Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Radiohead KID A MNESIA Exhibition - Report

Collapse
X
Collapse
  •  

  • Radiohead KID A MNESIA Exhibition - Report

    Appearing recently on digital storefronts, this digital exhibition coincides with the 20th anniversary re-release and bringing together of Radiohead's Kid A and Amnesiac albums. It's been made in collaboration between the band and Epic Games, though it's also very quick to tell you that it is not a game, epic or otherwise. That, I think, is a mixture of nervous expectation-setting, alongside its creators selling both games, and what they've created, short.
    Click image for larger version

Name:	8olImns.jpg
Views:	1
Size:	21.2 KB
ID:	2744439
    Unless you're one of those sorts who still insists that Radiohead is naught but depressing music for depressing people, then this is a pretty low-effort way to check out a freshly creative spin on their work. Yes, it does feature the band's music prominently, but even at its most self-indulgent does it rarely demand that you sit still, to be quiet and listen. That is what the record exists for. So rather than just a recording, think of this more as an immersive art gallery; an impossibly-proportioned, brutalist museum, full of complex and abstract installations, all dynamically scored by odd bits of spatially disparate and deconstructed music. If you're familiar with the albums and excited about the prospect, then yes, you can probe various signs and go hunting for your favourites, but this is as much about the myriad ways it presents the mountains of art, writing, and designs that were orbiting around the band in this era as it is the music. I've heard that this was originally planned as a physical exhibition, and while global circumstances might be chiefly responsible for robbing us of this, there are also elements here that leverage the medium in a way that simply wouldn't have ever worked in a physical space - least of all the challenge of generating such an experience for more than one person at a time. Let's also not downplay the advantage of being able to do this away from the kind of insufferable tossers - like me - who would be gawping around it for hours on end if this were a real destination.
    Click image for larger version

Name:	M3PZr9N.jpg
Views:	1
Size:	23.0 KB
ID:	2744440
    So... are you saying it is a game? The definition of games, and the general broadening of this to embrace more passive, less interactive experiences is a whole other - quite tiresome - topic for another day entirely, but it's in these fringes that I'd argue it establishes itself neatly. There are some moments that are loosely interactive, but what's harder to lose sight of is the way that everything within comes to life around you. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to soak up however much of this you want to - to think about and listen to these songs in a new way, and to tune in to a band taking stock and revisiting one of their creative peaks. At some point in time before it was released I'm certain I saw reference to this being a VR title, and although this may well be a mistake on my part - as it is certainly not the case at present - it's certainly no huge leap to imagine how well suited this would be on account of its scale, and how it could provide a wonderful mould for how similar experiences would benefit from this most immersive of technical frontiers.
    Click image for larger version

Name:	jFEx30M.jpg
Views:	1
Size:	16.7 KB
ID:	2744441
    My biggest concern with it all is that because it's free, there's this risk it'll be seen as some transient buzz-generating snippet that we're meant to forget about, like an interactive band website from the 90s that's coldly iterated and plunged further and further into obscurity as time surges on. I can see the arguments roaring already when it's inevitably ushered off the storefronts - we didn't pay for anything, so what right do we have to complain? The presence of QR codes that link you out of the experience and into the predatory jaws of a storefront selling branded badges, tea sets, greetings cards and dressing gowns on top of the the usual CDs and vinyl make it very clear that there's no qualms with merchandising this moment in time, so why can't we capture this? 20 years from now, this is what I'm expecting to want to revisit the most, rather than ensuring my brew is enjoyed in a branded tea cup and associated lounge wear. It's arguably as crucial and relevant as a secondary artifact can be to the music itself, so let's hope we're all able to give it its dues: both as a game, and as something worth preserving.

