If video killed the radio star, will virtual reality make traditional music performance obsolete? We’re in the very early stages, but VR has the potential to transform how music is created and experienced. MTV parent Viacom and multidisciplinary artist Nick Koenig are pioneering this new artform.
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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 March 14 world premiere at the SXSW Virtual Cinema.
Dubbed a “new art form” by Rolling Stone, this immersive exploration has players discover and unlock more than 80 original melodies hidden within objects found in an animated castle. Together, the melodies form a kind of VR album shaped by the unique gameplay. A self-titled “soundtrack” by Hot Sugar is also available on iTunes and Spotify in conjunction with its release.
“The atmospheric fantasy world in 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,” said Koenig.
“The Melody of Dust truly is the first of its kind deconstructed VR music experience,” said Chaki Ng, SVP Viacom NEXT, Viacom’s research and development arm for emerging entertainment technologies. “We believe this is a glimpse of what the future of music could look and feel like as you literally step into the mind of a musician and create your own score.”
Here is the trailer: