The Riddler Speaks - Casefile #0070

TRS - Casefile #0070

Wonderlandshouseoftricks asks: Do you have any musical preference? And, askpluckybecky asks: Good evening, Riddler, as I hear you're not fond of the title "Mister". Is there a certain genre you enjoy listening to? And, Diableret asks: Hello Mr. Nygma - What is your favourite song? All the best and hope you bring down the bat soon, Di. And, anonymous asks: Have you heard anything by The Indelicates? I think that a man of your wit would enjoy their music. And, snitchandaspy asks: Riddler, sir! Though I understand you are often busy and may not have time, I wonder, do you listen to music? It's a common habit of genii (and others, don't get me wrong) to listen to something to stimulate their imagination as they work, or are you a complete silence kind of person? I'm curious as to what type of music would catch your fancy? And, anonymous asks: What kind of music do you like to listen to? 

Oh really... Must I? I've already discussed my favourite movies, my favourite foods, the clothes I wear, and the pets I like! It seems as if the vast hordes of the internet are simply interested in the dullest minutia of a genius' life. Is this intimidation due to my gifts? Or simply a lack of imagination? It is, perhaps, worth studying. But, since I suspect it's the only way to stop the requests coming, I might as well answer now. I have no specific musical preferences. Music is one of those things I rarely have time for, usually because I'm focusing on something that's actually important. When I'm killing time in the asylum however, I've been known to listen to a track or two. Provided the guards haven't taken away my privileges. Again. Which happens with a fair amount of regularity - that's the downside to relaxing in Arkham. 

Sometimes they actually expect you to obey their rules. Who'd've thought it? On those occasions, my musical tastes tends to be eclectic; mp3 players and CDs are forbidden inside Arkham on the grounds that the technology could be used to construct Hatter cards or... Anything, really. That means that there's quite an underground black market in tapes and cassette players. Copies of Pink Floyd's "The Wall" are the most popular item, mostly due to "The Trial" sequence number which, I must admit, becomes amusing from an entirely different perspective when you've just had your own trial and been declared an enemy of humanity. I prefer classical myself, mainly because the recordings don't feature human voices. It's fascinating to track the mathematical sequences used in pieces written long before the discovery of electricity, and find in them the patterns that gave rise to the technology of today. If this sounds slightly insane, well - it is an asylum, remember? (chuckles) And it's not so surprising when you consider that the world's first computer programmer Ada Lovelace was born before the invention of computers. Sometimes the world likes to play little tricks on us.