RICHARD JACQUES Q&A
THE AWARD-WINNING COMPOSER ON ARRANGING THE REMIXES OF THE ORIGINAL OUT RUN TUNES FOR THE XBOX VERSION OF OUTRUN 2
What’s your opinion on Hiroshi Kawaguchi’s original compositions for Out Run?
Hiro’s music is outstanding and iconic. I remember the first time I heard it as a kid. I was on a summer course in North Devon and found myself in the local arcade one afternoon. This was the first time I had ever seen Out Run. The music was the first thing I noticed about the game – the quality of the sound board was so much better than anything I’d heard at the time. And the music itself, wow! Hiro completely nailed the music. It was perfect in every way.
What brief were you given for the ‘Euro Remixes’?
I wasn’t really given a specific brief, other than to put my own take on the original tracks. So I began by thinking about which musical direction I could take and what styles and influences would work with each track. I immediately thought that Magical Sound Shower and Passing Breeze would work well with live instruments, keeping the overall Latin/jazz style of the originals but filling out the arrangement, since I wasn’t limited to the small number of channels that the original arcade sound board provided. Splash Wave is a much more up-tempo and energetic track and therefore I could hear something more electronic working for this track. I then got to work on fleshing out my initial ideas.
Who played instruments on the remixes?
I played most of the instruments but also used session musicians to add the brass section. We had trumpet, flugelhorn, trombone, alto and tenor saxes as well as a Latin percussionist who overdubbed all the percussion parts live. I also recorded all the piano parts live.
Did Sega offer any feedback on your updated versions?
I had submitted my demos before I went to the studio to record with the musicians and they were signed off straightaway, so I didn’t have to make any changes which was fantastic. I then proceeded to go ahead and record the musicians and deliver the final mixes. Both Sega and Sumo Digital were delighted with the results, so job done!
Reviewers have called your remixes the “definite versions” of the original tracks. How pleased were you with the end results?
That’s a wonderful compliment to hear. I have to say that nothing beats the original arcade versions but I was very honoured to have worked on the remixes and I had great fun in doing so – which I think comes through in the music. A personal highlight for me was being able to perform a medley of these versions live at the Royal Festival Hall during a Video Games Live show. A fun fact to finish on. I also remixed and recorded a version of Last Wave [the game over music]. Although Sega hadn’t requested this, I thought it was a great opportunity to work on this remix as well, since it’s another great track from the original. Sega and Sumo loved this remix so included it in the game.