Four Ways of Hearing Video Game Music

Four Ways of Hearing Video Game Music explores the various ways in which video games invite us to hear and listen to their music,using a phenomenological approach to characterize music in video games. It explains four main ways of hearing music: background, aesthetic, ludic, and semiotic hearing, through detailed case studies of video games and gameplay recordings.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: 26 February 2024
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

Four Ways of Hearing Video Game Music delves into a captivating exploration of the unique auditory experiences offered by video games. Author Michiel Kamp adopts a phenomenological approach to characterize the music found within these digital realms, posing the profound question: What do we hear when we engage with the music of video games? Drawing upon past phenomenological studies of music and insights from diverse disciplines such as aesthetics and ecological psychology, Kamp presents four primary ways of perceiving the same piece of music.

Firstly, background hearing encompasses the music that exists in the background, often unnoticed or ignored, but still capable of being described in terms of moods, affinities, or the equipment used. Aesthetic hearing emerges as a reflective mindset that fosters hermeneutic interpretation, allowing players to delve deeper into the meaning and significance of the music. On the other hand, ludic hearing beckons players to actively engage with the music, either through embodied movement that harmonizes with the rhythm or by responding to the music's cinematic or theatrical connotations, evoking a sense of immersion and participation.

Lastly, semiotic hearing presents music as transparent symbols or signals that convey information about the state of the game. Through detailed case studies of video games from various eras and genres, accompanied by gameplay recordings and images on a companion website, Kamp delves into these four categories, shedding light on the intricate ways in which video games invite us to hear and listen to their musical compositions.

Weight: 330g
Dimension: 156 x 235 x 17 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780197651223