Date of Birth: April 2, 1973
Hometown: London, UK
Hobbies: Games, Music, Films, Traveling, Partying
Influences: Stravinsky, Holst, John Williams, David Arnold, Jerry Goldsmith, Michael Kamen, Rock, Techno, Erik Satie, David Bowie
First Game: Shinobi X - Saturn (European Release) - 1995
Studio Equipment: Logic Pro, Pro Tools, Gigastudio and Akai samplers, Mackie desk, Dynaudio monitoring, many analogue synths and outboard equipment.

Go! Game! Music! (GGM):
What are the major differences between the music of the original Headhunter and Headhunter: Redemption?

Richard Jacques (RJ):
The score to Headhunter: Redemption is a lot darker, and more of a textural sci-fi score. This is to reflect the nature of the game, and to achieve tighter integration with the gameplay. There are the big action cues of course, and some themes, recognizable ones and new ones. Additionally, there is more substantial use of synth elements as well as orchestral elements, combined with musical sound design.

GGM:
What was your process for creating Headhunter: Redemption's music?

RJ:
I originally created the Main Theme for Headhunter: Redemption to get an idea of where to take the rest of the score. I began by building up a large sound pallet of various sounds and textures I wanted to include in the game. Then I paid close attention to the different gameplay elements and created the score accordingly. I scored the cut-scenes from the near final edits.

GGM:
What did you like most about creating the Headhunter music? What did you like least?

RJ:
Both scores have been immensely enjoyable and challenging to create, since they contain highly thematic material and dramatic underscore. As any process of game development, the frustrating thing is not having the completely final version to work from!

GGM:
How do you think Headhunter: Redemption's music turned out?

RJ:
It has turned out very well, and many people say they prefer it to the original. I like both scores but they are quite different in their nature. Redemption has much tighter integration within the gameplay and at the end of the day this is the most important thing.

GGM:
Would you please share some of your experience creating the music for Starship Troopers? Did you reference the original movies music (composed by Basil Poledouris)?

RJ:
I am currently busy scoring Starship Troopers (www.starshiptroopers-game.com) and it is going very well. Due to confidentiality reasons I cannot say much more at this stage! The score to the original film is superb. In general though there will be totally new themes and underscore in the game.

GGM:
How would you compare the music for the Headhunter series and Starship
Troopers?

RJ:
They are both primarily action scores but that's where the similarities end. For example, Starship Troopers will not have any electronic or synth elements, just traditional orchestral scoring.

GGM:
What was it like to have your music performed at the GC Games convention
concert. Which piece performed did you like the best?

RJ:
It was great having both Headhunter and Starship Troopers music performed at the GC Games Convention, and game music fans certainly looked very happy after the concert! I particularly enjoyed the music from Mario..

GGM:
Would you please share some of your experience regarding arranging/remixing tunes for OutRun2 on Xbox? How did you get involved? How much freedom did they give you?

RJ:
I was invited by Sega and AM2 to work on the project, since I have worked on many soundtracks for Sega, including many driving games. Also, I have a good understanding of Japanese culture and the gaming scene in Japan as well as in the West. I wanted to remain faithful to the original tracks, just bring them up-to-date and use some live instrumentation, so in their construction the tracks are very similar and instantly recognizable. I basically expanded on the arrangement and updated the feel of the tracks.

GGM:
Who are some of your favorite composers?

RJ:
Stravinsky, Holst, Vaughn-Williams, Hindemith, John Williams, James Horner, Jerry Goldsmith, Alan Silvestri, Michael Kamen, David Arnold.

GGM:
What is your dream project?

RJ:
A dream project would be an epic fantasy adventure game, involving many character themes as well as dramatic underscore, action music and atmospheric music.

GGM:
What makes a good composer? What could we learn from you about composing music?

RJ:
A good composer is always a good interpreter. For example, the role of music in games and other media is to reinforce the on-screen action and story. Therefore, a good composer interprets the director / producer / game designer's vision, as well has having the right compositional tools to craft the score without taking away from what is happening on the screen. It's constantly a very delicate balance. It is essential to be very open-minded about any form of music, past, present and future.

Thanks to Mr. Jacques for chatting with us, also thanks to Greg @ TopDollar.