Musical orientation in virtual space

Videogame Score and the Spatiality of Musical Style and Topic

Bibliographic Data

ID3977468
AuthorsPhilip Kirby (0000-0001-9254-8732, St John’s College, Oxford, corresponding author)
Year2022
Volume23
Issue6
Pages855-872
Publication date2022-07-24
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueSocial & Cultural Geography (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1464-9365 • E-ISSN: 1470-1197
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/14649365.2020.1821392
OpenAlexW3089268045
LanguageIT
Citations received5
References cited74

Digital geographies and musical geographies are proliferating. This article considers a topic at the intersection of both: videogame music. It argues that, through attention to such music, geographical approaches to videogames, and to music, can be radically expanded. Specifically, it argues that instrumental score, increasingly employed in major videogame franchises, should be subject to greater focus. Close analysis of instrumental score offers new ways of understanding the spatiality of musical style, structure and form. This article illustrates the potential of greater geographical engagement with instrumental music through the case study of the Legend of Zelda: one of the most popular videogame franchises. It concludes by suggesting new directions for research in the geographies of gaming, and in the geographies of music

Aesthetics · Art · Cartography · Geography · Intersection (aeronautics · Linguistics · Musical · Popular music · Sociology · Style (visual arts · Subject (documents · Visual arts · Computer Science · Digital Games and Media · Music History and Culture · Music Technology and Sound Studies

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