    Click image for larger version

Name:	A2OaLjF.jpg
Views:	1
Size:	22.8 KB
ID:	2744442

    Click image for larger version

Name:	CTBrwua.jpg
Views:	1
Size:	35.7 KB
ID:	2744443

    Click image for larger version

Name:	gfJqQxF.jpg
Views:	1
Size:	25.9 KB
ID:	2744444

    Click image for larger version

Name:	qlYBt1w.jpg
Views:	1
Size:	59.0 KB
ID:	2744445

    Click image for larger version

Name:	sOjzlSm.jpg
Views:	1
Size:	28.0 KB
ID:	2744446

    • wakka
      #1
      wakka commented
      Editing a comment
      Hadn't heard about this, and it's not really my bag, but an interesting article - thanks.
    Posting comments is disabled.

Categories

Collapse

Latest Articles

Collapse

  • Translation: Boboboubo Boubobo (Menu screens)
    by Archives
    Here is a translation of the menu screens in Boboboubo Boubobo Dassutsu! Hajike Royale for the Nintendo Gamecube:

    Main Menu



    Story Mode
    "This is single player mode"
    "You can have fun in Story mode"
    Nose hair Training Centre
    "4 player battle, But only up to 4 players can play!"

    Secret Connection
    "Here you can connect a GBA cable to the Gamecube"

    Gallery "Here you can view Bobobo's files...
    22-08-2023, 13:33
  • Radiohead KID A MNESIA Exhibition - Report
    by Adrian Purser
    Appearing recently on digital storefronts, this digital exhibition coincides with the 20th anniversary re-release and bringing together of Radiohead's Kid A and Amnesiac albums. It's been made in collaboration between the band and Epic Games, though it's also very quick to tell you that it is not a game, epic or otherwise. That, I think, is a mixture of nervous expectation-setting, alongside its creators selling both games, and what they've created, short.
    Unless you're one of those sorts...
    04-01-2022, 17:56
  • Datel Freeloader Review - Action Replay Gamecube Region Free disc
    by Charles R
    Once upon a time, there was a Freeloader. It was late, as usual, but everyone waited with baited breath, because it promised much.

    And so it came to pass, the Freeloader finally arrived, and oh what gifts it brought. The ability to de-zone everyone's Gamecubes. Finally, an easy (and cheap) way for anyone in the world to play games from anywhere else in the world. It was welcomed with open arms.
    Datel, after many delays, have now released their de-zoning disc. Twice. The f...
    18-11-2015, 20:46
  • Goldeneye N64 Retrospective
    by Archives
    Describing the greatness of Goldeneye isn't the easiest task in the world. If you were to show it to a gamer who has recently been showered with PC First Person Shooters such as Far Cry, then they'd scoff at the low-polygon landscapes, the poor digitised textures of Robbie Coltrane and the frame rate equivalent to the IQ of a table leg. They'd be missing the point though, as levels such as "Surface" are the forebears to Far Cry's grand vistas.
    Which leads us nicely into one of the reaso...
    17-11-2015, 12:43
  • Fire Pro Wrestling Returns Translation Guide
    by Archives
    Here is a translation of the menu screens in:
    Fire Pro Wrestling Returns for the Sony Playstation2:

    Match Options Menu - appears before each match

    The selectable parts of these options all change, but we've translated what's in the screenshot anyway. Also this is a scroll menu and there's an option that doesn't appear on this screen unless you scroll, which is "Referee Select" (Left side) User Settings - 1 Blue Corner - 1P Red Corner - CP Match Rule -...
    06-11-2015, 16:07
  • TGS 2003 - Tokyo Game Show Report
    by Archives
    As a first visit to any kind of games show, it was going to be very interesting to see what all the fuss was about. I remember reading about the Tokyo Game Show among other shows in magazines years back and having a sense of delight and amazement. Did you ever dream of going to a game show in Japan? I'm sure it's something most avid gamers can associate with. On Sunday the 28th of September, my wife and I headed towards Makuhari messe from western Tokyo, a journey of 2 hours. When we finally ...
    22-05-2015, 17:34
Working...
X