志异 Draft by Drama box July 2014 (english) | Page 3

Harmony, in music, is formed by multiple, different notes,
co-existing peacefully. Harmony cannot be formed by a
single note, and a single note does not quite make a song.
What then can we make of this observation about the nature
of a truly harmonious chord? What about discord? Is discord a
case of different notes not being able to co-exist peacefully?
Is discord the antithesis of harmony?
The theme for the third volume (2014) of Draft is ‘Discord/
Harmony’. Issue 1 is named ‘Discord/Harmony Side A’, while
Issue 2 is named ‘Discord/Harmony Side B’. We hope to explore
the various situations and states of ‘discord’ and ‘harmony’ in
our society, especially when our system believes fundamentally
in ‘harmony’ and ‘order’. Do we ponder and reflect enough on
‘harmony’ and ‘order’?
The design of the theme is representative of the perspective
held by the editorial team. We did not use ‘VS’, for instance
‘Discord VS Harmony’, because ‘versus’ suggests binary
opposition. In using ‘/’, we hope to bring to light the relationship
between discord and harmony, as two sides are to a coin.
Can one exist without the other?
In this issue, for Feature, we interviewed Alvin Tan, the
artistic director of The Necessary Stage, and he shares with
us his insights on plurality and postmodern sensibilities. In the
three Columns, we have Taiwan-based Malaysian
Chinese author Ng Kim Chew writing about Singapore,
from the neighbouring position of Johor Bahru; local
filmmaker Daniel Hui uses Jack Neo’s films as a springboard