Interviews// Richard Jacques

SPOnG: You’ve performed live and conducted orchestrated versions of your music in front of a huge audience. What were those experiences like, as someone in a profession which usually isn’t afforded that kind of attention?

Richard Jacques: It has been amazing to see that orchestral videogame music is now so popular that it warrants live performances all over the world. This just shows how far the industry has come in a comparatively short time. I have had a lot of my music performed all over the world now, and it’s a great experience to share the music with the fans, and to see the reactions from the crowd. I also find it quite astonishing when I meet some of the fans and they bring a large pile of games and soundtracks that I have worked on over the years. Of course, it is also good for the publishers because it highlights their games and franchises, and puts them in the spotlight as well.


SPOnG: Something on a massive concert scale like Videogames Live surely generates a different kind of buzz to intimate performances such as your recent appearance in Nottingham. What underlies your passion to perform in different environments like these?

Richard Jacques: It certainly shows how popular game music is nowadays, that concerts such as Videogames Live can sell out in auditoriums (often used for classical concerts) across the world. These concerts are produced on a grand scale, with huge video screens, laser and light shows and special guests and performances. I love taking part in these events because it gives me the opportunity to meet other composers and fans alike, plus it is a great experience to hear your music played to 11,000 people. It has been wonderful to take part in the various ‘meet and greet’ segments, as it is fascinating for me as a composer to find out what the fans like about my music, and what is their favourite track.

My performance in Nottingham for the Game City festival was indeed more intimate; partly due to the fact that the concert was primarily solo piano, and also because the venue was a candlelit 14th century church! I really enjoy both kinds of events; for Videogames Live I am essentially a member of the audience, hearing my compositions and orchestrations played in front of thousands of people, and in Nottingham it was just myself performing my own music.


SPOnG: Nottingham’s live performance was not only a showcase of your work at SEGA, but also a mixture of other games from the company, such as Shenmue. What was your decision to include these particular tracks?

Richard Jacques: When I was approached to perform at Nottingham’s Game City festival last October, I had to think about what the general public would want to see and hear, especially if they had never heard a piece of videogame music before. I also had to try and please the fans and let me tell you, once my involvement was made public, I received literally hundreds of emails requesting certain tracks to be performed! So the programme was made up largely of my own work from titles such as Sonic R, Metropolis Street Racer, Headhunter, and Sonic 3D. I also wanted to perform some other ‘classic’ Sega music, both for my own personal satisfaction, and because I knew the fans would demand it. So I arranged various works such as Shenmue, Ecco, NiGHTs and the original Sonic. It seemed natural to end with one of my remixes from Outrun2 , a definite crowd pleaser.

It was great to spend some time with the audience afterwards, and one person had even got up at 5am and travelled a long way from the South East just to make the gig!