Headhunter Composer Richard Jacques Takes on Starship Troopers; Others to Follow
By Louis Bedigian

“I have retained a similar tonality from the first film but the game's score consists of all new material and themes.”

As we exit one year and enter another, one question lingers: which games will steal our attention for the next 12 months? It seems like everything except Gran Turismo 4 has been released – Halo 2, San Andreas, Half-Life 2, Myst IV, etc. – are already on stores shelves.

One game that snuck under the radar but is quickly gaining my attention is the long-overdue Starship Troopers. Released in theaters many moons ago, Starship Troopers had some of the best alien-blasting action ever seen in a sci-fi comedy. The story was cheesy and only a few of the characters were likable, but the frequent action sequences begged to be turned into a videogame.

Unlike some movie games you’ve played before, Starship Troopers won’t feature the same score as the film. Emerging composer Richard Jacques is in charge of writing new music for the game that will immerse the player in the experience. If anyone can do it, it’s him.

Dedicated to music, not sleep, Richard Jacques likes to work on multiple projects at the same time. Last year he devoted his time to numerous titles for Sony and Sega, including Headhunter: Redemption. He remixed the music for OutRun 2, helped make Singstar Party more lively, and contributed tracks to Sega Rally 2005.

These are just some of the projects he told us about in our interview. Read on to learn more about his work on Redemption, his work on Starship Troopers, and his work on other games you’ll be playing in 2005.

As anyone who visits your Web site (www.richardjacques.com) knows, you do more than just a few game soundtrack here and there. Update us on what you've been doing the past couple of months and what is your plan or hope to do next.

Richard Jacques: The past few months have been extremely busy for me, with lots of varied projects. After completing Headhunter: Redemption, and getting the soundtrack album released, I worked on OutRun 2 for Sega, EyeToy: Play 2 for Sony, Singstar Party for Sony and then contributed some tracks for the upcoming Sega Rally 2005. I have since been working on the scores for Starship Troopers (www.starshiptroopers-game.com), Battlestations: Midway, and a top secret PSP title. When these titles are completed I will be working on some other major projects this year which unfortunately I cannot discuss at this time! I’m hoping to score more interactive music titles and I will also be moving my studio facility later this year.

Headhunter: Redemption is one of your biggest and most talked-about soundtracks yet. For our readers who have not yet played the game, give us an overview of the soundtrack, its musical style, etc.

RJ: The score to Headhunter: Redemption is still very much “Headhunter” in it’s nature, however we opted for a more textural sci-fi based score this time, as it worked with the gameplay much better. There are orchestral elements as well as analogue synth elements, and also choral and musical sound design ideas. Some of the original themes make a re-appearance and of course there is a great deal of new material, three hours worth to be precise.

Having composed the first Headhunter, did you have a clear path as to what you wanted to do with the sequel?

RJ: Essentially yes, but I discussed the approach with the game’s director and scriptwriter at great length before embarking upon the scoring process. As the sequel’s story is a lot darker, we wanted to reflect this in the music, and create more underscore for the exploration sections of the game, leaving room for the action set-pieces.

Are the soundtracks for Headhunter and Headhunter: Redemption supposed to be a seamless sound with a clear connection, or did you purposely change the sound to make each game different?

RJ: They both have similar threads running through them, whilst retaining their own identity to make each game unique. Just as with the most memorable films, I think it is important to create a signature soundtrack for games.

As Switchfoot likes to remind us, Redemption is here.

What kind of feedback did you get from Sega while writing the music?

RJ: I worked directly with the development team at Amuze, as we have a great working relationship when it comes to discussing music. We basically discussed each music cue and it’s usage, and then looked at each cutscene during a “spotting” session.

If you don't already have a song idea in mind, what has been the most effective way to trigger inspiration for a game?

RJ: I take inspiration directly from playing the game and absorbing myself in it. Often it’s a very subconscious process, where I may not have an immediate idea, but after playing the game for a brief period, it all seems to flow very naturally.

Has it been fun having your Headhunter themes performed live at the GC symphony concerts? 

RJ: Yes, absolutely! It’s wonderful that game music is beginning to gain the recognition it deserves. It also provides the game fans and game music fans with a unique opportunity to see and hear their favorite game music performed live with a full orchestra. We are also now seeing film soundtrack fans crossing over and taking note of game music.

What's your favorite song to be performed live?

RJ: “Jack’s Theme” from Headhunter always goes down well, and the preview of Starship Troopers received a tremendous response at the 2004 GC concert. I would say that any anthemic cue from one of my current/upcoming projects would be great for future live performances.

You did original soundtrack remixes for Sega's OutRun 2. Were these remixes of songs from the original OutRun?

RJ: Yes, indeed they were. I created remixes of “Passing Breeze,” “Magical Sound Shower,” “Splash Wave” and “Last Wave” from the original version of OutRun. Sega knows my remixes as I also remixed a track for Jet Set Radio Future alongside some of my original tracks for the game.

Some might think that it's easier to remix a song than it is to compose a new one. I'm willing to bet that assumption is false.

RJ: In this case that is certainly false. The original OutRun music is over 15-years old now, and was created using a very basic sound chip, which was technically very limited. Therefore, I had to not only bring the tracks up-to-date, but also to expand on the original sound chip music and realize the tracks in a completely new arrangement. Plus, you have to have a good ear to pick out each melody, harmony and rhythmic element from the original, since you are usually working from just an mp3 reference.

 Charge!

How much of yourself are you able to put into a remix? How far does your creativity span?

RJ: More that one might think! Of course with the OutRun remixes you are working within the framework of melodic, harmonic and rhythmic ideas, but within that framework you have a fairly free reign. As I knew the original music intimately from playing the game a lot when I was younger, I was extremely enthusiastic about keeping the mixes faithful to the original source whilst updating them and creating new arrangements.

I know that Starship Troopers is far from release, but we'd appreciate all that you can tell us about its music and your involvement with the game.

RJ: Firstly, I can tell you that it’s looking amazing! I think everyone has wanted a game like this for some time. The film has a huge following and the DVD sales have been massive. All gamers want to join the Federation and kill bugs! I am currently deep into the scoring process, which is going great so far. I have retained a similar tonality from the first film, but the game’s score consists of all new material and themes. It should be a fairly bombastic roller coaster from the outset, as this is a heavy action-orientated gaming experience! We are also planning to release the soundtrack CD.

When did you begin work on Starship Troopers? When did you sign on for the project?

RJ: I first saw the early prototypes around 18 months ago now, which even at that time looked great. I did a few test tracks to get the pace and feel right, whilst creating all new “Starship Troopers” styled music. I created various cues for E3 and promotional videos, then I began the actual scoring process proper a few months ago.

More and more movie games are going the cheap route by using the music composed for the film instead of an original game score. What are your thoughts on this?

RJ: This is true to a certain degree, and in my opinion, regardless of how good the film score is, it usually will not work with a game because the two are very different in their approach. Of course it is simple to take a theme from a film (such as the Bond theme) but in general the score needs to be created in a completely different way and include interactive / reactive / dynamic music elements, so that the integration with the game is as tight as possible. Working with an already created score would limit this process.

Thanks Richard for all the exciting details on your past, current and upcoming projects. We can’t wait to hear more.