck in your head? Blame this guy.

Unlike most mobile phone games, which only have sound effects consisting of dings and thumps, Color Switch has a straight banger playing in the background. Color Switch spent several weeks at the top of iTunes’ games download chart and currently sits at number 3. And part of what makes playing the game so fun is the addictive deep house earworm playing in the background.

The Color Switch theme song was written and composed by Tom Garnett, a DJ from Leeds, United Kingdom. I contacted Garnett via email and asked about the writing the track, what inspires him, and which pop star he’d most want to work with.

When did you start creating your own music?

I taught myself to play guitar at the age of 13 and then, later on, learned to DJ. When I started DJing out in clubs I had an idea of the music I really liked and what I wanted to make. So got in the studio, and it went from there.

How did this song become the Color Switch theme?

Color Switch actually approached me—they said they liked my music wanted to use it as the theme music for the game. I happily agreed and had no idea the game would get as huge as it has.

How did you decide the tone and pace of this song?

The song itself, I think, is an example of “less is more”when it’s comes to how it is layered. A catchy riff and decent drums and percussion is all it really needs. This makes it perfect for being used on the game.

This song has a kind of addictive quality to it. What songs inspired you when you made it?

It’s got a tech sort of feel to it, where it just keeps your head nodding or feet shuffling… I remember having the tune of Maya Jaye Coles’s “What They Say” in my head when we made it, and I think that provided the original style of how the riff was going to play.

Are there other video game songs you like?

I remember I used to love the music on Sonic The Hedgehog and Super Mario.

Do you play Color Switch? If so, what’s your high score?

Yeah, I do, LOL… I think my best score was like, 16.

What has the response to the song been like?
It’s been really good! I always see tweets from people who are playing the game and comment on how much they like the tune. I have some new music that I have yet to upload to my Soundcloud account…

Do you have pop chart aspirations?

It would be great to see the song in the charts. I am only just getting over how big the song has gotten just from the game. It would be really cool to have [my] music reach the pop charts and potentially work with big artists.

If you could work with any pop singer who would it be?

Probably Ed Sheeran.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Kelsey McKinney is a culture staff writer for Fusion.