Yanira D. Kivi
If video killed the radio star, will virtual reality make traditional musical performances obsolete? We’re in the very early stages, but virtual reality has the potential to transform the way music is created and experienced. MTV’s parent, Viacom, and multidisciplinary artist Nick Koenig are pioneers of this new art form.
____________________________
The Melody of Dust, a virtual reality (VR) music and gaming experience created by multidisciplinary artist Nick Koenig (aka Hot Sugar) in collaboration with Viacom, was released today for the HTC Vive headset. This follows its world premiere on March 14 at the SXSW Virtual Cinema.
Dubbed the ‘New Art Form’ by Rolling Stone, this immersive exploration allows players to discover and unlock more than 80 original melodies hidden in objects found in an animated castle. Together the melodies form a sort of VR album shaped by the unique gameplay. An eponymous Hot Sugar “soundtrack†is also available on iTunes and Spotify in conjunction with its release.
“The atmospheric fantasy world of The Melody of Dust allows you to confirm that any object in the universe is a musical instrument, whether we know how to play it or not,†Koenig said.
“The Melody of Dust is truly the first deconstructed virtual reality music experience of its kind,†said Chaki Ng, SVP Viacom NEXT, Viacom’s research and development arm for emerging entertainment technologies. “We think this is a glimpse into what the future of music might look like as you literally step into a musician’s mind and create your own score.”
Here is the trailer:
