Yes, FCI is the first video game I've worked on as a composer. I did a lot of work with computer graphics and animation before though, music for titles like 'Planetary Traveler' and the HD documentary 'The Story of Computer Graphics' to name a few. So I'm somewhat familiar with the esthetic sensibility of animated picture.

I've started my career as a member of the band Tangerine Dream, and as such I was predominantly engaged as a musician, playing live tours around the world and recording albums. After I left the band I moved to Hollywood and switched my focus to writing and producing music for films. Some of the latest movies I scored include:
'Underworld', 'The Girl Next Door' and the soon to be released 'Into The Blue'.

I have problems with the word 'proud' in connection with creative work.
And if you ask me directly, I would have to say NO ;-)

But there are projects that mark turning points in my artistic development, and of those I'd be happy to mention a few:
In 2000 the film 'Cheaters' was released on HBO. It was my first solo credit as a composer for film, and to this day I have a particular fondness of this project.

In 2002, I was asked to contribute additional music to 'Minority Report'. Working for Mr.Steven Spielberg DOES give a sense of satisfaction if you make your living working in film ;-) The same year I worked on 'Blue Crush', a beautiful film set in and off Hawaii, which was the first big Hollywood Summer blockbuster I got a chance to provide music for.
Finally, in 2003, I was asked to write the score for the film 'Underworld'. The movie opened Nr.1 at the US box office, and it was thanks to the Underworld Soundtrack that the producers of Far Cry Instincts took note of me.
So voila, it's a small world after all.

I grew up with computers, and it is natural for me to write for non-linear purposes and in a non-linear manner. This is the way I work anyways, not just for games. So from a technical side, it was very easy to get into this.
Creatively, this felt more like an album project, since I was not 'glued' to a particular picture sequence (as in film or TV), but rather could write for 'dramatic function'... overall, the modularity of writing for games really appeals to me... there is a stronger architectural component to it, that I enjoy very much.

Making music for films is a little more limited in general scope. It is a more established musical landscape, so one constantly has to fight the clichés of one's predecessors...
It is also a fact that both, the audience and the producers for video games are generally a younger demographic and more likely to understand and appreciate current music styles – that HELPS...

Having said all this, I feel I do have to point out that sometimes 'limitation' can also be a 'good thing'... so I wouldn't write movies off completely yet :)

I was lucky to have a fantastic collaborator in the game's lead sound designer, Nicholas Duveau, who gave me a very well formulated musical frame of reference, while making sure I had all the artistic freedom I needed.
Nicholas is also a musician, and I personally use sound effects a lot embedded in my music, so our mutual understanding and respect was exceptional. I hope to be working with him on many more projects.

My only surprise was how much fun it was to work on this. There were no major difficulties to report – sorry ;-)
As long as I can remember I have never had any difficulties making music 'FOR' any kind of purpose. Whether it's a film, a tv-show, an album –
It always starts with a concept, you start to get fascinated with it, and you start spinning your own version of it, your own interpretation of one particle of truth...

I am a big fan of the book 'Heart of Darkness' by Joseph Conrad. Immediately I saw aspects of this perennial story reflected in FCI, and I took this as a starting point for my inspiration and musical interpretation.

Also I have to mention that I'm a big fan of Les Baxter, and to write a new version of the 'Dark Exotica'-idea, coupled with a bit of 'Island of Dr.Moreau-elements' seemd like a fantastic opportunity to come up with something apocalyptically driving and atmospherically surreal.

As I watched the new graphics evolve for the Xbox version, I could also see that the CG-team was heading towards a similar interpretation with the new environments and settings: very 3-dimensional, deep, and strong in atmosphere and immersive qualities.

First the fact that I had a lot of creative freedom, and a very positive, constructive relationship with the development team in Montreal.

This project also gave me an opportunity to work with 3 musicians who I wanted to collaborate with for a LONG time: Jon Hassell, Adam Jones (Tool) and Sussan Deyhim. A legendary trumpet player, an Industrial Rock icon, and a Persian-American Singer extraordinaire – this is an incredible combination of creative power, and as such this is a better line-up than for ANY project I did before – and to have all of this creative forces coordinated into one coherent musical expression makes this a very special musical junction for me.

I just started work on a series for Showtime called 'SleeperCell'

It's about an undercover agent infiltrating a terrorist cell in Los Angeles. Very much to the times, will be quite controversial with American audiences I'm sure – but it's a very inspiring and courageous project, and another big opportunity from the musical perspective ...

Some of my favorite filmmakers include: Danny Boyle (28 Days Later, Trainspotting), Jonathan Glazer (Sexy Beast, Birth), David Fincher (Seven, FightClub) and Gaspar Noe (Irreversible).
Also Hideo Nakata, who made The Ring, and is now working on a film version of one of my favorite books called "Out," by Natsuo Kirino.

To stir some emotions – and if I can do it unobtrusively: even better.

I wouldn't mind being more involved with games. Entertainment is still based on storytelling, and games allow stories to unfold on multiple levels. And in that sense games ARE the future of entertainment ... and who wouldn't want to be part of the future? ;-)

Also, films are being made into games - games are being made into films... I am hoping that this may eventually lead to a more integrated approach, where development of story, music and image elements can take place under one, coordinated artistic concept, so that we can work on the film version, the game version and the soundtrack at the same time.

My pleasure.