Yanira D. Kivi 
A skull, a globe, a violin, a book, a candlestick and other matching accessories bounce happily to the rhythm of blippy-sounding synth music. Today that primitive attempt at a VR music video looks rustic and dated, but 20 years ago this is what the future looked and sounded like. More than The edge, Adi Robertson takes a loving look at the ’90s VR experiences and the visionaries behind them. Robertson has a particular focus on VR music videos created by a company called Fakespace, now known as Daydream VR. Founded by tech pioneer Mark Bolas and continued by his brother Niko, the company may barely be remembered in 2016, but Fakespace was “a major player in ’90s virtual reality,” according to Robertson. Fakespace’s immersive work was innovative for the time but just not practical to bring to market, with headsets costing thousands of dollars and computers costing up to $ 100,000 to run the simulations. And yet, we cannot deny the charm of a vintage Fakespace production like that of 1996 ”Still life. This particular music video begins with an explanation of what makes the technology so special: “Music is the driving force behind a continuous stream of stereoscopic 3D graphics.” Here’s what it comes down to:
Another creation of Fakespace, “Vacuii”From 1995, lacks the preamble to the documentary but is just as surreal and engaging in its odd way. This one is even more abstract than “Still Life”, but it also presents characters and objects moving to the rhythm of computer music with artificial sound. Little purple dancers spin inside what appears to be a very chic bathroom, while spotted cubes (not exactly dice) hover above their heads. Who wouldn’t pay a few thousand dollars to experience something like this in immersive 3D?
