A bit of audio wizardry I've seen done well in other games is the continuation of a soundtrack when the player dives into a menu (or zooms out far on a map), though at a lower volume and with a filter applied to make it sound like 'lobby music/elevator music' or similar.
#Audio Suggestion: Continue play of soundtrack while in menus, but reduce volume + add filter
velvet cradle
Audio Suggestion: Continue play of soundtrack while in menus, but reduce volume + add filter
bitter swallow
I personally really like this approach, but researching it in other games turns up complaints about it removing the functionality of an 'instant mute'. So pausing game for a phone call or eating dinner, audio is left on which becomes an annoyance. I think I can properly assess this for GGT once we've got the full intended control over music (eg full in-game music player sort of setup)... that should give us a good idea of how it works for us specifically!
warped shoal
I personally really like this approach, but researching it in other games turns ...
What if the menu had elevator music. Like its on paused menu soundtrack 🤣