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Abebe Tinari spends almost as much time reading about games as he does playing them. Sadly, video game criticism is lacking compared to other media. Language is an essential tool for criticism, but its effectiveness is often hindered by our inability to utilize it properly. This essay focuses on the neglected link between words and video games.
How do we talk about music? Some might say that there’s no need to talk about it, as music has the power to speak for itself. While it is highly possible for the essence of music to be reduced by language, it is also possible for it to be enhanced through the use of language. By exploring music via other mediums (text, visuals, etc.), we are creating alternative forms in which it can exist. In this discussion, let’s consider the many options through which we can gain a better understanding of music. - In the essay entitled “Beethoven and the Quality of Courage,” Daniel Barenboim says that though music can mean a lot of different things to different people, its core lies in its connection with “the soul of the human being.” He then goes on to say that it is “metaphysical” despite its means of expression being “purely and exclusively physical” (i.e. that it is expressed in the form of sound). In his opinion, these qualities are what make music difficult to describe with words, which is why “all we can do is articulate our reactions to it, and not grasp the music itself.” - Roland Barthes highlights another problem with musical description in his essay, “The Grain of the Voice.” He says that in music criticism, “a work (or its performance) is only ever translated into the poorest of linguistic categories: the adjective.” - Barthes brings up another point that could further complicate the act of describing music in “Music Practica.” According to him, there are two types of music: 1.) the music one listens to, and 2.) the music one plays. Do you think that there are more categories? And do you think that each category needs its own “language” in order to be effectively described? - (communication via linguistic means) vs. (communication via the volume of one’s voice/instruments – i.e. diction – and gestures) - “Concurrently, passive, receptive music, sound music, is become music (that of the concert, festival, record, radio): playing has ceased to exist; musical activity is no longer manual, muscular, kneadingly physical, but merely liquid, effusive, ‘lubrificating,’ to take up a word of Balzac,” wrote Barthes in Musica Practica. His ideas regarding the consumptive approach towards music still rings true today, even though the same approach has also empowered many to make their own music. Here, Barthes compares and contrasts the two musics mentioned in the previous section. What are your thoughts on his opinion on “passive music”? - The digital age has made music very accessible for an incredibly wide audience. We forget that long before the invasion of the mp3, there were physical “vessels” – vinyls, cassettes, CDs – that allowed us to listen to our very musicians in private. Please look out for more #WeDiscuss updates on our Facebook page and Twitter account! If you’d like to share your opinions, or if you have friends who’d like to share theirs, sign up via e-mail with the subject title “We Discuss” at ! If you have comments or questions, tweet us @wjournal.
Like it or not, covers that adorn vinyl records (or any recorded music format for that matter) makes a huge impression amongst people browsing through a collection. We’ve asked the opinion of Mayo Ramando, the proprietor of Jakarta’s Monka Magic Vinyl in Kemang, to select 10 record covers that he personally holds dear.
"If I could choose a life, I would be a tiger," says the unnamed narrator of the Monsoon Tiger series. Chapter Six is the final part of Rain Chudori's imaginative exploration on love, intimacy and the relationships that do or don't bind them. Readers will be reminded of the bittersweetness of endings, and that even the most heartbreaking tales have their take-home message.
"Sharing is caring," they say. In this digital age, caring is not the only reason for people to share. Speed and the mere fact that one can share information anytime, anywhere makes the whole process possible. Zocko, a recently established networking site, combines social media and online shopping to link online and offline ideas of sharing to social influence and reward systems.
Ridzki Noviansyah ends his critical series on photography with a discussion on the photobook. Unlike the typical book that only contains words, the photobook is usually made up of the combination of textual and visual information. This fundamental difference requires specific methods in creating, reading, and distributing photobooks. This piece covers crucial points regarding photobooks in the Indonesian context.
