I'm interested in the amount of freedom given to the team to decide what kind of music should go where. For example, the music in Afterlife on Omega obviously needed an upbeat club-feel, whereas the music played during the opening segment showcasing Shepard's death needed to be slower and sadder to fit the moods. There are countless other situations, though, where the choice was probably much less obvious. The theme that is played while on Tuchanka while on Mordin Solus' loyalty quest fit the mood exceptionally, like a glove; while Mordin was lamenting over the loss of a willing female Krogan test subject, the player engages the "good" doctor in some deep and emotional conversation. The music, like most of the game, keeps each scene moving the way it should, often more so than the actual images themselves, and this particular scene struck a chord with me that would not have been struck were it not for the incredible pacing provided by the music. Finally, the question:
Was the team allowed a liberal amount of creative freedom to decide what type and specifically what piece of music should go where? Were there any scenes or situations in the game that were specifically tailored to fit a particular piece of music?
Also, how did you feel about the breathtaking launch trailer of the game featuring music that was composed by completely different musicians? Did you have any input at all whether or not your team should create their own piece specifically for it, or was the decision made independent of the finished composition work that is in Mass Effect 2?
Apologies if that seemed long-winded; I decided my first question didn't have enough substance without explaining why this question interests me. The music of the Mass Effect universe is simply awe-inspiring. It will occupy a place in my car's 6-disc changer for an obscene amount of time. Thank you so much for these wonderful sounds! I look forward to Mass Effect 3's epic soundtrack with incredible anticipation.